April 27, 2026

Surrender

March 19, 2015 by

SeekingHimLogo

Recorded in the Gospel of John, our Lord made seven statements referring to Himself as I AM…

I AM The Light of the World
I AM The Bread of Life
I AM The Door
I AM The Good Shepherd
I AM The True Vine
I AM The Way, The Truth, and The Life
I AM The Resurrection and The Life

Each week during this season of Lent, here on the Seeking Him blog, we will be focusing our devotionals on a different aspect of Jesus’ revelation of Himself as I AM.  The aim of Lent should be to prepare our hearts for the remembrance of Jesus’ sacrifice—His trial and torture, the Crucifixion and His death…and above all, the celebration of His Resurrection from the dead.  We pray that this will be a great encouragement to each of you who read them.  And that all of us will consider the significance of Jesus’ words and, through them, be helped as we remember and are thankful for all Jesus went through during the last few weeks of His life on this earth.

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

As I was reading John 10:11-18, I kept going back to these two verses:

This is why the Father loves Me,
because I am laying down My life so I may take it up again.
No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down on My own.
I have the right to lay it down, and I have the right to take it up again.
I have received this command from My Father.
John 10:17-18 HCSB

I love the way verse 18 reads in NLT:

“No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily.”

Did you catch that?—Jesus chose to surrender Himself to God’s plan voluntarily.  He chose to become our Good Shepherd.  In John 6:38 (HCSB) Jesus says, “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My will, but the will of Him who sent Me.”  Christ had the ability, the authority to say NO.  Instead, He chose to lay down His life for us in accordance to His Father’s will.

We face the same choice.  We can either go it on our own or we can voluntarily submit ourselves to God’s plan.  Titus 2:14 reminds us that Christ “…gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to cleanse for Himself a people for His own possession, eager to do good works.”  2 Timothy 1:9 (NIV) tells us, “He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of His own purpose and grace.”

Christ led by example.  He became our example.  He is our Good Shepherd—the one who cares for us and leads us to safety.  He has called us.  Yet the choice is ours.  No one else will make the decision for us.  No one is going to snatch our struggles from us.  We must willingly…voluntarily…surrender our will to His and allow Him to lead us.

For me, the surrender is daily; sometimes minute-by-minute.  But when I do and I trust my Good Shepherd following His lead, well, therein lies the victory!

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~  

Jesus, I am so glad You willingly chose to follow God’s plan. I am thankful You know me. I am grateful I can listen to Your voice and follow where You lead. But most of all, I am thankful You laid Your life down for me. In Your precious name I pray, Amen – it is so!

Filed Under: Seeking Him Daily Devotional Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Compassion Hymn

March 19, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

There is an everlasting kindness
You lavished on us
When the Radiance of heaven Came to rescue the lost;
You called the sheep without a shepherd
To leave their distress
For your streams of forgiveness
And the shade of Your rest.

And with compassion for the hurting,
You reached out Your hand
As the lame ran to meet You
And the dead breathed again
You saw behind the eyes of sorrow
And shared in our tears
Heard the sigh of the weary
Let the children draw near

What boundless love, what fathomless grace
You have shown us, O God of compassion
Each day we live an offering of praise
As we show to the world Your compassion

We stood beneath the cross of Calvary
And gazed on Your face
At the thorns of oppression
And the wounds of disgrace
For surely You have borne our suffering
And carried our grief
As You pardoned the scoffer
And showed grace to the thief

How beautiful the feet that carry
This gospel of peace
To the fields of injustice
And the valleys of need
To be a voice of hope and healing
To answer the cries
Of the hungry and helpless
With the mercy of Christ.

Keith and Kristyn Getty
written along with Stuart Townend

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

The meaning of compassion is to recognize the suffering of others,
then take action to help.
-from the mission statement of Compassion International

“If you would sum up the whole character of Christ in reference to ourselves,
it might be gathered into this one sentence:
He was moved with compassion.”
– Charles Haddon Spurgeon

The Strong’s Concordance defines compassion in this way:

  • to have compassion
  • to have the bowels yearn, i.e., (figuratively) feel sympathy, to pity
  • have (be moved with) compassion

How about you…when you hear the word, compassion, what does it make you think of?  Surely amongst the first things that spring to mind would be how very compassionate is our loving Heavenly Father.  The Scriptures tell us in many places about His compassion toward mankind.  In fact, as part of a word study in the Bible on this attribute of God’s nature—compassion—I found (literally) over 125 individual Scriptures that talk about God’s compassion…His being compassionate and His having compassion.

