December 22, 2024

He Is Good…He Is True

January 1, 2016 by

encouragementbloggraphicromans15This post is from 2013. I love looking back and seeing how faithful God has been. He’s never once let me down. And now, 2 years later, I can still say that He is good and He is true and He is always with us. I pray that you too will see all His goodness and glory in the upcoming year! God bless you…

Rejoice in our confident hope.
Be patient in trouble,
and keep on praying.
Romans 12:2

A verse for the new year, don’t you think? As I look back on 2013, I see God’s hand in all of it. I cannot imagine a day without Him, really, and I don’t want to. This year has been challenging for sure, yet my faith has grown by leaps and bounds. There have been times of scarce resources yet God has provided loaves and fishes. My children have not gone hungry and there has always been a roof over our heads. The Lord is so good.

Kyle started a new job this time last year. He has been on the road for most of 2013 and had a lot of time with His Creator. I have had the privilege of watching God grow and mold him into the husband and father that He intended him to be. The marriage that almost ended has been completely renewed  and restored to an even more magical and Spirit-filled marriage, and love for each other is greater than ever. We found a church home and a group of wonderful godly people who love us for us and accept us just the way we are, but love us too much to let us stay content. How amazing when God puts people in your path that actually speak truth to you and help you grow spiritually.

I’ve watched my children grow spiritually through some pretty hard things. But, isn’t that how God works? It’s through the tests and trials that our faith grows and we realize that with God we can do anything. They have seen God do the impossible, too. As much as I would love for their lives to be easy, without hardships and heartaches, their character and faith and relationship with Him grows out of the dark and murky soil.

I wouldn’t change anything. God is good and all He gives is good. We cannot see the big picture so we don’t see how all these pieces fit together. But God does—and He puts the tapestry of our lives together. I love that I can look back with a smile knowing that He WAS  in control; I love that I can step into next year knowing that He IS in control. What would I do differently? Nothing!

So what are my hopes for the new year? For starters, I don’t want to take one step that He does not ordain. And what is the best way to hear what He says about our future? We go to His Word. His promises always come true and His word is more valuable than any amount of money.

Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect,
but I press on to make it my own,
because Christ Jesus has made me His own.
Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own.
But one thing I do; forgetting what lies behind
and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward
the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:12-14

‘Forgetting the past,’  ‘pressing on toward the goal,’  ‘for the prize,’  aren’t these amazing words?!  And the prize is the the call on your life—an anointing on your life from your Father.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.
The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
2 Corinthians 5:17

You are a new creation, the old has passed! 2013 has passed, there is nothing that can be done about it now. If wrong has been done, then we repent, ask forgiveness and move forward, right? And that is all that is required. We are forgiven. Grace is ours for free! And there’s more…

Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old.
Behold I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness and (spring) rivers in the desert.
Isaiah 43:18-19

This is actually our family’s life verse. He does make a way in the desert—He always has and He always will. When there seems to be no way, He makes a way. Jesus is The Way.  John 14:6 says, “I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life.  No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

Friends, if you don’t know Jesus…and don’t know the way to the Father…please read these Scriptures and pray them back to Him. All you have to do is ask Him to come in to your heart and live forever. Then read His Word and begin the most important and amazing walk of your life.

 

Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name and you are Mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through the fire you shall not be burned,
and the flame shall not consume you.
For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
I give Egypt as your ransom, Cush and Seba in exchange for you.
Because you are precious in My eyes, and honored, and I love you,
I give men in return for you, peoples in exchange for your life.
Fear not, for I am with you;
I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you.
Isaiah 43: 2-5
(to read the context of these promises, click here: Isaiah 43:1-28 )

He has called you by name and you are His!!

Praise the Lord, He will walk into this new year with you and you will start fresh. You have an empty slate, a fresh start…a do over, if you will. All your steps are ordained and He will go before you and make a way for you! Oh…how He loves you and can’t wait to do life with you this year. So let’s take a deep breath, and take His hand and step on into the new year….

Let us pray: Dear God, our Father, thank You so much for this past year, for our successes and failures, for our victories and for trials, for keeping us safe and for loving us always. You are an amazing God, and even the rocks cry out to You. You are our Abba Father, our Daddy, we can crawl up in Your lap and forget the world. Thank You for going before us and making a way for us in the wilderness. Thank You for the fresh springs in the desert and for giving us the victory before the trial. Lord, as we walk in to this new year, I pray Your hedge of protection be around us and our families. Provide all we need, Dear Jesus, and keep us close to Your heart. I’m excited to see what;s in store for us this year! For it’s in Your name we pray, amen!

