December 25, 2024

My Help Comes From The Lord

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

When sorrows come and hope seems gone
You’re the Rock I rest upon
When waters rise and I can’t breathe
You’re the love that rescues me

Out of the darkness I lift up my eyes
Unto the hills I feel my faith rise

Maker of heaven, Giver of life
You are my strength, my song in the night
My refuge, my shelter now and forevermore
My help comes from the Lord

When I’m broken scarred by sin
Death gives way to life again
When I suffer when I doubt
In You I’m free, in You I’m found

The Museum
written by Barry Weeks, Bryan Brown, John Abel, Tony Wood

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

{David sang to the Lord the words of this song when the Lord delivered him
from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul.  
He said…}
“The Lord is my Rock, my Fortress and my Deliverer;
my God is my Rock, in whom I take refuge,
my Shield and the Horn of my salvation.
He is my Stronghold, my Refuge and my Savior
from violent people you save me.
I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise,
and have been saved from my enemies.
2 Samuel 22:1-4

OK, please raise your hands, everyone who has cried out to God like this….  OK, now hands up—this time raised in praise—everyone who has cried out to God like this KNOWING that He IS your Help…He IS your Deliverer…and that He will not tarry.  Oh, how we love to praise Him for His goodness, His grace, His help; yes?

But, just like David, there are days when we are feeling so very poor and needy… days when it takes effort, sometimes great effort, to continue to praise.  Days when our praises are not as abundant as our crying out to God for His help.

I cry aloud with my voice to the Lord;
I make supplication with my voice to the Lord.
I cried out to You, O Lord;
I said, “You are my Refuge,
My portion in the land of the living.
Give attention to my cry, for I am brought very low…
Psalms 142:1, 5-6

And our God—our gracious, compassionate, loving God—He is patient and forbearing with us.  And draws us to Himself…truly our help does come from the Lord!

Let all those that seek and require You rejoice and be glad in You;
let such as love Your salvation say continually, The Lord be magnified!
[As for me] I am poor and needy, yet the Lord takes thought and plans for me.
You are my Help and my Deliverer. O my God, do not tarry!
Psalms 40:16 and 17

What a comfort to know the truth that the Lord DOES take thought and DOES have plans for us.  And yet, we doubt sometimes.  God knows this; He knows we struggle.  He encourages and revives us with His promises.

For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord,
thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil,
to give you hope in your final outcome.
Then you will call upon Me,
and you will come and pray to Me,
and I will hear and heed you.
Then you will seek Me, inquire for, and require Me [as a vital necessity]
and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.
I will be found by you, says the Lord…
Jeremiah 29:11-14

These are such sustaining promises made to you and me by our Faithful, Trustworthy God.  Have you ever considered memorizing God’s promises?  What an incredible weapon to have at your disposal—the Word(s) of God that He is faithful to bring to pass!  Any (or all!) of these passages that we have considered today would be wonderful to have at the ready in your memory…for those times when you are feeling poor and needy.

I love the words of this passionate song…they remind me of this Scripture:

I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
    where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord,
    the Maker of heaven and earth.
Psalms 121:1 and 2

And so, friend, I ask you,

Do you seek Him and require Him?
If so…then rejoice and be glad in Him!

Do you love His salvation and are waiting expectantly for Jesus’ return?
…Then say, ‘The Lord be magnified!’

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Oh, Lord, we totally and completely recognize our great need for You!  And we know, we absolutely know, that You are our Help and our Deliverer!  Thank You, Lord, for the comfort of these promises!  Our help, truly, comes from the Lord!  Amen.

With All My Heart

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

In this quiet place with You
I bow before Your throne
I bare the deepest part of me
To You and You alone
I keep no secrets
For there is no thought
You have not known
I bring my best and all the rest
To You and lay them down

With all my heart
I want to love You, Lord
And live my life
Each day to know You more
All that is in me
Is Yours completely
I’ll serve You only
With all my heart

You faithfully supply my needs
According to Your plans
So help me, Lord, to seek Your face
Before I seek Your hand
And trust You know what ‘s best for me
When I don’t understand
Then follow in obedience
In every circumstance

 Singer / Songwriter ~~ Babbie Mason

*  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

Our Heavenly Father, the Great I AM, deserves our all—all our love, all our obedience, all our worship, all our devotion, all our service, all our focus, all our praise, all our whole heart—our everything.  Actually, He requires our all.  Listen to these three examples from the Scriptures where God’s people (you and me, too!) are given the command to love God with all their heart…

When Moses gave the Law to the Israelites, he said:

These are the commands, decrees and laws
the Lord your God directed me to teach you to observe…
so that you, your children and their children after them may fear the Lord your God
as long as you live by keeping all his decrees and commands that I give you,
and so that you may enjoy long life.
Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and all your strength.
Deuteronomy 6:1-4 (excerpts)

The prophet Jeremiah was given this compelling message to send to the exiled Israelites who had been carried into captivity by Nebuchadnezzer and his army.  Think about how comforted they must have been hearing God’s words!