Compassion is a defining characteristic of Who Almighty God is!  For example, in this record (Nehemiah 9), God’s compassion is spoken of seven separate times.

But You are a God of forgiveness, gracious and compassionate,
Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness;
And You did not forsake them.
Nehemiah 9:17

Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; Yes, our God is compassionate.
Psalm 116:5

The Lord is good to all; He has compassion on all He has made.
Psalm 145:9

Therefore the Lord longs to be gracious to you,
And therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you.
For the Lord is a God of justice;
How blessed are all those who long for Him.
Isaiah 30:18

But this I recall and therefore have I hope and expectation:
It is because of the Lord’s mercy and loving-kindness that we are not consumed
because His [tender] compassions fail not.
They are new every morning;
great and abundant is Your stability and faithfulness.
The Lord is my portion or share, says my living being (my inner self);
therefore will I hope in Him and wait expectantly for Him.
The Lord is good to those who wait hopefully and expectantly for Him,
to those who seek Him. It is good that one should hope in and wait
quietly for the salvation (the safety and ease) of the Lord.
Lamentations 3:21-26

 ~  ♥   ~

And, to be assured, there is record after record after record in the Gospel accounts of Jesus and the loving compassion He had for those around Him.

Moved with compassion, Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him,
and said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.”
Mark 1:41

When he went ashore He saw a great crowd,
and He had compassion on them,
because they were like sheep without a shepherd.
And He began to teach them many things.
Mark 6:34

And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.”
Luke 7:13

 ~  ♥   ~

We, too, are to live the same.  As the words of this beautiful hymn express, “Each day we live an offering of praise as we show to the world Your compassion.”

Be kind and compassionate to one another,
forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
Ephesians 4:32

Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved,
compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience….
Colossians 3:12

Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic,
love one another, be compassionate and humble.
1 Peter 3:8

But if anyone has this world’s goods
and sees his brother and fellow believer in need,
yet closes his heart of compassion against him,
how can the love of God live and remain in him?
1 John 3:17

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

May we each today reach out to those around us…our loved ones, strangers, the untouchable, the harsh and critical, those who persecute us, those who do not understand us, the hurting, and the hurters…with this compassion that is ours to freely give by God’s grace.  May we be Christ’s love to them…and show them the love, grace, mercy, compassion, forgiveness given at the Cross.

Filed Under: Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

The Good Shepherd is Selfless

March 18, 2015 by

SeekingHimLogo

Recorded in the Gospel of John, our Lord made seven statements referring to Himself as I AM…

I AM The Light of the World
I AM The Bread of Life
I AM The Door
I AM The Good Shepherd
I AM The True Vine
I AM The Way, The Truth, and The Life
I AM The Resurrection and The Life

Each week during this season of Lent, here on the Seeking Him blog, we will be focusing our devotionals on a different aspect of Jesus’ revelation of Himself as I AM.  The aim of Lent should be to prepare our hearts for the remembrance of Jesus’ sacrifice—His trial and torture, the Crucifixion and His death…and above all, the celebration of His Resurrection from the dead.  We pray that this will be a great encouragement to each of you who read them.  And that all of us will consider the significance of Jesus’ words and, through them, be helped as we remember and are thankful for all Jesus went through during the last few weeks of His life on this earth.

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

I AM the Good Shepherd.  The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.
The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep.
So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away.
Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it.
The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.
I AM the Good Shepherd; I know My sheep and My sheep know Me—
just as the Father knows Me and I know the Father—
and I lay down my life for the sheep.

John 10:11-14

From the beginning of time people have laid their lives down in order to protect the sheep.  When Jacob left Laban to go back home (taking his wives, servants, flocks and herds, and household goods), Laban became furious.  Not because Jacob left secretly, but because he had a good worker, someone who cared for the flocks, leaving:

Thus I was: by day the heat consumed me and the frost by night,
and my sleep fled from my eyes.
Genesis 31:40

Jacob lost many nights of sleep to make sure the sheep were well cared for.  Sheep have to be watched because they wander away.  They have to be sheared at the right time because of the closeness of their wool.  If it is not shaved at the right time or they can easily become infested with parasites and die.