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Truth We Can Depend On

October 12, 2015 by

SeekingHimLogo

Every word of God proves true.
    He is a shield to all who come to Him for protection.
Proverbs 30:5  NLT

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 And The Message version reads,

Every promise of God proves true;
He protects everyone who runs to Him for help.

Does it boggle your mind to try to understand that every (all possible) word of God proves (shows beyond doubt) that it is true (accurate, faithful)?  In our human experience, with ourselves and with those around us, we know that kind of perfection and faithfulness doesn’t exist 100% of the time.

Thankfully, it is true for God’s Word.  In the Amplified, it says His words are “…tested and refined like silver.”  And Psalm 12:6 states, “The Lord’s promises are pure, like silver refined in a furnace, purified seven times over.”  That leaves absolutely no imperfections.

Your promises have been thoroughly tested;
that is why I love them so much.
Psalm 119:140

Because of this purity, God’s Word is sure and we can trust it.  God is one with His Word.  God promises to protect all who come to Him, and we can be sure He will.

God is our Refuge and Strength [mighty and impenetrable],
A very present and well-proved help in trouble.
Psalm 46:1 AMP

In the midst of life’s conflicts and disappointments, God is our Shield. Shields come in many different shapes and sizes. Some are tall to cover the warrior from head to toe. Some other shapes are made to protect the most vital organs, and to deflect the enemy’s weapons from harming the warrior. Spiritually speaking, God does exactly that.  When we come (run) to Him, He is there to protect us from the “fiery darts” of the enemy.  In Ephesians 6:16, God says, “…in all circumstances take up the shield of faith.”  God is there for us, but in faith we must come to Him and accept (take up) His protection.

  • The more we know Jesus, the more we will know God’s Word:

In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us,
and we have seen His glory,
glory as of the only Son from the Father,
full of grace and truth.
John 1:1, 14

  •  The more we know Jesus, the more we know the Father:

I and the Father are one.
John 10:30

  • The more we know Jesus, the more we know the Father’s Truth:

Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.
No one can come to the Father except through Me.”
John 14:6

 

  • The more we know Jesus, the more we will be sanctified and protected by God’s Truth.

Sanctify them in the truth; Your Word is truth.
John 17:17

If we will study Jesus—His life, His words, His relationships with others, and His relationship with God the Father—we will know that God’s Word is truth and we can trust it.  We will have the assurance that we can run to God and find the protection we need.  We will walk in faith, and be shielded by Him.

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Dear God, we are so grateful that we have Your Word to turn to.  Life is not easy, and, we need Your protection even when we don’t realize it.  Help us, Lord, not to just “pick up” Your shield in times of imminent danger…but to live our lives getting to know Jesus, Your Word, so we can be in Your protection at all times.  Thank You for the promise that “Every word of God proves true.”  In Jesus’ Precious Name we pray, Amen.

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Your Way…The ONLY Way

April 24, 2015 by

Many of you have gone on Spring Break or are anticipating taking a vacation this summer.  It is a time to refresh spirit, soul, and body.  Over the next couple of weeks, our faithful bloggers will be taking a ‘spring break’ from writing so that they can come back to us refreshed and freshly anointed.
However, Girlfriends’ Coffee Hour website won’t ‘go black’!  We will be revisiting some of our favorite blogs and daily devotions which have blessed us in the past.  We pray that each of you, our faithful friends and readers, will continue to start your day meditating on the devotionals and songblogs, and be encouraged and blessed.

Let’s give each of our bloggers a big round of applause,
a hug, and the rest they so deserve.  God bless you, ladies!

SeekingHimLogo

The revelation of GOD is whole and pulls our lives together.
The signposts of GOD are clear and point out the right road.
The life-maps of GOD are right, showing the way to joy.
The directions of GOD are plain and easy on the eyes.
GOD’s reputation is twenty-four-carat gold, with a lifetime guarantee.
The decisions of GOD are accurate down to the nth degree.
Psalms 19:7-9 MSG

Many objects, people and organizations claim to have the ultimate solution for life. These things slip in and take hold of our lives attempting to show us a better way. Thing is—your paycheck, your boss, and your job do not hold the key to life. These things didn’t make you and they couldn’t possibly tell you what path to follow and what choices to make. One Being, and one alone, knows all that the world could hold. And that very same Being created both you and me. As Job said, “The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life” (Job 33:4). Isaiah advised, “Don’t put your trust in mere humans. They are as frail as breath. What good are they?” (Isaiah 2:22).

