December 22, 2024

My Hope Is Built On Nothing Less

October 10, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness
I dare not trust the sweetest frame
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name

When darkness seems to veil His face
I rest on His unchanging grace
In every high and stormy gale
My anchor holds within the veil

His oath, His covenant and blood
Support me in the ‘whelming flood
When all around my soul gives way
He then is all my hope and stay

On Christ the solid rock I stand
All other ground is sinking sand
On Christ the solid rock I stand
All other ground is sinking sand

When the last trumpet’s voice shall sound
O may I then in Him be found
Clothed in His righteousness alone
Faultless to stand before His throne

Sovereign Grace Music
Words by Edward Mote (1797-1874)

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We use the word ‘hope’ often in our daily lives.  We hope it’s a sunny day, we hope there are good sales when we go to the grocery store, we hope we sleep well at night.  There’s also the more serious hopes.  We hope our kids stay healthy, we hope we get the job promotion, we hope our budget stretches to the end of the month, we hope we make it to Heaven.  I’m sure you have heard all of those hopes, have even said them…and many more.

Those hopeful comments express the day-to-day feeling of desire for a certain thing to happen, a wishful thinking.  The hope that is sung about in this old hymn is based on a trust in something or someone.  Defined by one Biblical source it is an ‘expectation of, a looking forward to, something beneficial now and in the future’.  Another source uses the words ‘confidence, to anticipate, welcome, an expectation of what is sure, certain’, to describe this kind of hope.

Now faith is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed)
of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see
and the conviction of their reality
[faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses].
Hebrews 11:1 AMP

…So that by two unchangeable things,
in which it is impossible for God to lie,
we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement
to hold fast to the hope set before us.
Hebrews 6:19

As a child, I remember ‘belting out’ the words to this chorus, “On Christ the solid rock I stand; All other ground is sinking sand.”  I love the words of this old hymn, because they are true.  The hope I have is built on Christ, The Rock, His blood and His righteousness.  That is all I ever want to trust in. All other hope is “sinking sand.”  People, as caring and well-meaning as they can be, are not enough to secure my standing before God.  In the “high and stormy gale” there is no anchor that holds me like Jesus.

For it says in Scripture:

“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious,
and whoever believes in Him will not be put to shame.”
So the honor is for you who believe…
1 Peter 2:6-7

For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid,
which is Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 3:11

Here are just a few Scriptures of assurance that God is our Hope, our Refuge, our Strength in life:

On God my salvation and my glory rest;
The rock of my strength, my refuge is in God.
Psalm 62:7 NASB

He only is my Rock and my Salvation, my Fortress; I shall not be shaken.
Psalm 62:6 ESV

You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble;
You surround me with songs of deliverance.
Psalm 32:7 NASB

The LORD is my Light and my Salvation; whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the Stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
Psalm 27:1 ESV

God is our Refuge and Strength, a very present Help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear…
Psalm 46:1-2 ESV

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say to the LORD, “My Refuge and my Fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”
Psalm 91:1-2 ESV

Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.
Isaiah 41:10 ESV

I encourage you to meditate on this parable from Jesus:

Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.  The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.  But everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.  The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.

Matthew 7:24-27

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Who or what is your rock, your refuge?  Do you live in hope, in confidence, and in certainty of Jesus Christ as your sure foundation?  My prayer is that you can ‘belt out’ this song with me:

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness
On Christ the solid rock I stand
All other ground is sinking sand
IT IS SO!

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

Give Us Faith To Be Strong

September 2, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

Give us faith to be strong
Father, we are so weak
Our bodies are fragile and weary
As we stagger and stumble to walk where You lead
Give us faith to be strong

Give us faith to be strong
Give us strength to be faithful
This life is not long, but it’s hard
Give us grace to go on
Make us willing and able
Lord, give us faith to be strong

Give us peace when we’re torn
Mend us up when we break
This flesh can be wounded and shaking
When there’s much too much trouble for one heart to take
Give us peace when we’re torn

Give us hearts to find hope
Father, we cannot see
How the sorrow we feel can bring freedom
And as hard as we try, Lord, it’s hard to believe
So, give us hearts to find hope

Lord, give us faith to be strong
Give us peace when we’re torn
Give us faith, faith to be strong

 Singer / Songwriter: Andrew Peterson

 *  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

This song is a prayer—an acknowledgment of our great need for God in all things.  As in every area of our lives, we need the help, the provision, the supply that only God can give.  Even, maybe especially, regarding faith.