If God cares enough for the sheep to have those kind of shepherds like Jacob, how much more will He care for us…?  God’s love is so immense.  It is so full of goodness, and will help us overcome our feelings of inadequacy. As long as we lay our feelings down at His feet, we will be able to overcome them.  God loves us so much.  The fact that He sent His Son to die on the Cross is evidence of His great love.

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Father, help us to have faith in Your Word.  Forgive us when we doubt.  Help us build our faith and trust You will always be there even more than when Jacob was there for his sheep.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Filed Under: Seeking Him Daily Devotional Tagged With: , , , , , ,

I Choose Jesus

March 18, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

I have searched to find the meaning of this life
Something that would fill my empty soul
Some believe a lie, choose darkness over light
But I will stand and let the whole world know

I choose Jesus, I choose Jesus
The One who first chose me

I stand unashamed trusting in one Name
‘Cause I have seen the Cross and I believe
This choice comes at cost, all other things are lost
No other love could mean so much to me

I choose Jesus, I choose Jesus
The One who first chose me
I choose Jesus, I choose Jesus
For now and eternity

He chose to love me when I felt unlovable
He chose to reach me when I felt unreachable
He carried me out of my fear and doubt
How I want the world to know—I choose Jesus

Moriah Peters
along with songwriters: Tony Wood, Chuck Butler, Ed Cash

* ~ ♥ ~ ✞ ~ ♥ ~ * 

Have you searched to find meaning and SOMEthing that would fill the emptiness of your soul?  I have….  Oh, how I have yearned to KNOW I was l-o-v-e-d!  Probably for most of the first quarter century of my  life, I attempted to fill that void. But nothing…not accomplishments, not approval, not food, not inappropriate relationships…nothing was able to fill that hole in my heart.  And, assuredly, there is nothing which COULD fill that hole in my heart…only Jesus.  Perhaps you have heard this quote,

“There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every person,
and it can never be filled by any created thing.
It can only be filled by God, made known through Jesus Christ.”

(Blaise Pascal)

I think that describes it so well—a ‘God-shaped vacuum in the heart.’  I believe God created man (and woman) with that need.  And I know He perfectly provided for the filling of that vacuum when He made Adam and Eve and gave them the opportunity to have perfect fellowship with Him every moment of every day.  And I trust He would have always supplied their need…but they were deceived.   They chose to think that something else—being equal and alike to God Almighty—was the true answer to their needs.

But the serpent said to the woman,
You shall not surely die, for God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing the difference between good and evil and blessing and calamity.
And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food and that it was delightful to look at, and a tree to be desired in order to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she gave some also to her husband, and he ate.
Genesis 3:4-6

And, because they chose the deception of the enemy of their souls and disobeyed the One Who truly DID love them, they lost that fellowship and perfect connection and the fulfillment that a relationship with their God gave them.

And mankind has suffered under the sin of Adam since.  But God would not allow His plan, His desire to fail.  And He provided so that all of humanity could have that ‘God-shaped vacuum’ filled in the way He has originally planned.

By this the love of God was manifested in us,
that God has sent His only begotten Son
into the world so that we might live through Him.
In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us
and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
1 John 4:9 and 10

Jesus IS the perfect and complete filling of that vacuum!  We do not need to search or attempt to fill the void inside…we need to accept God’s perfect provision making Jesus our Lord and Master and live our lives in obedience to Him.

In this beautiful song, Moriah Peters sings, “He chose to love me when I felt unlovable…He chose to reach me when I felt unreachable…He carried me out of my fear and doubt.”  No longer do I (nor you either!) have to search for something to fulfill the emptiness, the void.  We need to choose Jesus!  He has chosen me (you, too)!

