May 2, 2026

My Strength for the “Impossible”

August 25, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

Sing for joy to God our strength; shout aloud to the God of Jacob.
Psalm 81:1

How?  That’s a question I ask myself often when reading the Word of God.  I want to know exactly how things are going to work…down to the tiniest detail…and then, if it makes sense to me, then I’ll trust.  However, God is Almighty and Sovereign, therefore He make promises that seem impossible to the natural part of us.  And I don’t always have the luxury of knowing every detail.  I simply have to trust God’s Word, regardless of how things seem in the natural.

How am I supposed to trust in something that makes no sense to me?  How do I keep up the momentum to do something that defies what I know to be possible? How did Peter walk on the water? How did Jesus face the cross?

Let’s take a look at Peter,

“But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
“Lord, if it’s You,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to You on the water.” “Come,” He said.
Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.
But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him.
“You of little faith,” He said, “why did you doubt?”
Matthew 14:27-31

Peter was able to walk on water because of his focus and trust in Jesus.  God is our strength; nothing else can sustain us like the Father.  God is the spiritual version of caffeine—except there’s no type of crash afterwards and you can’t build up a tolerance for Him.

Jesus relied on the Father to strengthen Him during, what I feel, is the most challenging and seemingly impossible thing God could ask a person to do. Don’t get me wrong, I’m thankful that Jesus died for me, but one man to die for ALL mankind…that doesn’t make sense.

“Father, if You are willing, take this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.”
An angel from heaven appeared to Him and strengthened Him.
Luke 22:42-43

If Jesus saw it fitting to lean on God as His strength, then we should, too!  If God would strengthen Jesus, then He will do it for us, too.

 *   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Lord, thank You so much for being my strength in good times and bad. Amen.

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

Sanctified

August 24, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

Sing for joy to God our strength; shout in triumph to the God of Jacob.
Psalm 81:1

This summer I am working through a Beth Moore study called “Believing God”. The current chapter is entitled “Believing God Can Sanctify Your Mouth.”  Say WHAT?!?  Psalm 81:1 shows us what our mouths should be doing—“sing(ing) for joy to God our strength; shout(ing) in triumph to the God of Jacob.”

Each one of us is called to glorify His name.  But…Psalm 10:7 (NLT) also tells us: “Their mouths are full of cursing, lies, and threats.   Trouble and evil are on the tips of their tongues.”  God and satan both desire to have authority over our mouths.

Beth Moore puts it this way:

“A wayward tongue signals a wayward heart.  A clean mouth unplugs a primary pipe of divine power.”

Now take a look at this familiar passage:

Even so the tongue is a little member, and it can boast of great things.
See how much wood or how great a forest a tiny spark can set ablaze!
And the tongue is a fire. [The tongue is a] world of wickedness set among our members,
contaminating and depraving the whole body
and setting on fire the wheel of birth (the cycle of man’s nature), being itself ignited by hell (Gehenna).
For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea animal can be tamed
and has been tamed by human genius (nature).
But the human tongue can be tamed by no man.
It is a restless (undisciplined, irreconcilable) evil, full of deadly poison.
James 3:5-8(AMP)

So, according to this Scripture, we cannot tame our tongues. So, is it even possible to sanctify our mouths?   Are we ever going to be able to “…guard my ways that I may not sin with my tongue; <and> will guard my mouth as with a muzzle while the wicked are in my presence” (as David says in Psalm 39:1 NASB).

As Psalm 81:1 reminds us, God is our strength. It is only by daily dependency on Him that we can control that unruly muscle in our mouths. When we develop that intimacy with Him, His Word becomes ingrained in us. Then, “We too believe, and therefore we speak,” (2 Corinthians 4:13b AMP).  As Luke 6:45b (AMP) points out: “…for out of the abundance (overflow) of the heart his mouth speaks….”

Inconsistency in our talk may be common but it is very costly. It deprives us of God’s divine power flowing through us. That is not a price I am willing to pay. (Are you?!)  If not, then let us boldly approach the throne of grace and seek Christ’s assistance in consecrating our hearts and sanctifying our mouths.

All we need to do is lift our faces to Him and ask.

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Father God, we come before You today very much aware of our unclean lips. Forgive us for our wayward hearts and inconsistent speech.  We ask that You set our tongues ablaze with Your Holy fire so that we continually glorify Your name. We ask this in the precious name of Jesus.  Amen – it is so!

