December 22, 2024

Who Am I

January 1, 2016 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

Over time You’ve healed so much in me, and I am living proof
That although my darkest hour had come
Your light could still shine through
Though at times it’s just enough to cast a shadow on the wall
I am grateful that You’ve shined Your light on me at all

Who am I, that You would love me so gently
Who am I, that You would recognize my name
Who am I, that You would speak to me so softly
Conversation with the Lord Most High…who am I

Oh, “Amazing Grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me
I once was lost, but now am found. Was blind, but now I see”
And the more I sing that sweet old song, the more I understand
That I do not comprehend this love that’s coming from Your hand

Grace, grace; God’s grace
Grace that will pardon and cleanse within
Grace, grace; God’s great grace
Grace that is greater than all my sin

Lord, Who am I, who am I
Lord Who am I, who am I

Point Of Grace
written by Nathan and Christy Nockels

 *   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~   ♥   ~   *

In Jeremiah 31:3 we hear God tell us of His love.

I have loved you with an everlasting love;
therefore with lovingingkindness I have drawn you.

We also are reminded of God’s love in Psalm 36.

How precious is Your steadfast love, O God!
The children of men take refuge
and put their trust under the shadow of Your wings.

As well as in 1 John 4:9-10.

In this the love of God was made manifest among us,
that God sent His only Son into the world,
so that we might live through him.
In this is love, not that we have loved God but that He loved us
and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

Oh, the incomparable, unconditional, amazing LOVE that God has for us!  Throughout the Scriptures we are reminded over and over of God’s love for us!

And, in spite of our actions at times, God is always faithful and keeps His promises. Whether we ever believe them or not. Think about the children of Israel…they knew of God’s promise to lead them, protect them, guide them, feed them, guard them. But they were so often disobedient to His simple commands.  As such, because of His compassionate and abiding love for them, God had to help them to learn…as He will with us, too.

You must carefully follow every command I am giving you today,
so that you may live and increase,
and may enter and take possession of the land the Lord swore to your fathers.
Remember that the Lord your God led you on the entire journey
these 40 years in the wilderness,
so that He might humble you and test you
to know what was in your heart,
whether or not you would keep His commands.
Deuteronomy 8:1 and 2

“As we hear and believe all that God tells us—as we intentionally think these truths and begin to act accordingly—He unfolds the true personality He designed us to be.”

ChristLife, Mrs. Ruth Myers, page 60

(Oh! Don’t you just love that!)  And so we learn more of the Truth as we begin to believe what God says about us. And as we trust Him and take Him at His Word, we will begin to be freed from lies and misconceptions we have held in our hearts.

But the fact remains that we need to be diligent in reminding ourselves constantly of these Truths and promises.  One would think that, with all the many, many, many examples and proofs that God so graciously shows us about how very much He loves us, we would be convinced.  However God is equally as patient with us as He loves us. The negative images that we have allowed into our hearts can be replaced by the Truth of just “Who we ARE” in Christ.  But it takes work and effort on our part. Thankfully, we are not left to do this on our own. God can and will help us through His Holy Spirit! Remember to pray, pray, pray!

Friends, I hope that the beautiful lyrics of this song can be a tool for you to use to pray and sing your heart out to God. Your heavenly Father has MUCH to say to you…MUCH to remind you of…MUCH healing and deliverance and blessing to give to you as you seek Him!

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~   ♥   ~   *

 

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Reassurance

October 8, 2015 by

SeekingHimLogo

Forever, O Lord,
Your Word is settled in heaven.
Your faithfulness continues throughout all generations;
You established the earth, and it stands.
Psalms 119:89-90 NASB

 *   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   * 

Nothing is more permanent than the Word of God.  The Word of God is constant and unchanging.  1 Peter 1:25a HCSB tells us “But the Word of the Lord endures forever.” God’s Word is firmly settled in Heaven forever! It is not an opinion. 2 Timothy 3:16a ESV says “All Scripture is breathed out by God”—our God who reigns from Heaven above.