Would you sing and praise along with me…

I choose Jesus, I choose Jesus
The One who first chose me
I choose Jesus, I choose Jesus
For now and eternity

Filed Under: Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Good-For-You Shamrock Shake

March 17, 2015 by

It is tradition to celebrate St. Paddy’s Day in our family…heritage and all, y’know!  (Your name can’t be coleen ann brigit mcelroy hayden…and not recognize your Irish background!)  So while we have a really nice gluten-free ‘almost’ rye bread, and some lovely oven-roasted cabbage steaks to serve with the corned beef and other veggies, this little healthy indulgence fits in perfectly, too!  We enjoyed it in the morning.

So, I have to admit to indulging <in the past!> in a Shamrock Shake or two 😉 from a certain fast food place…uh-huh…you know what i mean!  But that just does NOT fit into our healthier eating lifestyle now…by God’s grace!…and so I took a little peek ‘n see about the nutrition facts (from the manufacturer) for that minty shake of my past.  Can you say “Holy Saint Paddy!”  530 calories, 86 grams of carbs (of which 73 were sugar carbs, mostly corn syrup), and 15 grams of fat in a 16 ounce cup!   If you were here, I would share these healthy but-oh-so-yummy! green minty “shakes” with you!

I think you will find this version equally satisfying and delicious.  I would love to hear from you if you decide to try this recipe!  Enjoy!

Good-for-you Shamrock Shake

2015-03-16 23.09.40

ingredients:
1 scoop protein powder
2 cups almond milk (or sub some full-fat coconut milk)
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract (or 2 drops peppermint essential oil)
1 packet of stevia sweetener
1 cup greek yogurt (sweetened or unsweetened, your choice)
1 ripe avocado
2 handfuls of raw spinach
2 very ripe bananas, cut up and frozen
4 or 5 ice cubes

directions:

  • start off with the first six ingredients; blend for 10-15 seconds
  • pile in the balance of the ingredients and whirl away ‘til nicely blended!

This made more than enough for two big servings; the glasses pictured hold more than 14 ounces each.  You certainly can prepare this shake/smoothie in a standard blender, too. i would suggest doing it in two batches, however, using 1/2 of the ingredients at a time.

Also, check out this link…here are a few other options for making a healthier Shamrock Shake—one includes kale instead of spinach!— (note that some of these do include food coloring).

♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥

may the road rise up to meet you.
may the wind be always at your back.
may the sun shine warm upon your face;
the rains fall soft upon your fields
and, until we meet again,
may God hold you in the palm of His hand.

God loves you!  ♥  (Don’t ever forget that!)

♥  coleen

Filed Under: At Home w/ GCH Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Dedicated To You

March 17, 2015 by

SeekingHimLogo

Recorded in the Gospel of John, our Lord made seven statements referring to Himself as I AM…

I AM The Light of the World
I AM The Bread of Life
I AM The Door
I AM The Good Shepherd
I AM The True Vine
I AM The Way, The Truth, and The Life
I AM The Resurrection and The Life

Each week during this season of Lent, here on the Seeking Him blog, we will be focusing our devotionals on a different aspect of Jesus’ revelation of Himself as I AM.  The aim of Lent should be to prepare our hearts for the remembrance of Jesus’ sacrifice—His trial and torture, the Crucifixion and His death…and above all, the celebration of His Resurrection from the dead.  We pray that this will be a great encouragement to each of you who read them.  And that all of us will consider the significance of Jesus’ words and, through them, be helped as we remember and are thankful for all Jesus went through during the last few weeks of His life on this earth.

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

I AM the Good Shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
John 10:11

Jesus is the Good Shepherd. As I pondered this verse, I continued to read all the way to verse 21. We all know that Jesus died for us on the Cross to save us from our own sin. I know we are all very thankful for this selfless act, because we have come to accept this act as our saving grace. However, the fact still remains that Jesus is many things to us—not just our Savior. This week we are looking at how Jesus is the Good Shepherd.

Shepherds lead their sheep. They watch them, guide them, make sure they have a place to eat, a place to sleep, and safely exist in the world. The sheeps very being is dependent on the shepherd—and so our very being is dependent on Jesus.

The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but victory rests with the Lord.
Proverbs 21:31

This verse has reminded me, time and time again, that there is only so much that is MY part. I can only make so much happen. I can only do so much. The real success comes when I allow God to do His part. This verse also reminds me that the Lord is my Shepherd; He is the one who orchestrates the comings and goings of my life.