For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord,
thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil,
to give you hope in your final outcome.
Then you will call upon Me,
and you will come and pray to Me,
and I will hear and heed you.
Then you will seek Me, inquire for, and require Me [as a vital necessity]
and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.
I will be found by you, says the Lord….
Jeremiah 29:11-14

Our Lord spoke this convicting message to His followers.

And one of the scribes…asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?”
Jesus answered, “The most important is,
‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.
And you shall love the Lord your God
with all your heart and with all your soul
and with all your mind and with all your strength.’
The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’
There is no other commandment greater than these.”
Mark 12:28-32

We know from the Scriptures that God desires us to

  • trust Him with all of our heart (Proverbs 3:5 and 6)
  • work heartily as if for Him with all of our heart (Colossians 3:23)
  • seek Him with all our heart (Deuteronomy 4:29 and 30)
  • serve Him with our whole heart (1 Chronicles 28:9)
  • love Him with all our heart (Matthew 22:37)

Here are a few questions that I have asked myself…perhaps you have asked yourself the same things, too:

What would it take for you, {your name here},  to…

♥  Give God your all?
♥  Be sold out for God?
♥  Be His completely?
♥  Serve Him only?
♥  Love Him with all your heart?

Have you answered them yet?
If so, would you share your answer with us (in the comments below)?

*  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

Friends, whether the words of this anointed song—this prayer—cause you to throw your hands in the air raised in praise, or fall on your knees in humble submission, may you voice your commitment to your Father with all your heart!  <3

Sure As The Sun Will Rise

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

With All My Heart

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

In this quiet place with You
I bow before Your throne
I bare the deepest part of me
To You and You alone
I keep no secrets
For there is no thought
You have not known
I bring my best and all the rest
To You and lay them down

With all my heart
I want to love You, Lord
And live my life
Each day to know You more
All that is in me
Is Yours completely
I’ll serve You only
With all my heart

You faithfully supply my needs
According to Your plans
So help me, Lord, to seek Your face
Before I seek Your hand
And trust You know what ‘s best for me
When I don’t understand
Then follow in obedience
In every circumstance

 Singer / Songwriter ~~ Babbie Mason

*  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

The Great I AM deserves our all—all our love, all our obedience, all our worship, all our devotion, all our service, all our focus, all our praise, all our whole heart—our everything.  Actually, He requires our all. Listen to these three examples from the Scriptures where God’s people (you and me, too!) are given the command to love God with all their heart…

When Moses gave the Law to the Israelites, he said:

These are the commands, decrees and laws the Lord your God directed me to teach you to observe…so that you, your children and their children after them may fear the Lord your God as long as you live by keeping all his decrees and commands that I give you, and so that you may enjoy long life. Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.

Deuteronomy 6:1-4 (excerpts)

The prophet Jeremiah was given this compelling message to send to the exiled Israelites who had been carried into captivity by Nebuchadnezzer and his army.  Think about how comforted they must have been hearing God’s words!

For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord,
thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil,
to give you hope in your final outcome.
Then you will call upon Me, and you will come and pray to Me, and I will hear and heed you.
Then you will seek Me, inquire for, and require Me [as a vital necessity]
and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.
I will be found by you, says the Lord….

Jeremiah 29:11-14

Our Lord spoke this convicting message to His followers.

And one of the scribes…asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?”
Jesus answered, “The most important is,
‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.
And you shall love the Lord your God
with all your heart and with all your soul
and with all your mind and with all your strength.’
The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’
There is no other commandment greater than these.”

Mark 12:28-32

We know from the Scriptures that God desires us to

  • trust Him with all of our heart (Proverbs 3:5 and 6)
  • work heartily as if for Him with all of our heart (Colossians 3:23)
  • seek Him with all our heart (Deuteronomy 4:29 and 30)
  • serve Him with our whole heart (1 Chronicles 28:9)
  • love Him with all our heart (Matthew 22:37)

Here are a few questions that I have asked myself… perhaps you have asked yourself the same things, too:

What would it take for you, {coleen},  to…

Give your all?
Be sold out for God?
Be His completely?
Serve Him only?
Love Him with all your heart?

Have you answered those questions yet?  If so, would you share your answer with us (in the comments below).