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Completely

August 24, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjvI’m feeling so small
Standing here weeping
As I’m coming clean
Of the secrets I’m keeping
I’ve caused so much pain
To the ones I love the most
And I’m falling apart
As I carry my heart to Your throne

I am completely surrendering
Finally giving You everything
You’re my redeemer, I run to the cross
Because You are more than enough
Lord, complete me
‘Cause I’m Yours completely

I’m letting go
There’s nothing I own
The treasures I held
Just weighed down my soul
And there’s nothing left
Inside of me
But a longing for You
And a longing to be the man that You need

I am completely surrendering
Finally giving You everything
You’re my redeemer, I run to the cross
Because You are more than enough
Lord complete me
‘Cause I’m Yours completely

I let Your gifts take the place of You
But You pulled up my selfishness from it’s roots
I am a broken and fragile me
But I’m where You want me to be

Among The Thirsty/ Songwriters: Ryan Squitieri, Stephanie Lewis

 *  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

I am at a place in my life where I have no other choice but to surrender totally to His will and plan for my life. As some of you may know, I entered into the season of children moving away…and dorms…and tuition, etc.  I can tell you that I wasted many mornings this past summer waking up entirely too early to worry about things that I had no control over. I worried about bank accounts and clothes for the kids and school and cars and gas money. I could have been relaxing, reading His Word with my cup of coffee, totally dependent on my Creator—Who knows more about life than I do and knows that all is going to work out the way it is supposed to. And it will work out to my benefit because He loves me so much. If I had only surrendered….

He is our Redeemer and He paid the ultimate price for us—the Cross.  He is more than enough and He satisfies our every need.  The empty places that we sometimes dwell on are so easily filled with Jesus.  He is always waiting on us to invite Him in.  We were created with a desire for a relationship with God and we are not truly satisfied until we walk with Him and He lives in us and through us.

What are you thinking that you need to hand over to Him today? As you listen to this song, ask God to reveal to you the places that you have not totally surrendered.  Then pray for the courage and the strength to give it all to Him. Then, and only then, can He complete you.  He wants you to have peace and blessings and abundant life with Him.  Do you know how free you will be? You will have peace and joy, and you will be able to sleep at night knowing that God never sleeps and He has you in the palm of His hands.

Yes, God is powerful enough to simply just take your problems away…without any help from you.  However, He wants us to hand it over, truly and totally surrender it all.  Then you will be resting in Him, and there is  no better place to be.

Surrender your heart to God, turn to Him in prayer,
and give up your sins—even those you do in secret.
Then you won’t be ashamed; you will be confident and fearless.
Job 11:13-15 CEV

 *  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

Let us pray: Dear Precious Lord, You are all-knowing and all-powerful. You know what we need and when we need it. You are ready to take all our worries away—if only we will let them go and surrender them to You.  Holding on to problems and worries only keeps us from the life that You died for us to have.  Give us the courage and increase our faith so that when we encounter trials, we are ready and willing to hand them over and surrender.  Thank You for Your Word, that we can cling to it and, through You, can change lives when we share it.  We love You. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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

Made Me Glad

August 23, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

Not to us, O Lord, not to us, But to Your name give glory
Because of Your loving kindness, because of Your truth.
Why should the nations say, “Where, now, is their God?”
But our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases.
Their idols are silver and gold, The work of man’s hands.
They have mouths, but they cannot speak; They have eyes, but they cannot see;
They have ears, but they cannot hear; They have noses, but they cannot smell;
They have hands, but they cannot feel; They have feet, but they cannot walk;
They cannot make a sound with their throat.
Those who make them will become like them, Everyone who trusts in them.
O Israel, trust in the Lord; He is their Help and their Shield.
O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord; He is their Help and their Shield.
You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord; He is their Help and their Shield.
Psalms 115:1-11

I will bless the Lord forever
And I will trust Him at all times

He has delivered me from all fear
And He has set my feet upon a rock

I will not be moved, and I’ll say of the Lord
You are my Shield, my Strength, my Portion
Deliverer, my Shelter, Strong Tower
My very present Help in time of need

Whom have I in heaven but You
There’s none I desire beside You
You have made me glad, and I’ll say of the Lord

You are my Shield, my Strength, my Portion
Deliverer, my Shelter, Strong Tower
My very present Help in time of need

Songwriter: Miriam Joy Webster / Performed by Hillsong

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

We Believe

August 23, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

In this time of desperation
When all we know is doubt and fear
There is only one foundation
We believe, we believe!

In this broken generation
When all is dark, You help us see
There is only one salvation
We believe, we believe!