Another verse that reminds me that Lord is the One who is control of my well being is Proverbs 20:21.

A man’s steps are directed by the Lord.
How then can anyone understand his own way?

God cares for us. He sent us Jesus. Jesus cares for us, and because He does, He has chosen to be our everything.

  • Are you hungry…physically or spiritually? He will lead you to the food you need.
  • Are you tired? He will give you a safe place to rest.
  • Are you lost? He will guide you.
  • Are you scared? He will shelter you.

He is our EVERYthing. There is nothing in this world that you can experience that He Himself cannot help you with. The real question is…

Will you let Him be your Good Shepherd?

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Lord, thank You for being such an amazing Provider and making my life simple. I know I am the one who complicates things. Help me to live in You and follow Your lead. Amen.

Filed Under: Seeking Him Daily Devotional Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

He’s Alive!

March 17, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

The gates and doors were barred
And all the windows fastened down
I spent the night in sleeplessness
And rose at every sound
Half in hopeless sorrow
And half in fear the day
Would find the soldiers breakin’ through
To drag us all away

And just before the sunrise
I heard something at the wall
The gate began to rattle
And a voice began to call
I hurried to the window
Looked down into the street
Expecting swords and torches
And the sound of soldiers’ fee

But there was no one there but Mary
So I went down to let her in
John stood there beside me
As she told us where she’d been
She said they might have moved Him in the night
And none of us knows where
The stone’s been rolled away
And now His body isn’t there

We both ran toward the garden
Then John ran on ahead
We found the stone and empty tomb
Just the way that Mary said
But the winding sheet they wrapped Him in
Was just an empty shell
And how or where they’d taken Him
Was more than I could tell

Oh something strange had happened there
Just what I did not know
John believed a miracle
But I just turned to go
Circumstance and speculation
Couldn’t lift me very high
‘Cause I’d seen them crucify Him
Then I saw Him die

Back inside the house again
The guilt and anguish came
Everything I’d promised Him
Just added to my shame
When At last it came to choices
I denied I knew His name
And even if He was alive
It wouldn’t be the same

But suddenly the air was filled
With a strange and sweet perfume
Light that came from everywhere
Drove the shadows from the room
And Jesus stood before me
With His arms held open wide
And I fell down on my knees
And I just clung to Him and cried

Then He raised me to my feet
And as I looked into His eyes
The love was shining out from Him
Like sunlight from the skies
Guilt in my confusion
Disappeared in sweet release
And every fear I’d ever had
Just melted into peace

He’s alive, He’s alive
He’s alive and I’m forgiven
Heaven’s gates are open wide
He’s alive, He’s alive

Written and sung by Don Francisco

  *   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

I cannot think of a better song to represent suffering for your actions and attitudes.  The guilt and shame we carry for an act for which our head knew we should not do, but our fear and emotions reacted first.

Peter is such an excellent example of this and how much Jesus loves us. We may not walk physically with Jesus as Peter did, but He is right there, waiting on us to call upon Him as we would a trusted friend.  Jesus, of all people, knew what Peter was going to do but He also knew what Peter was capable of once he was forgiven and released from his sin.  Sisters, that is what God wants for us! He wants us to be released from our guilt and shame…to turn away from our sin…to rely on God’s love, grace, and mercy.

Another great example of Jesus’ forgiveness and love is the woman who was caught in adultery (Luke chapter 7) and brought before Jesus to be condemned.  I cannot imagine how she felt, appearing before all of the people, with her sin being proclaimed in the open, in front of the temple. As the men were trying to trick Jesus, He cleverly reminded them to not be so hasty in their attempt to throw stones.

Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—
as her great love has shown.
But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.
Luke 7:47 NIV

God loves His people, Jews and Gentiles alike. He does not want to condemn us…our sins, yes…but not us.  Jesus commanded husbands to love their wives as He loves.  Unconditionally, without reservation, without restraint.

Today, seek out areas where you can love more and better and  unconditionally.  Today, ask for the Holy Spirit to show you where you are forgiven and let the ‘strange,  sweet perfume’ surround your senses (as this song describes Peter’s experience). Wow!