It is true that we need to have faith; no doubt.  Jesus spoke often to His apostles and the other disciples about faith.  In the Gospel of Mark, chapter 5 we hear about the woman with a long-term bleeding disease who is healed simply by touching Jesus’ garments.  It is an incredible record!  Listen…

She had heard the reports concerning Jesus, and she came up behind Him in the throng and touched His garment,  for she kept saying,  ‘If I only touch His garments, I shall be restored to health.’  And immediately her flow of blood was dried up at the source,  and [suddenly] she felt in her body that she was healed of her [distressing] ailment.

verses 27-29

There is a pivotal point here: she believed—she had faith—that if she could just get close enough to simply touch Jesus’ clothing, she would be healed.  Remember she “kept saying, ‘If I only touch His garments, I shall be restored to health.’”  And she took the action necessary.

Having  faith requires action.

As I think about this scenario, it seems to me there were a number of strong deterrents standing in her way.

  • The crowd
    verse 24 tells us, “…a large crowd was following Him and pressing in on Him”
  • Her own physical frailty
    verses 25 and 26 say she “…had been subject to bleeding for twelve years…had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and…instead of getting better she grew worse”
  • The social stigma of a woman touching a strange man in public
    Verse 33 relates, “But the woman…though alarmed and frightened and trembling, fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth.”

In spite of these things she took action because she believed “…the reports she had heard about Jesus…”.   Sisters, put yourself  in her sandals…would you (would I?) have had the courage, the fortitude, the faith to do what she did?  I do believe we could…we would.   I do believe we do.

Throughout our lives, we find ourselves experiencing similar circumstances and hard times. Right now, today, I know some of you are living through difficult, demanding, hard situations. Whether they are health-related (like this woman), or difficulties in relationships, or financial problems, or a myriad of other troubles…we need to have faith that God will take care of whatever might be our need.  Our faith is based on our knowledge of His promises in His Word.

…So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.
Romans 10:17

So that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.
1 Corinthians 2:5

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
Hebrews 11:1

And without faith it is impossible to please Him,
for whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists
and that He rewards those who seek Him.
Verse 6

We live by faith, not by sight.
2 Corinthians 5:7

Grace and peace be multiplied unto you
through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord.
According as His divine power hath given unto us all things
that pertain unto life and godliness,
through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises:
that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature…”
2 Peter 2:1-4

May we keep all these things in mind as we have faith in the Almighty God Who provides—Jehovah-Jireh.

  • When we feel weak, may we ask for ‘strength to be faithful.’
  • When we are weary, may we ask for ‘grace to go on.’
  • When we are anxious, may we ask for ‘peace when we’re torn.’
  • When we can’t see the way out or through or around or beyond, may we ask for ‘hearts to find hope.’
  • When we feel we have nothing left, may we ask for ‘faith to be strong.’

We must always remember that there is no need we will ever have that He is not already aware of.  He is the Eternal God our Provider—Jehovah-Jireh!

 *  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

O Lord, we recognize that we need Your help in everything.  As the beautiful lyrics of this song sing out, we too ask You, Father, please give us faith to be strong…give us strength to be faithful…give us grace to go on…give us peace when we’re torn…give us hearts to find hope.  We thank You, now in advance, for each of these things because we have already been given a measure of faith by Your grace and mercy.  We have faith placing our confidence and trust in You, El Shaddai.  And we pray all these things in Jesus’ precious and powerful Name.  Amen.