We believe in God the Father
We believe in Jesus Christ
We believe in the Holy Spirit
And He’s given us new life
We believe in the crucifixion
We believe that He conquered death
We believe in the resurrection
And He’s comin’ back again, we believe

So, let our faith be more than anthems
Greater than the songs we sing
And in our weakness and temptations
We believe, we believe!

Let the lost be found and the dead be raised
In the here and now, let love invade
Let the church live love our God will save
We believe, we believe

And the gates of hell will not prevail
For the power of God has torn the veil
Now we know Your love will never fail
We believe, we believe!

 Songwriters: Travis Ryan, Richie Fike, Matt Hooper / Performed by Newsboys

*  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

I often feel like I am living in a puzzle that will never get solved. I am a puzzle piece that somehow connects to another piece on the table. I know I connect, and I believe that I will connect. Christians are being persecuted. A radical group in the Middle East is heck-bent on taking over the world. I just feel like I am a piece of a puzzle that will not get put together as things go from bad to worse.

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God…
Ephesians 2:8

We see the faces of those being oppressed every day when we watch the news on television or read about it on the Internet. I believe, however, that this is all part of God’s master plan for the world and time. Times are getting desperate. People are getting desperate. The earth is getting desperate. The number of extreme storms and earthquakes are increasing. The birth pangs look to have begun. For Christians, these may be a few of the signs that Christ’s Return is getting nearer—nearer than ever before.

Believers know that Jesus died for us, and that He rose from the grave. As believers, we know that He will return one day to take us home. Jesus gives us new life when we believe with faith that He died for us on the Cross. We are released from the desperation of being human when we accept Jesus as our Savior. We believe with faith that Jesus defeated death and sin when He left the tomb. A mere human could not do that. Only Jesus could do that.

Our faith in God is what gets us through the rough times. Our faith in God is what keeps us going when we feel like we have nowhere else to go. Our faith is what allows us to know that Jesus died on the Cross, but He defeated evil when He rose from the dead. He showed Himself to the disciples who then relayed the good news that He would return again.

God’s love is what saves, but only if we accept it. We must believe with our whole hearts that Jesus died on the Cross for us. Then, we must share this same faith with those who are lost. By doing this, we spread the word of God’s love. We show our faith in God when we show His love to others.

*  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank You for Your wonderful gift.  Thank You for defeating death.  We believe that You died for us, and that You will return soon to take us home.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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

Korean-Style Tuna Salad

August 22, 2014 by

Korean Tuna Salad resize

Now that school is starting up again, it’s time for some lunchbox ideas.  One of my favorites as a kid was tuna salad.  Growing up, I had it only two ways:  with mayonnaise, and the way my Mom made it, which was with mayo and chopped celery.  It wasn’t until I was in high school that I had tuna salad made with mayo and pickle relish.  (Thanks, Mrs. Carson!)  It’s really easy to believe that a food will only taste good if prepared in the way you’re familiar with.  I mean, even 15 years ago, I would have been hard-pressed to believe that I would like tuna salad made without mayonnaise.  But old dogs can learn new tricks, so here I present to you:  Korean-Style Tuna Salad!

My husband asked me to make this for him several years ago, because this is the way he grew up eating canned tuna.  Believe it or not, Koreans do enjoy tuna salad, and even make a dish called Tuna Kimbap with it – tuna salad rolled up in rice and seaweed (kind of a Korean sushi roll.)  In this Korean-style dish, the mayonnaise is gone, replaced by savory sesame oil.  The celery is joined by minced carrot and green onion, and the whole dish is seasoned with a little vinegar and a healthy shake of sesame seeds.  It’s a whole new take on tuna!

Try this wrapped in lettuce or served on crackers for lunch.  Ready to break out of your comfort food comfort zone?  Let’s go!

Korean-Style Tuna Salad

Ingredients:

  • 2 cans tuna, drained
  • 2 green onions
  • 1 large carrot
  • 2 celery stalks
  • 2 tablespoons sesame oil (or more, to taste)
  • 1 teaspoon rice vinegar (or use lemon juice)
  • 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

  1. In a mixing bowl, add the tuna.
  2. Finely mince the green onion, carrot, and celery.  Add to the tuna.
  3. Pour in the sesame oil and rice vinegar.  Toss to combine.
  4. In a small bowl, combine the sesame seeds and salt. Crush them together with the back of a spoon until most of the seeds are crushed.  (You can also do this quickly in a mortar and pestle, if you have one.)  Pour the sesame seed salt mixture over the tuna and mix well.  Taste – now you can add more sesame oil, vinegar, or salt.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Explore, experiment, enjoy! — Dana

To view even more of Dana’s unique recipe, you can visit her at Frugal Girlmet!