  *   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Father, we love You! Thank You for the reminder from Don Francisco of Your unconditional love. I want a most intimate relationship with You.  Help me shrug off all of the years of guilt and shame.  Help me surrender them all to You so You can build a brand-new me that honors and glorifies You in everything I do.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Filed Under: Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

The Good Shepherd Cares for His Sheep

March 16, 2015 by

SeekingHimLogo

Recorded in the Gospel of John, our Lord made seven statements referring to Himself as I AM…

I AM The Light of the World
I AM The Bread of Life
I AM The Door
I AM The Good Shepherd
I AM The True Vine
I AM The Way, The Truth, and The Life
I AM The Resurrection and The Life

Each week during this season of Lent, here on the Seeking Him blog, we will be focusing our devotionals on a different aspect of Jesus’ revelation of Himself as I AM.  The aim of Lent should be to prepare our hearts for the remembrance of Jesus’ sacrifice—His trial and torture, the Crucifixion and His death…and above all, the celebration of His Resurrection from the dead.  We pray that this will be a great encouragement to each of you who read them.  And that all of us will consider the significance of Jesus’ words and, through them, be helped as we remember and are thankful for all Jesus went through during the last few weeks of His life on this earth.

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

I AM the Good Shepherd.  The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.
The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep.
So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away.
Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it.
The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.
I AM the Good Shepherd; I know My sheep and My sheep know Me—
just as the Father knows Me and I know the Father—
and I lay down my life for the sheep.
John 10:11-14

In this passage, Jesus declares Himself to be the promised Good Shepherd.  This is also illuminated in a number of Scriptures.  It was spoken of in the Old Testament prophesying of His coming as well as in the New Testament where He Himself now is confirming the prophecies spoken of in the past.

Here are things the Shepherd would do:

  • Psalm 23:1 He ensures we lack nothing.
  • Isaiah 40:11 He tends His flock like a shepherd, He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to his heart, He gently leads those that have young.
  • Ezekiel 34:23 God was saying I will place one shepherd—my shepherd, David. This shepherd being talked of here is Jesus the Messiah who came from David’s line and who laid down His life for the sheep.
  • Ezekiel 37:24  We see the Messiah cleansing the people who would receive forgiveness.

These examples illustrate Jesus’ tender and devoted care for His people. It is as if He is saying “As a good shepherd is toward his sheep, I am toward all who believe in Me—caring, watchful, and loving.”  He was willing to die for His sheep. This emphasizes the uniqueness of Christ the Shepherd…His death on the Cross saves His sheep.

Christ was mentioned as Good Shepherd in John 10:11-14; Great Shepherd in Hebrews 13:20; and the Chief Shepherd in 1 Peter 5:4.

We also, as His followers and believers, are shepherds.  We win souls, we are shepherds of His sheep also.  Others (pastors/evangelists) also shepherd the flock.  Do we sacrifice ourselves for our sheep or we leave them to die of thirst?  We are to take our sheep to the river banks where they can get water (the Word of God).  As true believers we are to care for the sheep, and are to think about the sheep first and then ourselves.

Let us truly take care of the sheep, pray with them, feed them with the Word every day, and follow up with them, so that they should not be in any want.

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Dear heavenly Father, thank You for Your lovingkindness, thank You for who You are.  Indeed we are the sheep of Your pasture and so we are to exercise our calling.  We pray, Lord, that You help us take care of Your sheep You have given us.  May we also help grow the sheep and die to ourselves for them in Jesus’ name.  We pray for Your leading in all we do as we win souls to Your Kingdom.  In Jesus’ name we have prayed.  Amen.

Filed Under: Seeking Him Daily Devotional Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Amazing Love (You Are My King)

March 16, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

I’m forgiven because You were forsaken
I’m accepted, You were condemned
I’m alive and well, Your Spirit is within me
Because You died and rose again

Amazing love, how can it be
That You, my King, should die for me
Amazing love, I know it’s true
It’s my joy to honor You
In all I do, to honor You

You are my King
You are my King
Jesus, You are my King
You are my King

 Newsboys
written by Billy James Foote

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This song personifies Easter to me.  I love the parallels given in this song—forgiven/forsaken, accepted/condemned, alive/died.  All these gifts and blessings are mine because of Jesus’ sacrifice.  A sacrifice He willingly chose to make.