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Give Me Faith

August 30, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

I need You
To soften my heart and break me apart
I need You
To open my eyes, to see that You’re shaping my life

All I am, I surrender

Give me faith to trust what You say
That You’re good and Your love is great
I’m broken inside, I give You my life

And I may be weak but Your Spirit’s strong in me
My flesh may fail, but my God, You never will

Elevation Worship
Matt Brook, Chris Brown, London Gatch, Wade Joye

*  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

He said to them, “…For truly, I say to you,
if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed,
you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’
and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”
Matthew 17:20 ESV

When things are going really well, it is so easy to have faith.  When there’s money in the bank and food in the pantry,  it is easy to believe that God is with you.  But what if things are not so easy?  Jesus tells us that as long as we have faith like a mustard seed then we can tell a mountain to move and it will!  Do you know how small a mustard seed really is?

Sometimes God allows us to go through things so that we can help someone else who is going through the same thing.  In this song it says “…soften my heart, break me apart.”  I wonder if we really mean this…when the only way for this to happen is for us to go through trials of our own!  In those trials, I hear myself saying this,”I need You..to pierce through the dark and cleanse every part of me…all I am…I surrender.”

When we are at our weakest, He is strongest.  When we fail, He never will. We need Him in so many ways and we need to have the faith to believe that He is who He says He is.  That God is great and God is good.  And most of all, He is crazy in love with YOU!

What are you believing Him for today?  Or are you in a place of just trying to find Him and believe Him for something that seems impossible?  Nothing is impossible with God.  Nothing.  Believe in Him and know that He is on your side.  I leave you with one more verse.

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for,
the evidence of things not seen.
Hebrews 11:1

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Dear Lord, You are amazing and awesome.  You promise us that when we call, You will answer.  That no matter how big the problem, Your answer is enough.  Lord, I pray that You comfort those who are hurting today and having a hard time finding You.  Reveal Yourself to them today in special ways that only You can.  And when it is hard, I pray that we remember the words to this song, and pray it to You as a prayer… “Give me faith to trust what You say…You are good and Your love is great. I give You my life.”  In Jesus’ name, amen.

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

Spiritual Hope

June 2, 2015 by

SeekingHimLogo

For everything that was written in the past
was written to teach us
so that through endurance
and the encouragement of the Scriptures
we might have hope.
Romans 15:4

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These words came as I was addressing an issue at hand.  Reference was made to that which is written in the Old Testament.  The Word of God always gives comfort and strength.  The Word of God is an oasis of hope.

Believing the Word of God and living by it takes us from the arena of hope into faith.

And hope maketh not ashamed because the love of God
is shed abroad in our hearts
by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
Romans 5:5

That means hope never disappoints. The reason it does not disappoint is that the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit.  Hope is one of the three creative principles of the human spirit. They are also abiding principles.

And now abideth faith, hope, love, these three;
but the greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians 13:13

Meaning that when all else fails, these three principles will remain and not pass away.  They are given to us and are in our spirits.  We are to choose to act on faith, to always be hopeful towards God, and to walk in love.  Hope does not function on its own; it must be applied or acted upon.

The kind of hope that always produces results is the one that has its roots in God’s Word.  No man should hope in himself for there is no strength in such hope.  However, to hope in God is to trust entirely in Him for your provision.  Yet hope is not enough to change circumstances until its given substance.  This substance is the faith.

For faith is the substance of things hoped for….
Hebrews 11:1

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Dear heavenly Father, I declare that by the entrance of your Word in my spirit let my faith grow.  I should live by Your Word for it gives comfort and strength.  Let me not trust and hope in chariots, as some others do, but let all my hope be in You in every area of my life.  I pray all this in Jesus’ name.  Amen!

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I Still Believe

May 28, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

Scattered words and empty thoughts
Seem to pour from my heart
I’ve never felt so torn before
Seems I don’t know where to start
But it’s now that I feel Your grace fall like rain
From every fingertip, washing away my pain

I still believe in Your faithfulness
I still believe in Your truth
I still believe in Your holy word
Even when I don’t see…I still believe

Though the questions still fog up my mind
With promises I still seem to bear
Even when answers slowly unwind
It’s my heart I see You prepare
But its now that I feel Your grace fall like rain
From every finger tip, washing away my pain

The only place I can go is into Your arms
Where I throw to You my feeble prayers
In brokenness I can see that this was Your will for me
Help me to know You are near

’Cause I still believe….