 

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

Trust In God

August 22, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

O Israel, trust the Lord!
He is your Helper and your Shield.
O priests, descendants of Aaron, trust the Lord!
He is your Helper and your Shield.
All you who fear the Lord, trust the Lord!
He is your Helper and your Shield.
Psalms 115:9-11

trust

lean on…rely on…depend on; believe in…have confidence in; or commit to someone or something.

We trust in the Lord, Jehovah, because He is our Help and our Shield.

Have you ever heard the phrase, “God helps them that help themselves”?  We know this is so NOT true.  God helps them that trust in Him as their Help and their Shield and their Strength.  God helps those whose hearts rejoice in Him and who wait upon Him for their deliverance.  If a person decides to help themselves and “do it on their own”…they will find themselves truly on their own. Trust God and He will be your Help and Shield.

Our inner selves wait [earnestly] for the Lord; He is our Help and our Shield.
For in Him does our heart rejoice, because we have trusted in His holy name.
Psalm 33:20 and 21

The Lord is my Strength and Shield.
I trust him with all my heart.
He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy.
I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.
Psalm 28:7

David rejoiced and sang this song proclaiming his trust in God Who protected and helped and shielded him from his enemies and the hand of Saul:

He said,
“The Lord is my Rock and my Fortress and my Deliverer,
my God, my Rock, in whom I take refuge,
my Shield, and the Horn of my salvation,
my Stronghold and my Refuge,
my Savior; You save me from violence.
I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised,
and I am saved from my enemies….”
2 Samuel 22:3 and 4

“All you who fear the Lord (that’s us!), trust the Lord! He is your Helper and your Shield.”
May this be our constant confession…in Jesus’ name. Amen.

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

For This Child I Have Prayed

August 22, 2014 by

encouragementbloggraphicromans15

Hannah was strong.  So strong that God knew she could handle a really big struggle.  Hannah was not able to have a child.  (Hannah’s story can be found in 1 Samuel, chapters one and two.)  Oh, how her husband loved her though.  However in those days, having a child was extremely important, especially having male children to carry on the family name.  She longed for a baby to love.  Not to mention that a woman’s identity back then was based on child bearing.

It wasn’t long until her husband, Elkanah, took a second wife named Penninah.  She was able to give him many babies.  The house was full of children but none of them were Hannah’s.  Penninah constantly talked about her ability to have children in front of Hannah and taunted her and mocked her.  Can you imagine the pain that she felt?  Her arms aching to hold her own little one and her feelings crushed under the constant berating of the other wife.  Her depression was overwhelming.

She decided to fast and pray for a child.  She made a vow to the Lord that, if He gave her a son, she would give him back to Him.  Hannah knew that the source of her being able to get pregnant was not her husband but her amazing, faithful, powerful God.  She prayed from the depths of her soul and named exactly her desire…and He heard her.

And she made a vow, saying,”O Lord Almighty, if you will only look
upon Your servant’s misery and remember me,
and not forget Your servant but give her a son,
then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life,
and no razor will ever be used on his head.
1 Samuel 1: 11

The Bible says that she didn’t pray out loud so men could hear; she simply moved her lips to the Lord.  He heard her and answered her prayer and gave her a son.  His name was Samuel, meaning “heard by God.”

So in the course of time Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son.
She named him Samuel, saying, “Because I asked the Lord for him.”
Verse 20

God hears us, too.  He understands us and our pain and He longs to take it away. He loves us so much and always does what is best for us. I will admit that I don’t always understand the ‘why’ of what I am going through; and I sometimes get really frustrated.  But I remind myself that He is sovereign and knows the bigger plan that will give me the blessed life that He has in store for me.

Hannah trusted God. And she remembered her promise to Him.   When she had weaned her little boy, she fulfilled her promise to God.  I’m sure it was painful to pack his little bags and take him to the tabernacle and leave him there with the priest.

And she said to him (Eli), my lord, I am the woman
who stood here beside you praying to the Lord.
I prayed for this child and the Lord granted me what I asked of Him.
So now, I give him to the Lord.
For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord.”
And he worshipped the Lord there.
Verses 26-28

Samuel grew up to be one of the most influential leaders in Israel’s history.  All because Hannah was a great mother and she was totally devoted to her Heavenly Father.

What are you asking God for?  Do you need provision?  Are you struggling to have a baby?  Healing from an illness?  What are you believing Him for?  Nothing is impossible for our God.  He is the God of the impossible.