Psalm 89:2b makes the faithfulness of God’s Word very clear.

You establish Your faithfulness in the heavens (HCSB)
Your faithfulness is as enduring as the Heavens (NLT)

God’s Word is settled in Heaven and His faithfulness is as enduring as the Heavens.  That constant stability reassures me.

God’s Word doesn’t vary by culture.  It is applied the same way to all societies.  The settled Word of God was, and still is today, a demonstration of His faithfulness that extends across ALL generations.  Not some, not a few, not most – ALL generations. puts it like this: ”

Therefore know [without any doubt] and understand
that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God,
Who is keeping His covenant and His [steadfast] lovingkindness
to a thousand generations.
Deuteronomy 7:9 AMP

The truth of God is absolute.  Isn’t that the most reassuring thing you have heard?  It is unchanging in nature, applies equally to all, and cannot be challenged.  I love this quote from Chuck Smith:

“If you find yourself arguing with the Word, you’re wrong.”
(click here to read the entire article)

Look at the world today…everything is being challenged.  Nothing is constant.  We live in an unstable world.  But these two verses point our minds heavenward so that we use Heaven as our Anchor to hold us steady.  Matthew Henry paraphrased Isaiah 40:6 like this: “All flesh is grass but the Word of the Lord endures forever.”  Forever—that is our Anchor.  And that, my friends, is what I call reassurance.

 *   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   * 

Father, thank You so much for the reassurance Your faithfulness and unchanging nature give us.  Thank You for the hope we find in knowing Your Word is settled in Heaven and continues through all generations. Thank You for providing us with a steady anchor in the midst of the storms of this world. In Your Holy name we pray -Amen, it is so!

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

Sure As The Sun Will Rise

May 13, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

There is good news
There is good truth
That you could never change
No matter what you do
You are loved
More than you know
More than you could hope for
After everything you’ve done

As sure as the sun will rise
And takes away the night
His mercy will not end
His mercy will not end

There is good news
There’s a promise
That no matter where you go
You will never be alone
In the dark
In the doubting
When you can’t feel anything
Oh, His love remains the same

Even through the night
Silver stars will shine
Hope of glory’s light
That will wake us once again

singer/songwriter – Ellie Holcomb
*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *
The premise of this song is truly something we don’t ever worry about, right?  Oh, we have our worries about other things…I hear you!  But not this—not the rising of the sun.  We just KNOW it will be there when we awaken each and every morning.  And as assuredly as we stake our trust and confidence on God’s faithfulness to His plan for each new day, we should be equally as positive of His mercy and love.  Perhaps when we are ensnared in doubt we could remind ourselves, “See…look! The sun came up this morning! And just like that, God will faithfully provide mercy and lovingkindness today!”

Let us acknowledge the Lord;
let us press on to acknowledge Him.
As surely as the sun rises, He will appear;
He will come to us like the winter rains,
like the spring rains that water the earth.
Hosea 6:3

There is a promise in chapter 3 of the Book of Lamentations that I cling to every day of my life…may I share it with you?

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.
Verses 21-23

Some days it is difficult, seemingly near-to-impossible sometimes, to be hopeful and have joyful expectations.  The world we live in is full of things that snatch away our dreams and desires; tempting us to feel futile and overwhelmed.  But, Jesus assured His disciples (and us!) of the peace and hope we have been given.  And so we endeavor to hold this Truth firm in our thinking knowing that Jesus spoke it and so it IS the Truth.

“I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace.
In this world you will have trouble.
But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33

At times when my heart is needful of being reminded that “as sure as the sun will rise and take away the night…” I confess the following promises made by our faithful, loving, compassionate, merciful Father (recorded in Jeremiah chapter 29).  And I recite it like this…

For I know the thoughts and plans that <You> have for <me>…thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give <me> hope in <the> final outcome.
Then <i> will call upon <You>, and <i> will come and pray to <You>, and <You> will hear and heed <me>.
Then <i> will seek <You>, inquire for, and require <You> and find <You> when <i> search for <You> with all <my> heart.
<You> will be found by <me>….