Singer / Songwriter: Jeremy Camp

* ~ ♥ ~ ✞ ~ ♥ ~ *

Jeremy Camp sings, “…‘cause even when I don’t see, I still believe.”  How about you?  It can be a struggle sometimes, agreed?  But our believing is not now, has never been, and never ever will be, based on what we can ‘see.’  Our believing is based on the One Whom we believe and on Him alone.

…for we walk by faith, not by sight
2 Corinthians 5:7

There is no doubt that our God wants us to believe Him with all of our heart and trust that everything He has promised will come to pass…amen?  He has given us, through His power and outlined in the Scriptures, ‘all things that pertain to life and godliness’ so that we can know Him and His promises.

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness,
through the knowledge of Him who called us to His own glory and excellence,
by which He has granted to us His precious and very great promises,
so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.
2 Peter 1:3 and 4

Our knowledge  of the Scriptures is constantly growing as we faithfully read and study them.  Based on all that we learn about our Great God, His Will, and His desires for His people, we can take a firm stand on His promises believing Him and knowing by faith that they will come to pass.

What are some of the things that we are to believe?

  • He hears our prayers
  • He heals our bodies
  • He comforts our hearts
  • He never leaves nor forsakes us
  • He watches over us
  • He guards us
  • He prepares a path for us to walk
  • He lovingly reproves and corrects us
  • And…His faithfulness, His truth, His Holy Word

I still believe in Your faithfulness

For the word of the Lord is right and true;
He is faithful in all He does.
Psalm 33:4

I still believe in Your truth

So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him,
“If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine;
and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.
John 8:31-32

I still believe in Your Holy Word

My son, attend to my words; consent and submit to My sayings.
Let them not depart from your sight; keep them in the center of your heart.
For they are life to those who find them, healing and health to all their flesh.
Proverbs 4:20-22

Even when I don’t see…I still believe!

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
Hebrews 11:1

As you (and I) make this our confession, we are trusting (as did Paul, our brother) the One who is Faithful and True.

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.
This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time,
but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior,
Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life
and immortality to light through the gospel.
And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher.
That is why I am suffering as I am.
Yet this is no cause for shame,
because I know Whom I have believed,
and am convinced that He is able to guard
what I have entrusted to Him until that day.
2 Timothy 1:9-12

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Friend, make this your own confession….  May I suggest that you write it down, place it in your Bible…write it on your bathroom mirror…write it on your palm…write it on your heart!   

♥ 

I still believe in Your faithfulness
I still believe in Your truth
I still believe in Your Holy Word
Even when I don’t see…I still believe

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Tomorrow Is Another Day

January 26, 2015 by

SeekingHimLogo

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.
Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Matthew 6:34

“Tomorrow is another day!”  For those of us who have watched Gone with the Wind (…watched it several times), how often do we remember hearing Scarlett O’Hara utter those words?  Whenever she is faced with a problem she can’t solve right then and there, she says she will think about it tomorrow.  She pushes it off until the next day.  She refuses to face it right then and there.  She knows that she has other problems to face during the rest of the day, and that tomorrow is another day.  It must be nice to put things off until tomorrow.  Scarlett was always putting her faith in what the next day would bring.

We should be thinking about what is in front of us today.  We should not be putting it off until the next day.  We are not promised tomorrow.  Our last moments could come at any time.  Our unfinished problems become someone else’s to handle when we don’t take care of them ourselves.  We have enough to worry about in one day.  We should not pile today’s worries onto tomorrow.  That will only make tomorrow, which should be a better day than the one before, worse.

Scarlett, however, is a fictional character.  A character in a book and a movie.  She can place her worries on the next day and the next and the next.  Through the words on the page and pictures on a screen, she will never die.  Yet, we are mortal.  We will die one day.  Worrying about tomorrow does not help us enjoy life.  Trying to shove our worries for today onto tomorrow will only makes the problem worse and dampens the next day.