For with God nothing shall be impossible.
Luke 1:37

I have seen and experienced so many miracles that would have been impossible—if not for Jesus.  God wants you to believe that He can and He will answer your prayers.  He also wants you to name them specifically.  Yes, He knows what you want…but He wants to know that you know what you want.

And last, He wants you to thank Him for what He is going to do in your life. Ah, that is showing that you have faith that He will do what He says. He will come through for you. It will be in His time, but He will!

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   * 

Let’s pray: Dear Lord, what an awesome privilege to come to You in prayer, knowing that You are hearing us when we seek You.  We believe that You will answer us and will give us exactly what we need.  Lord, when we are weak and doubting, help us to remember all the times that You have been faithful and answered us and given us what we need.  Forgive us when we take our eyes off You and we put our doubts in place of You.  Thank You for being in charge of us and for each blessing that You have planned for us.  We love You and we praise You.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

Filed Under: encouragement Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Made To Love

August 22, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv
The dream is fading, now I’m staring at the door
I know its over ‘cause my feet have hit the cold floor
Check my reflection, I ain’t feelin’ what I see
It’s no mystery
Whatever happened to a passion I could live for
What became of the flame that made me feel more
And when did I forget that…

I was made to love You
I was made to find You
I was made just for You
Made to adore You
I was made to love
And be loved by You

You were here before me
You were waiting on me
And You said You’d keep me
Never would You leave me
I was made to love
and be loved by You

The dream’s alive with my eyes opened wide
Back in the ring You’ve got me swinging for the grand prize
I feel the haters spittin’ vapors on my dreams
But I still believe
I’m reachin’ out, reachin’ up, reachin’ over
I feel a breeze cover me called Jehovah
And, Daddy, I’m on my way
‘Cause I was made to love…

Anything I would give up for You
Everything, I’d give it all away

 

Singer/Songwriter: Toby McKeehan, with Cary Barlowe/Aaron Rice/Jamie Moore

* ~ ♥ ~ ✞ ~ ♥ ~ *

We were all made by the Creator with a longing—a deep desire—that only God can fill.

For I satisfy the weary ones and refresh everyone who languishes.
Jeremiah 31:25

Take a listen to what Pastor Rick Warren shares about the longing we have for our God:

The Bible tells us that there is a God-shaped vacuum in our hearts. There is a hole in our hearts that only God can fill. We were made to be connected to our Creator. We were made to know Him and to be plugged into His power.

Your heart is designed to contain God. God wants to live inside of you but when your life is filled with other things, there’s no room in your heart for God. This means you’re not plugged into God’s power and that’s why you’re tired all the time. And that’s why you’re stressed out all the time and that’s why you worry all the time.

follow this link to read the whole article.

 * ~ ♥ ~ ✞ ~ ♥ ~ *

Heavenly Father, Thank You that when we call out, You, Jehovah are on Your way to meet us right where we are at…filling the longing that only You can fill. In Jesus’ name, AMEN!!!

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

Life Can Be an Idol

August 21, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

Not to us, O Lord, not to us, But to Your name give glory
Because of Your loving kindness, because of Your truth.
Why should the nations say, “Where, now, is their God?”
But our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases.
Their idols are silver and gold, The work of man’s hands.
They have mouths, but they cannot speak; They have eyes, but they cannot see;
They have ears, but they cannot hear; They have noses, but they cannot smell;
They have hands, but they cannot feel; They have feet, but they cannot walk;
They cannot make a sound with their throat.
Those who make them will become like them, Everyone who trusts in them.
O Israel, trust in the Lord; He is their Help and their Shield.
O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord; He is their Help and their Shield.
You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord; He is their Help and their Shield.
Psalms 115:1-11

“Their idols are silver and gold…” —and jobs and people, and money, and dreams, and aspirations, and things, simple things.  We place these things above our Heavenly Father; and we put a value on these things that we shouldn’t.  There are days when I ask myself where my cell phone is…but have I asked myself when the last time is that I prayed?  I wonder if my check is going to be on time…but was I on time when God nudged me to minister to that woman the other day?

This passage reminds me how easy it is to fall into the trap of letting life and all that it entails become our idol; and the trap of looking to other people and to other things to fill the void only the Lord our God can fill.  This Scripture also reminds me that through it all, He is still there—His loving-kindness, His truth. When we find ourselves focusing on other things around us, we need to step back and remember that He is our Help and our Shield; we trust in Him and not in the things of this world.

 *   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Let’s Pray – Dear Heavenly Father, life has so many distractions that it is easy for us to place them higher in our life than we should.  Thank You for Your loving kindness, for Your grace, and mercy. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

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