Jeremiah 29:11-14 AMP (pronouns changed)

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Here are some additional verses from the Scriptures to persistently hang onto. I pray that you will be encouraged by each one of them as You remember Who has made the promises—the same One Who causes the sun to rise each and every morning—Almighty God, our heavenly Father.

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful.
Hebrews10:23

I wait for the Lord, I expectantly wait, and in His word do I hope.
Psalm 130:5

God is not human, that He should lie,
not a human being, that He should change His mind.
Does He speak and then not act?
Does He promise and not fulfill?
Numbers 23:19

Be strong and courageous.
Do not be afraid or terrified because of them,
for the Lord your God goes with you;
He will never leave you nor forsake you.
The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you;
He will never leave you nor forsake you.
Do not be afraid; do not  be discouraged.
Deuteronomy 31:6 and 8

Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of His purpose
very clear to the heirs of what was promised,
He confirmed it with an oath.
God did this so that,
by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie,
we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us
may be greatly encouraged.
We have this hope as an anchor for the soul….
Hebrews 6:17-19

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He Has Made Me Glad

November 3, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

I will enter His gates with thanksgiving in my heart
I will enter His courts with praise
I will say this is the day that the Lord has made
I will rejoice for He has made me glad

He has made me glad
He has made me glad
I will rejoice for He has made me glad
He has made me glad
He has made me glad
I will rejoice for He has made me glad

Songwriter:  Gwen R. Shaw / Performed on iWorship volume A

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~   ♥   ~   *

How many of y’all have seen one of the TRANSFORMER movies?  Often I feel like Bumblebee (he is the one that communicates in sound bites).  God drops little “sound bites” into my thoughts.  (Though, sometimes I’m a little slow to catch on.)  While reading this morning, He popped this song into my head.

As I was thinking about this song, I realized that many times when we wake up in the morning, we don’t feel like we have a reason to be glad.  We are still consumed by yesterday’s trials or focusing on the problems the new day might bring.  But Psalm 118:24 (NASB) says

This is the day which the Lord has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it.

And Psalm 145:2 (AMP) states

Every day [with its new reasons] will I bless You [affectionately and gratefully praise You];
yes, I will praise Your name forever and ever.

We may not think, or feel like, we have cause to be glad.  Yet Scripture tells us otherwise.  His Word gives us these reasons:

  • Great is His faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning
    Lamentations 3:23 NLT
  • Each day proclaims the good news that He saves
    1 Chronicles 16:23b NLT/ Psalm 96:2
  • But each day the Lord pours His unfailing love upon me,
    Psalm 42:8a NLT
  • Blessed be the Lord, Who bears our burdens and carries us day-by-day
    Psalm 68:19a AMP
  • Be our strength every morning and our salvation in time of trouble
    Isaiah 33:2b HCSB
  • At daybreak, Lord, You hear my voice
    Psalm 5:3a HCSB
  • Satisfy us in the morning with Your faithful [unfailing] love
    Psalm 90:14a HCSB

His mercies are new each morning and His love is unfailing.  He hears us, bears our burdens, carries us. He is our Strength and our Salvation.  What more could we ask for?  Just one of those should be more than enough to make us glad and cause us to rejoice.  It is when we fix our eyes on this world we forget why He has made us glad. Psalm 143:8a (AMP) offers another reason to be glad:

Cause me to hear Your loving-kindness in the morning,
for on You do I lean and in You do I trust.