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
Hebrews 11:1

For those of us with strong faith in God, we do not have to worry about today or tomorrow.  God has everything in control.  We cannot see what tomorrow will bring.  We do know what will happen tomorrow if we have an appointment or something else scheduled.  However, we do not know what will happen around those planned parts of our day. We cannot control what will happen during the day.  Only God can.  Through faith we know that tomorrow will be there. Through faith, we hope and pray that we will see tomorrow. Faith gives us the certainty that what we can’t see or touch really does exist.  Unlike Scarlett, we do have to live in the here and now.

 *  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

Dear Heavenly Father: Thank You for worrying about tomorrow for us.  Thank You for being our Rock and Foundation.  With You we can tackle whatever is thrown at us today and prepare for the next day.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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

Give Us Faith To Be Strong

January 22, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

Give us faith to be strong
Father, we are so weak
Our bodies are fragile and weary
As we stagger and stumble to walk where You lead
Give us faith to be strong

Give us faith to be strong
Give us strength to be faithful
This life is not long, but it’s hard
Give us grace to go on
Make us willing and able
Lord, give us faith to be strong

Give us peace when we’re torn
Mend us up when we break
This flesh can be wounded and shaking
When there’s much too much trouble for one heart to take
Give us peace when we’re torn

Give us hearts to find hope
Father, we cannot see
How the sorrow we feel can bring freedom
And as hard as we try, Lord, it’s hard to believe
So, give us hearts to find hope

Lord, give us faith to be strong
Give us peace when we’re torn
Give us faith, faith to be strong

 Singer / Songwriter: Andrew Peterson

 *  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

This song is a prayer—an acknowledgment of our great need for God in all things.  As in every area of our lives, we need the help, the provision, the supply that only God can give.

It is true that we need to have faith; no doubt.  Jesus spoke often to His apostles and the other disciples about faith.  Over on the Seeking Him daily devotional blog, we are in the midst of a series looking at some of  Jesus’ words on FAITH.  This week the bloggers are focusing on the account (click here) from the Gospel of Mark, chapter 5 where we hear about the woman with a long-term bleeding disease who is healed simply by touching Jesus’ garments.  It is an incredible record!  Listen…

She had heard the reports concerning Jesus, and she came up behind Him in the throng and touched His garment,  for she kept saying,  ‘If I only touch His garments, I shall be restored to health.’  And immediately her flow of blood was dried up at the source,  and [suddenly] she felt in her body that she was healed of her [distressing] ailment.

verses 27-29

There is a pivotal point here: she believed—she had faith—that if she could just get close enough to simply touch Jesus’ clothing, she would be healed.  Remember she “kept saying, ‘If I only touch His garments, I shall be restored to health.’”  And so she took the action necessary.  Having faith requires action.  As I think about this scenario, it seems to me there were a number of strong deterrents standing in her way.

  • The crowd
    Verse 24 tells us, “…a large crowd was following Him and pressing in on Him”
  • Her own physical frailty
    Verses 25 and 26 say she “…had been subject to bleeding for twelve years…had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and …instead of getting better she grew worse”
  • The social stigma of a woman touching a strange man in public
    Verse 33 relates, “But the woman…though alarmed and frightened and trembling, fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth.”

In spite of these things she believed “…the reports she had heard about Jesus…”.  Put yourself, sisters, in her sandals…would you (would I?) have had the courage, the fortitude, the faith to do what she did?  I do believe we could…we would.   I do believe we do.

Throughout our lives, we find ourselves experiencing similar circumstances and hard times. Right now, today, I know some of you are living through difficult, demanding, hard situations. Whether they are health-related (like this woman), or difficulties in relationships, or financial problems, or a myriad of other troubles…we need to have faith that God will take care of whatever might be our need.  Our faith is based on our knowledge of His promises in His Word.

…So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.
Romans 10:17

So that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.
1 Corinthians 2:5

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
Hebrews 11:1

And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him.
Verse 6

We live by faith, not by sight.
2 Corinthians 5:7

Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord.  According as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature…”
2 Peter 2:1-4

May we keep all these things in mind as we have faith in the Almighty God Who provides—Jehovah-Jireh.