*  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

Friends, whether the anointed words of this song—this prayer—cause you to throw your hands in the air raised in praise, or fall on your face in humble submission, may you voice your commitment to your Father with all your heart! <3

Psalm Of Gratitude

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

Psalm of Gratitude
Psalm 138

I give You thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart;
before the gods I sing Your praise;
I bow down toward Your holy temple
and give thanks to Your name for Your steadfast love and Your faithfulness,
for You have exalted above all things
Your Name and Your Word.
On the day I called, You answered me;
my strength of soul You increased.
All the kings of the earth shall give You thanks, O Lord,
for they have heard the words of Your mouth,
and they shall sing of the ways of the Lord,
for great is the glory of the Lord.
For though the Lord is high, He regards the lowly,
but the haughty He knows from afar.
Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
You preserve my life;
You stretch out Your hand against the wrath of my enemies,
and Your right hand delivers me.
The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me;
Your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever.
Do not forsake the work of Your hands.

 Composed by Esther Mui  ~  Scripture, NKJV

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~   ♥   ~   *

What do you think of when someone mentions that it is November already … Christmas, snow, shopping, Black Friday…?  I dare say that many times our minds jump right over the National Holiday of Thanksgiving (at least until we think of the big family dinner we have to prepare!)  We have much to be thankful for—now and all year ‘round.

Perhaps you’ll agree with me as I say that I need to slow down from the busyness of this time of year, and take time to sing and meditate on this psalm.  God deserves our thanks from our WHOLE heart:

  • He gave us His WHOLE heart, His steadfast love and His faithfulness, when He gave His only Son to save us. (John 3:16)
  • Not only that, but everyday when we call out to God, He answers us. His Holy Spirit dwells with us to increase our strength. God preserves our life, and His right hand delivers us. (Psalms 23:3-4)
  • God has a purpose for each of us, and He promises to fulfill it in us. (Jeremiah 29:11-13)
  • God’s love is so solid that He promises to NEVER forsake the work (you and me) of His hands! (Jeremiah 32:38-41)

There are over 130 verses in the Bible that use some form of the word “thank” in it.  As I have been thinking of Thanksgiving, many of these verses keep coming to mind.  Here are just a very few that you might incorporate into your personal worship time or at your Thanksgiving table:

Let us come before Him with thanksgiving and extol Him with music and song.  For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods.
Psalms 95:2-3

Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His love endures forever.
1 Chronicles 16:34

I will give thanks to the LORD because of His righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High.
Psalm 7:17

The LORD is my Strength and my Shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to Him in song.
Psalm 28:7

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
Colossians 3:17

Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:18

All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.
2 Corinthians 4:15

You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.
2 Corinthians 9:11

I always thank God for you because of His grace given you in Christ Jesus. For in Him you have been enriched in every way—in all your speaking and in all your knowledge.
1 Corinthians 1:4-5

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~   ♥   ~   *

Will you join me, today and throughout the rest of this month, in giving thanks to our God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit?  He deserves our all.

They sang,
Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom
and thanksgiving and honor
and power and strength belong to our God
forever and ever! Amen.
Revelation 7:12

As Sure As The Sun

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

 

CHRISTLife – Nine: Too High or Too Low

Oh, how we suffer and struggle under the lies and misconceptions we struggle with in our hearts!  (I can almost see your beautiful heads nodding in agreement.)  We must find a way to “be realistic in the way we view and accept ourselves” (page 40).  As we continue along in CHRISTLife: Embracing Your True and Deepest Identity, Mrs. Myers lovingly and faithfully keeps bringing us back to the Truth of who we are in Christ.   Or, as we like to phrase it, ‘I AM who God says I am!’  There is a children’s song, originally sung by the Gaither Family back in the day 😉 that could be our new anthem. As you listen along, hopefully you will be renewed in your mind to sing along believing that you ARE a Promise (with a capital P)!

I am a promise…I am a possibility
I am a promise with a capital “P”
I am a great big bundle of potentiality
And I am learnin’ to hear God’s voice
And I am tryin’ to make the right choice
I am a promise to be anything God wants me to be

  *  ~  *  ~  *  ~  *  ~  *  

Kim shares another page with us from her ‘Inner Identity Album’ along with her encouragement for us today:iiakimiamapossibility
“I love this page because it serves as a reminder that even though there may be times in our walk with God that it doesn’t seem like He is working, or perhaps we are walking through circumstances and they are screaming loudly—these are the Truth’s that we can hang on to!

He loves you
He has good plans for you
He is working for your good
He hears you
You are His
He will never leave you or ever forsake you
HE IS FAITHFUL in ALL Things!!!

These reminders could not have come at a better time for me…God’s timing is always perfect!”

  *  ~  *  ~  *  ~  *  ~  *  

So, sisters, Kim and I pray for you (and ourselves!) that

  • you will keep on listening to hear God’s voice (He has MUCH to tell you!)
  • keep on trying He’ll help you make the right choice (He never leaves nor forsakes you!)
  • ‘cause you’re a Promise to be anything He wants you to be (Jeremiah 29:11-14).