He was despised and rejected and forsaken by men,
a Man of sorrows and pains,
and acquainted with grief and sickness;
and like One from Whom men hide their faces He was despised,
and we did not appreciate His worth or have any esteem for Him.
Isaiah 53:3 AMP

I can’t even find words for this!  How is it possible Christ would choose to be treated in this manner?  Amazing love indeed!  Mark 15:34 (AMP) gives us a glimpse of what Christ experienced:

And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?
—which means, My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me
[deserting Me and leaving Me helpless and abandoned]?

Jesus was left helpless and abandoned on the Cross so we might be forgiven.  God turned His back on His only Son in order to redeem us.  Look at 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NLT): “For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.”  We may be persecuted, but we will never be forsaken; struck down, but never destroyed (2 Corinthians 4:8-9). Because of Christ’s selfless sacrifice, we are accepted and protected by God Himself!

And not only are we accepted, but Romans 8:1 tells us “Therefore, no condemnation now exists for those in Christ Jesus…”.  Christ was condemned in our place so that we could share His robe of righteousness.  We will never be condemned by God.  It is that robe of righteousness that allows us to stand before God, holy, pure, unblemished and unstained.

Isaiah 61:10 (AMP) talks about why we should feel joy in honoring Him.

I will rejoice greatly in the Lord,
My soul will exult in my God;
For He has clothed me with garments of salvation,
He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness….

The opportunity for salvation exists only because of Jesus’ voluntary sacrifice.  THAT is amazing love.  It is our choice to honor Him with our lives.  We should be honored to call Him our King.

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Lord, I cannot even begin to put into words what I feel when I think of all You chose to suffer just so I could be forgiven and accepted.  ‘Thank You’ will never be enough to express the depth of my gratitude.  It is my joy to honor You in all I do.  In Your name I pray, Amen – so be it!

Filed Under: Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Lay Down My Life

March 15, 2015 by

Recorded in the Gospel of John, our Lord made seven statements referring to Himself as I AM…

I AM The Light of the World
I AM The Bread of Life
I AM The Door
I AM The Good Shepherd
I AM The True Vine
I AM The Way, The Truth, and The Life
I AM The Resurrection and The Life

Each week during this season of Lent, here on the Seeking Him blog, we will be focusing our devotionals on a different aspect of Jesus’ revelation of Himself as I AM.  The aim of Lent should be to prepare our hearts for the remembrance of Jesus’ sacrifice—His trial and torture, the Crucifixion and His death…and above all, the celebration of His Resurrection from the dead.  We pray that this will be a great encouragement to each of you who read them.  And that all of us will consider the significance of Jesus’ words and, through them, be helped as we remember and are thankful for all Jesus went through during the last few weeks of His life on this earth.

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I AM the Good Shepherd.  The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.
The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep.
So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away.
Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it.
The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.
I AM the Good Shepherd; I know My sheep and My sheep know Me—
just as the Father knows Me and I know the Father—
and I lay down my life for the sheep.
I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen.
I must bring them also.
They too will listen to My voice and there shall be one flock and one Shepherd.
The reason My Father loves Me
is that I lay down My life—only to take it up again.
No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of My own accord.
I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again.
This command I received from My Father.

All your pain will be made mine
All your troubles, the tears you cry
Give it up…all that binds
I will place it on My shoulders
And up this hill I’ll climb

Father, give Me strength
I know there is no other way

I lay down My life for you
This is the moment when all will be made new
I know that you don’t understand
But this is part of a greater plan
So I lay down My life for you

This is Love that had to bleed
To bring you mercy, to set you free
You are Mine, I am yours
And I will wear your burdens
Just like this crown of thorns
I will take your place
I know there is no other way

Give me all your pride
Give me all your fears
Give me all your secrets
Give me all your tears
Give me all you doubt
Give me all your shame
Watch them wash away
Watch them wash away
In Jesus’ name

Though I know that you don’t understand
These scars are part of a greater plan
And I lay down My life for you

Arms stretched out upon this tree
To show true love, to set you free

Sidewalk Prophets
songwriters: Dave Frey and Ben MacDonald

Filed Under: Seeking Him Daily Devotional Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,
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