  • When we feel weak, may we ask for ‘strength to be faithful.’
  • When we are weary, may we ask for ‘grace to go on.’
  • When we are anxious, may we ask for ‘peace when we’re torn.’
  • When we can’t see the way out or through or around or beyond, may we ask for ‘hearts to find hope.’
  • When we feel we have nothing left, may we ask for ‘faith to be strong.’

We must always remember that there is no need we will ever have that He is not already aware of.  He is the Eternal God our Provider—Jehovah-Jireh!

 *  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

O Lord, we recognize that we need Your help in everything.  As the beautiful lyrics of this song sing out, we also ask You, Father, please give us faith to be strong…give us strength to be faithful…give us grace to go on…give us peace when we’re torn…give us hearts to find hope.  We thank You, now in advance, for each of these things because we have already been given a measure of faith by Your grace and mercy.  We have faith placing our confidence and trust in You, El Shaddai.  And we pray all these things in Jesus’ precious and powerful Name.  Amen.

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

Faith That Brings Peace

January 20, 2015 by

SeekingHimLogo

Then He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you.
Go in peace and freed from suffering.”
Mark 5:34

Jesus went about doing good in His ministry.  Each and every time He healed the sick, He would release them with some grace.

In our Scripture reference today we see the lady being healed and at the end Jesus said, “Your faith has healed you, go in peace and freed from suffering.”  In this Scripture we see that if it wasn’t for faith this lady would not have benefitted from the presence of Jesus on earth.  You know what, sisters—we can attain all things when we have faith.

Faith is the substance of things hoped for….
Hebrews 11:1 KJV

This lady knew that ‘if only I can touch Jesus’ hem of His garments…all will be well for me.’  She took a step of faith and broke protocols of that time by maneuvering through the crowd and found herself amidst the disciples (men) and touched Jesus.

On its own, it was not proper for a woman to be brushing shoulders with men; she didn’t mind what people would say about her.  All she was concerned with was that she would be healed.  I therefore urge each one of us to be a people of vision.  Let us also ask ourselves these questions below:

  • What is it that we want God to do for us
  • How are we drawing near to Him for Him to help us
  • How much time do we have for God
  • Do we believe He can do it
  • How great is He to heal us and free us from suffering

There are times we need to fast, pray, and believe God for a miracle.  As well as have faith that whatsoever we pray for we shall have it (Mark 11:24-25).  Sometimes we just need to make bold decisions. Such as going for ‘Esther-type’ of prayer when you have husband at home whom we can’t deny matrimonial rights.  Except for the time of fasting (1 Corinthians 7:5) you excuse yourself to that.

We see also this type of faith in Mark 10:52 where Jesus healed blind Bartimeaus, who later followed Jesus. Let us follow Jesus always—we know what He is capable of doing!  Let us not doubt anything.

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Dear Lord, thank You for Your Word at the right time.  Thank You for You made it possible for us to study these Scriptures which show us how great You are and that you operate well when we have faith.  We thank You for You stand by Your Word that without faith we can’t please You.  As You are pleased with our faith, Lord, do unto us what we need not…what we want.  We ask all this in Jesus’ name Amen.

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Faith Jumps

January 12, 2015 by

SeekingHimLogo

Then He got into the boat and His disciples followed Him.
Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat.
But Jesus was sleeping.
The disciples went and woke Him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”
He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?”
Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.
The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this?
Even the winds and the waves obey him!”
Matthew 8:23-27 NIV

I have always known that faith take you up high while fear hesitates and drags you down. There have been many times we have failed to exercise faith and we have ended up disappointing God. In Hebrews 11:6 the Bible says “...without faith we cannot please God.” What is this faith we are talking about?

Faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen
Hebrews 11:1

Faith is a raw material for a product we are going to have.  As Hebrews 11:6 explicitly says without this raw material—faith—we cannot please God.  For us to have our hearts’ desires we need to have faith in the Giver and believe His word with no doubt at all.