Today, as we recognize His faithfulness and place our complete trust in Him, let’s meditate on His goodness and…
♪ ♬ ♪ enter His gates with thanksgiving in [our] heart ♪ ♬ ♪  enter His courts with praise!  ♪ ♬ ♪

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As Sure As The Sun

October 2, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

There is good news
There is good truth
That you could never change
No matter what you do
You are loved
More than you know
More than you could hope for
After everything you’ve done

As sure as the sun will rise
And takes away the night
His mercy will not end
His mercy will not end

There is good news
There’s a promise
That no matter where you go
You will never be alone
In the dark
In the doubting
When you can’t feel anything
Oh, His love remains the same

Even through the night
Silver stars will shine
Hope of glory’s light
That will wake us once again


singer/songwriter – Ellie Holcomb
*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *
The premise of this song is truly something we don’t ever worry about, right? Oh, we have our worries…I hear you! But not this—not the rising of the sun…we just KNOW it will be there when we awaken each and every morning. And as assuredly as we stake our trust and confidence on God’s faithfulness to His plan for each new day, we should be equally as positive of His mercy and love. Perhaps when we are ensnared in doubt we could remind ourselves, “See…look! The sun came up this morning! And just like that, God will faithfully provide mercy and lovingkindness today!”

Let us acknowledge the Lord;
let us press on to acknowledge Him.
As surely as the sun rises, He will appear;
He will come to us like the winter rains,
like the spring rains that water the earth.
Hosea 6:3

There is a promise in chapter 3 of the Book of Lamentations that I cling to every day of my life…may I share it with you?

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.
Verses 21-23

Some days it is difficult, seemingly near-to-impossible sometimes, to be hopeful and have joyful expectations. The world we live in is full of things that snatch away our dreams and desires; tempting us to feel futile and overwhelmed. But, Jesus assured His disciples (and us!) of the peace and hope we have been given. And so we endeavor to hold this Truth firm in our thinking knowing that Jesus spoke it and so it IS the Truth.

“I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace.
In this world you will have trouble.
But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33

At times when my heart is needful of being reminded that “as sure as the sun will rise and take away the night…” I confess the following promises made in Jeremiah chapter 29 by our faithful, loving, compassionate, merciful Father. And I recite it like this…

For I know the thoughts and plans that <You> have for <me>…thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give <me> hope in <the> final outcome.
Then <I> will call upon <You>, and <I> will come and pray to <You>, and <You> will hear and heed <me>.
Then <I> will seek <You>, inquire for, and require <You> and find <You> when <I> search for <You> with all <my> heart.
<You> will be found by <me>….
Jeremiah 29:11-14 AMP (pronouns changed)

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Here are some additional verses from the Scriptures to persistently hang onto. I pray that you will be encouraged by each one of them as You remember Who has made the promises—the same One Who causes the sun to rise each and every morning—Almighty God, our heavenly Father.

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful.
Hebrews10:23

I wait for the Lord, I expectantly wait, and in His word do I hope.
Psalm 130:5

God is not human, that He should lie, not a human being, that He should change His mind.
Does He speak and then not act?  Does He promise and not fulfill?
Numbers 23:19

Be strong and courageous.  Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.  The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.  Do not be afraid; do not  be discouraged.
Deuteronomy 31:6 and 8

Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of His purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, He confirmed it with an oath.  God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged.  We have this hope as an anchor for the soul….
Hebrews 6:17-19

 

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Glory! Glory be to…Wait, Who is glory for?

August 18, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

Not to us, Lord, not to us, but to Your name be the glory, because of Your love and faithfulness.

Psalm 115:1

A few days ago, I finally re-enrolled in college. I came up with quite a few reasons why I couldn’t go back; but overall, every one of my excuses were fear based. Even now, some of the logistics of this new endeavor have yet to be worked out. But (as I had to remind myself going in)—trust God and He will guide you.

Now, that I’m re-enrolled, I’m kind of excited! I’ve told the news to many of the closest people in my life, and heard plenty of “I’m proud of you!” Which, of course, is easy for me to soak up. Yes, I do feel good about accomplishing something that I’ve said I was going to do and, oh, how easy it would be for me to feel self-accomplished. But without the Lord’s favor I wouldn’t be going back to school at all…so glory be to Him!