My Help and My Deliverer

SeekingHimLogo

Let all those that seek and require You rejoice and be glad in You;
let such as love Your salvation say continually, The Lord be magnified!
[As for me] I am poor and needy, yet the Lord takes thought and plans for me.
You are my Help and my Deliverer. O my God, do not tarry!
Psalms 40:16 and 17

OK, please raise your hands up, everyone who has cried out to God like this….  OK, now hands up—raised in praise—everyone who has cried out to God like this KNOWING that He is your Help…He is your Deliverer…and that He will not tarry.  Oh, how we love to praise Him for His goodness, His grace, His help; yes?

There are days when we are feeling so very poor and needy…days when it takes effort, sometimes great effort, to continue to confess the truth that the Lord DOES take thought and DOES have plans for us.  God knows this; He knows we struggle.  He encourages and revives us with His promises.

For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord,
thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil,
to give you hope in your final outcome.
Then you will call upon Me,
and you will come and pray to Me, and I will hear and heed you.
Then you will seek Me, inquire for, and require Me [as a vital necessity]
and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.
I will be found by you, says the Lord…
Jeremiah 29:11-14

These are such sustaining promises made to you and me by our Faithful, Trustworthy God.  Have you ever considered memorizing God’s promises?  What an incredible weapon to have at your disposal—the Word(s) of God that He is faithful to bring to pass!  Either of these groups of verses that we have considered today would be wonderful to have at the ready in your memory…for those times when you are feeling poor and needy.

And so I ask you…

Do you seek Him and require Him?  Then rejoice and be glad in Him!

Do you love His salvation waiting expectantly for His return?  Then say, ‘The Lord be magnified!’

* * * * *

Oh, Lord, we totally and completely recognize our great need for You!  And we know, we absolutely know, that You are our Help and our Deliverer!  Thank You, Lord, for the comfort of these promises!  We rest in You!  Amen.

“I AM” Week 3 – Day 5: Malachi: The Bridge

Memory Verse

The Sovereign Lord is my strength;  

he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, 

he enables me to tread on the heights.

Habakkuk 3:19

____________________________

We have been so very inspired (perhaps revived?) as we have spent the past three weeks considering the character of the Great I AM as He has made Himself known throughout the Old Testament.  How AWEsome is He!

The Great I AM deserves our all—our love, our obedience, our worship, our devotion, our service, our focus, our praise, our whole heart, our everything.  Actually, He requires our all.

When Moses gave the Law to the Israelites, he said:

These are the commands, decrees and laws the Lord your God directed me to teach you to observe…so that you, your children and their children after them may fear the Lord your God as long as you live by keeping all his decrees and commands that I give you, and so that you may enjoy long life.  Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.  Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.

Deuteronomy 6:1-4 (excerpts)

The prophet Jeremiah was given a compelling message to send to the exiled Israelites who had been carried into captivity by Nebuchadnezzar and his army.  Think about how comforted they might have been hearing God’s Words!

For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord,
thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil,
to give you hope in your final outcome.

Then you will call upon Me, and you will come and pray to Me, and I will hear and heed you.
Then you will seek Me, inquire for, and require Me [as a vital necessity]
and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.
I will be found by you, says the Lord….
Jeremiah 29:11-14

Our Lord also gave this same convicting message to His followers.

And one of the scribes came up…and asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?”  Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.  And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’  There is no other commandment greater than these.”
Mark 12:28-32

We know from the Scriptures that God desires us to–

  • Trust Him with all of our heart (Proverbs 3:5 and 6)
  • Work heartily as if for Him with all of our heart (Colossians 3:23)
  • Seek Him with all your heart (Deuteronomy 4:29 and 30)
  • Serve Him with your whole heart (1st Chronicles 28:9)
  • Love Him with all our heart (Matthew 22:37)

Our author, Teresa, asks the following question today in our study…

What would it take for you to give service “your all?”
Go “all in?”  Be “sold out” for God?

Have you answered that question yet?  Would you share your answer (below in the comments) with all of us?

Friends, whether the anointed words of this song—this prayer—cause you to throw your hands in the air raised in praise, or fall on your face in humble submission, may you voice your commitment to the Great I AM with all your heart!  <3

Praying for each of you!

♥  coleen

Let’s Pray:

Dear Lord, You have heard the cry of our hearts…we each do SO want to love You with all our hearts; to serve You with our whole heart; to obey You with our whole heart; to seek You with all our heart; to trust You, and You alone, with all our heart!  We choose You, Lord…You are the Great I AM Who deserves our love with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strength!  May our words accompanied by our strong conviction, and commitment be pleasing to You!

Amen.