The disciples forgot that Jesus was everything and started doubting…hence Jesus’ question (Matthew 8:25).  Jesus called Peter to walk on the sea toward Him. At first Peter did…and was not drowning but he started doubting and focused on the waters THEN he started drowning. The Bible records Jesus confronting Peter: “You of little faith, why did you doubt?”  (Read this record here.)

So little faith can be a raw material for us to have a product that is not attractive and leads to not having a product at all. We need to build our faith always. So, how do we build our faith? By hearing the Word of God.

Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.
Romans 10:17

Meditate on the Word of God (Joshua 1:8), personalize the Word, receive it with gladness and obey what it says and, in so doing, we shall eat the good of the land.

Our God is good and He has made everything possible for us. It is our own wrong choices that lead us not to reach out to the great benefits that God has planned for us…if we only obey Him.

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Dear Heavenly father, I thank You for Your lovingkindness that endures forever. Thank You for who You are in our lives. Thank You for You are our Father who hears our prayers. We give You glory and honor. We pray, Lord, that You help us build our faith everyday as we study and meditate on Your word and as we listen to Your voice. Open our ears to hear what You are talking about and open our eyes to see Your greatness in the Word. May we live a life pleasing unto You always, in Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

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The Sun Is Shining

January 11, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

Yesterday I found
That everything I knew was wrong
It was upside down
The life I thought I had was gone

But You came and whispered love to me
And You gave me strength to carry on

Oh, the sun is shining
There is hope for me again
A new day’s dawning
The sun is shining

Yesterday I lost
Everything I had and loved
Then I cried out for You, Lord
And You came and picked me up

And the sorrow lasted through the night
But the joy came with the morn

I will lift my voice
No, I won’t be silent
For You heard my cry
And You turned my mourning into dancing
And so forever I’ll sing

Singer/Songwriter: Mac Powell, along with Third Day

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It’s still the beginning of January…the beginning of a new year but sometimes we are stuck looking at the past.  All the things we were going to do in 2014 aren’t done.  The patience we were going to master towards our kids?…well, we are still impatient and saying some words we regret at the end of the day.  The wife we were going to be—the one who had dinner on the table and clothes clean and in their right places and an immaculate house?…well, we still have baskets of socks that don’t match and frozen lasagna still goes into the oven at the end of a long day.

But we are NOT failures in Jesus.
We ARE more than conquerors when we have God as our Father.

Maybe you’ve lost someone or something that meant the world to you and stepping into this year without them seems impossible.  But God does whisper in your ear today and says, “You are mine, and I am yours…and together we can do this.”

You are not alone, my friends.  His strength is your strength.  And always there is darkness before the dawn, and the sun always comes out…always.  Joy does come in the morning.  And doesn’t a new day bring some hope?

Some seasons are harder than others and some days seem to last forever.  There were days that I myself just had the strength to lift up my head and cry out to Jesus for the strength to make it through one more minute.

He always showed up and He still does.

And when you do see His face and the light of the new day starts peeping through, don’t be silent.  Use your voice to give hope to others who may be where you have been.  I leave you today with the verses that I clung to during a particularly hard, long season:

Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.
Romans 12:12

Lord, You know the hopes of the helpless.
Surely You will hear their cries and comfort them.
Psalm 10:17

Faith is the assurance of things you have hoped for,
the absolute conviction that there are realities you’ve never seen.
Hebrews 11:1

For His anger is but for a moment, and His favor is for a lifetime.
Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes in the morning.
Psalm 30:5 ESV

And my favorite:
But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you,
for the power is made perfect in weakness.”
Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses,
so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
2 Corinthians 12:9

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Let’s pray:
Dearest Lord, You are mighty and awesome.  You are our Strength in our struggles, the Light in the darkness, and our Peace that passes all understanding.  You love us so much and forgive our every debt.  Thank You for walking with us into this new year. Help us to make lists of all the good You do and not the failures that we see…for You see us so much better than we see ourselves.  You see us as precious children that You saved with Your only Son, Jesus.  We love You and praise You.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

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