For years I’ve been denied free financial aid. This year out, of the blue and at the very last minute, I received a grant…finally. I practically talked myself out of taking the grant, until a random comment to the most unlikely person turned into a handshake and a promise that I’d at least go to the school and talk with an advisor. So first I had to wait for a letter that came 3 days before I had to have everything done. Then I was told I had to take a 3 hour-long test (3 hours before I had to be to work), and then I was sent on a scavenger hunt all around campus trying to finish things up.

Every bit of the way, I had a voice in my head trying to give me excuse after excuse for why I should not be doing this. But, with every excuse, that little voice gave, I heard a louder voice give me reason after reason to trust in God. And thank God for that! All I did was take the steps the Lord placed before me and for that He deserves all the glory.

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Thank You, Lord, for being glorious beyond all measure.  Amen.

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

His Faithfulness Continues….

August 8, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

Shout with joy to the LORD, all the earth!
Worship the LORD with gladness.
Come before Him, singing with joy.
Acknowledge that the LORD is God!
He made us, and we are His.
We are His people, the sheep of His pasture.
Enter His gates with thanksgiving;
go into His courts with praise.
Give thanks to Him and praise His name.
For the LORD is good.
His unfailing love continues forever,
and His faithfulness continues to each generation.
Psalm 100

I’ve heard this passage my entire life…in church, in songs, through preaching, and in regular conversation.  A wonderful thing about God’s Word is that with each reading, a passage can reveal something new.  It may seem as if you’re reading the words for the very first time—when in fact it may be the hundredth time.

This passage did the same for me this time.  As I read the words, the last line stood out.  I know that God’s Word speaks to you in your seasons; and in this season of being a mother I need as much guidance from God as I can get.  For those of us who are sending our children back to school, or off to work, or out in the world—whatever stage of life our children may be walking into—there can be a good deal of worry associated with the actions of our kids.  “…And His faithfulness continues to each generation” (verse 5).

This line alone makes me want to shout thanks to the Lord!  It reminds me that He will be equally as faithful to my children as He has been to me.  Sometimes when I’m reminded of His promises such as this one, all I can say is “God is good! The Lord is good!”  Simple words that say so much. His promise to myself and to my children is reason enough to live this passage on a daily basis…but He has done so much more than that.  He has done more than I could ever imagine.  I want to live these verses not because of what He has done in my life, but for who He is to the world.  He is faithful, He is loving, and for this I thank Him.

Let’s Pray: Lord, Your words bring peace…they bring joy…they bring security. Words could never truly honor You as You deserve; but, Lord, we promise to make the best effort we possibly can.  I pray these words are written on the hearts of all the women reading this, and that we live these words in good times and in bad.  In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

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(He’ll) Finish What He Started

May 11, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

I don’t have to know you 
To know that you will go through 
Hard times 
It’s just part of life 

Don’t let that moment blind you
Don’t let it define you 
Take heart
That’s not who you are 

Our God is able
More than capable 
To be faithful 
Until the end 
He’ll finish what He started 

No matter what you’ve done 
Grace comes like a flood 
There’s hope to carry on 
He’ll finish what He started 
No matter what you face 
His mercy will not change 
He’s with you all the way 
He’ll finish what He started 

Remember you’re forgiven
So there’s no need to give in
To the lie 
That you’re disqualified 

Our God is able
More than capable 
To be faithful 
Until the end 
He’ll finish what He started 

No matter what you’ve done 
Grace comes like a flood 
There’s hope to carry on 
He’ll finish what He started 
No matter what you face 
His mercy will not change 
He’s with you all the way 
He’ll finish what He started 

This work He started in you now
He’s faithful to complete it 
The promise was sealed when He cried out
It is finished 

He’ll finish what He started 

No matter what you’ve done 
Grace comes like a flood 
There’s hope to carry on 
He’ll finish what He started 
No matter what you face 
His mercy will not change 
He’s with you all the way 
He’ll finish what He started 

~  Listen while you read!  ~

~  Singer/Songwriter: Bart Millard; Performed with MercyMe  ~

Let’s pray first, ok?

Dear Lord, how thankful to KNOW beyond a shadow of doubt that You will finish what You have started…in each of us!

Lord, I pray for my sisters—Your darling daughters—asking that You build a confidence in each of their hearts so that they can sing out with me, “No matter what <I> face…His mercy will not change… He’s with <me> all the way… He’ll finish what He started!!! ”  I pray, Father, that they will be able to recognize that Your mercy does cover…and that Your grace is enough…and that Your love for them never fails, is unconditional, never-ending, ever-present.

Help them (me, too, Lord!) to remember that You are faithful and always bring to pass every promise of Your Word.  May they be made strong in Your strength while weak in their own.  I pray, from the bottom of my heart, thanking and praising You for all You are doing in them and for them and through them…as You finish what You started.   Thank You, Lord…in Jesus’ name I pray.  Amen.

* ~ ♥ ~ ✞ ~ ♥ ~ *

We have my precious friend, Becky, to thank for this song.  (Ok, not for the actual song…but for our sharing this incredible song together!)  Thank you, Becky!  And, Becky—He’ll finish what He started in you…He promised!  Here’s the promise:

And I am convinced and sure of this very thing,
that He Who began a good work in you
will continue until the day of Jesus Christ [right up to the time of His return],
developing [that good work] and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you.
Philippians 1:6 AMP

Does that not just thrill your heart?!!!?  Oh, it does mine, too!  And why?  Because it is all about HIM!

  • He began
  • He will continue
  • He will develop it
  • He will bring it to full completion!

What joy!  What confidence!  What inspiration!  What hope!

And I do SO love that God will continue it ‘until the day of Jesus Christ’—until our Lord comes back to this earth in all His power and majesty and executes righteousness and judgment everywhere to everyone!  Then His work in us will be totally and completely finished!

But equally I DO so love that all along…right now, and tomorrow, and next week, next month, next year, and right up ‘til we are gathered together in Christ…He will be developing us, and perfecting us, and bringing us along!  This work that He will finish, He is performing that finishing right now!  Jesus fully understands what we are going through!   But yet, in the throes of the temptations and feeling so weak, we can know that mercy and grace will be given to help us in our time of need as He develops and finishes His work in us!

For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses,
but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.
Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace,
that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Hebrews 4:15 and 16

So do not worry or be anxious!  Do not fret or wonder if your past, your sins, your weaknesses, your faults, frailties, and failures will prevent you from finishing.  Remember, this is God’s work in you and,

Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass.
1 Thessalonians 5:24

The Lord will perfect that which concerns me;
Your mercy and loving-kindness, O Lord, endure forever—
forsake not the works of Your own hands.
Psalm 138:8

 

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

Faithfulness

January 30, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens,
Your faithfulness to the skies.
Your righteousness is like the highest mountains,
Your justice like the great deep.
You, Lord, preserve both people and animals.
How priceless is Your unfailing love, O God!
People take refuge in the shadow of Your wings.
They feast on the abundance of Your house;
You give them drink from Your river of delights.
For with You is the fountain of life; in Your light we see light.
Continue Your love to those who know You,
Your righteousness to the upright in heart.
Psalms 36:5-10

Our God loves us in such a powerful and wonderful way.  From the beginning of time He has desired to have an intimate relationship with all that dwell here.  As the psalmist says, “His love reaches to the heavens.”  I wonder, could ours reach that far?

A friend of mine and her husband were awaiting genetic testing results for a disease his mother and aunt have. The period of waiting was beginning to take its toll on each of them. What with their already demanding work (they are both in the medical field), and raising a 12 year old daughter, they have their share of commitments. Finally the results came in—he had no indicators of the disease and all of the symptoms of the disease left hm.  I know some of you are thinking, “If he was/is a believer, then why was he worrying.”  It is mainly because he does/did not have a close relationship with God.  He could have focused on the positive outcome, rather than the negative which would have allowed them both to have truly “lived” this past year.

As our lives continue and we are faced with new challenges and concerns, we need to remember to keep God first in our thoughts.  It is a learned thought process, one that is cultivated, and should be encouraged in others.  Our God delights in us when we truly seek Him and want to know Him.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Father,  thank You for Your provisions for us Your children. We want to be jealous for You, we want to know You more fully as we begin this new year.  Show us places where we can improve and where we can be brave enough to share our hearts with You. In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

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

CHRISTLife – Week Three

January 26, 2014 by

christlife graphic 2

A recurring theme this upcoming week in our study CHRISTLife: Embracing Your True and Deepest Identity will be the incomparable, unconditional, amazing LOVE that God has for us! Our author reminds us over and over of God’s love for us!

In Jeremiah 31:3 we hear God tell us of His love.

I have loved you with an everlasting love;
therefore with lovingingkindness I have drawn you.

We also are reminded of God’s love in Psalm 36.

How precious is Your steadfast love, O God!
The children of men take refuge
and put their trust under the shadow of Your wings.

As well as in 1 John 4:9-10.

In this the love of God was made manifest among us,
that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.
In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us
and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

Along with this, Mrs. Myers puts in front of us the Truth that, in spite of our actions at times, God is always faithful and keeps His promises. Whether we ever believe them or not. Think about the children of Israel. They knew of God’s promise to lead them, protect them, guide them, feed them, guard them. But they were often disobedient to His simple commands. As such, because of His love for them, God had to help them to learn…as He will with us, too.

You must carefully follow every command I am giving you today, so that you may live and increase, and may enter and take possession of the land the Lord swore to your fathers. Remember that the Lord your God led you on the entire journey these 40 years in the wilderness, so that He might humble you and test you to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep His commands.

Deuteronomy 8:1 and 2

During this week, we also make the transition from ‘Part 1: Who You Really Are…At First’ TO ‘Part 2: Your Life IS Christ.’ Listen to the following statement Mrs. Myers makes.

“As we hear and believe all that God tells us—as we intentionally think these truths and begin to act accordingly—He unfolds the true personality He designed us to be” page 60. (Oh! Don’t you just love that!)

And so we learn more of the Truth as we begin to believe what God says about us. And as we trust Him and take Him at His Word, we will begin to be freed from lies and misconceptions we have held in our hearts.

As we continue our study, the fact remains that we need to be diligent in reminding ourselves constantly of these Truths. One would think that, with all the many many many examples and proofs that God so graciously shows us about how very much He loves us, we would be convinced. However God is equally as patient with us as He loves us. The negative images that we have allowed into our hearts can be replaced by the Truth of just “Who we ARE” in Christ. But it takes work and effort on our part. Thankfully, we are not left to do this on our own. God can and will help us through His Holy Spirit! Remember to pray, pray, pray!

Friends, I hope that the beautiful lyrics of this song can be a tool for you to use to pray and sing your heart out to God. Your heavenly Father has MUCH to say to you…MUCH to remind you of…MUCH healing and deliverance and blessing to give to you as you seek Him!

*  ~  * ~  * ~ * ~ *

Over time You’ve healed so much in me, and I am living proof
That although my darkest hour had come, Your light could still shine through
Though at times it’s just enough to cast a shadow on the wall
I am grateful that You’ve shined Your light on me at all

Who am I, that You would love me so gently?
Who am I, that You would recognize my name?
Who am I, that You would speak to me so softly?
Conversation with the Lord Most High…who am I?

Oh, “Amazing Grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me
I once was lost, but now am found. Was blind, but now I see”
And the more I sing that sweet old song, the more I understand
That I do not comprehend this love that’s coming from Your hand.

Grace, grace; God’s grace
Grace that will pardon and cleanse within
Grace, grace; God’s great grace
Grace that is greater than all my sin

Lord, Who am I? Who am I?
Lord Who am I? Who am I?

 

Filed Under: CHRISTLife Bible Study Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,