When I first researched Psalms19:7-9 in the Message Translation, I was taken aback. The way this version explains these verses is amazing. “The revelation of God is whole and pulls our lives together.” Wow…if you sit and think on it…how simple, but profound, is this statement. Not just knowing about or being aware of, but the revelation of God basically makes everything right and complete. “The signposts of God are clear and point out the right road.” Truthfully, I don’t find this to be so simple, but then again, in my human ways, I have been known to… (putting it nicely) complicate things. “The life-maps of God are right, showing the way to joy.”

Notice these verses say nothing about any other thing in this world—but God. God has the answer to everything.  He IS the answer to everything. Nothing is impossible for the Lord. What other way could there possibly be, if God is the answer to everything?  There is no other way. All other ways are false and a waste of time. THE Way is the way. Jesus said it best in John 14:6: “Jesus answered, ‘I am the Way and the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

I know I’ve said this before, but it is so important and imperative for us to remember, that the only One who knows our path is the Lord. Yes, I do believe that He can, and will, place people in our lives to help us, listen to us, and guide us.  But these people cannot replace the Maker. If we constantly are leaning on our physical helpers…and not taking the time to spend time with God and hear His voice…then we aren’t hurting anyone but ourselves. No person can have a relationship with God for us. This means our parents, our friends, our pastor, our spouses, our children—none of these can have a relationship with Christ for us.

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Lord, thank You for being The Way.  Thank You for making the choice simple. Although, it may be hard sometimes to walk Your path, I know that Your way is the only way for me.  Amen.

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This Week…I AM The Way, The Truth, and The Life (John 14)

April 4, 2015 by

SeekingHimLogo

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

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

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

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 Jesus said to him,
I AM the Way and the Truth and the Life;
no one comes to the Father except by (through) Me.
John 14:6

This week, here on the Seeking Him devotional blog, we have listened to the words of our Lord recorded in John chapter 14.  Here Jesus made it clear that He is the only Way to the Father.   Jesus was direct in His words…it was ‘all or nothing’ (as Cynda so succintly put it)!  Our devotional writers have shared some insight on these words spoken by our Lord…specifically regarding the statement He made, “I AM the Way, the Truth, and the Life.”    Here are a few highlights from the devotionals that Tina, Laura, Cynda, Ann, and Ahmee wrote to encourage us.

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In One Path, Cynda encouraged us to believe Jesus’ statement in verse 6.

“In this verse, Jesus makes a very bold statement—one that forces us to make a decision.  It is an all-or-nothing deal.  There is simply no middle ground. Either Jesus is the only Way to the Father or Jesus is not telling the truth.  (That was so hard for me to type!)

Consider the following verses:

Jesus said to her, “I AM the Resurrection and the Life.
The one who believes in Me, even if he dies, will live.
Everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die—ever.
Do you believe this?”
John 11:25-26 HCSB

“Do you believe this?”  That is the crux of the matter.  Those four words sum it up in a nutshell.   What do you believe?”

❦

In Your Compass, Ahmee reminded us of the importance of knowing the Truth from the Scriptures.

“If ever we wonder what we should do, we have a Compass to point us in the right direction.  Jesus said that He is “…The Way, The Truth, and The Life.”  So, when we come across new teachings we need to be diligent in comparing this teaching to the Word of God that we know.

Anyone can look at the Bible and interpret it the way they want; but that doesn’t mean that you should blindly follow every interpretation of the Bible.  Go to it and read for yourself.  What does God say to you about what you are reading, and what does He say to you about the teaching you just heard?

There are concepts and things in the Bible that we KNOW for a fact.  We would know it immediately if we were to hear a teaching that contradicted what we KNOW to be true from our time spent in the Word.”

❦

In Jesus IS The Way, The Truth, and The Life, Ann pointed out the dangers of being without The Way, The Truth, and The Life!

“Without The Way?  There is no going…where can you go if there is no way through?  We cannot go to the Father except through Jesus.  The way gives us access to wherever we want to go.  Therefore Jesus is the True Access to the many blessings the Lord has in store for us.

Without The Truth? Wow, just having Christ in us and us in Him we are assured of having knowledge of the truth of the great things—for Christ knows all.  For it means we know God, too!

Jesus is life.  Without The Life?  Well,  “no Jesus=no life”.  Accepting Him as the Lord and Savior gives us eternal life.  We thank God for giving us life through Christ Jesus.”

❦

In The Map to Salvation, Laura reminded us of the practical application of being able to follow directions when we follow Jesus.

“Here on Earth, directions can be very confusing.  Directions can especially be confusing when landmarks are similar, or the person giving them can confuse me if they start describing landmarks or road names when I have never been in the area.  It is probably this way for a lot of people.

Yet, when it comes to eternal life, we have a great road map for directions!  Jesus gave us this road map when He spent His last moments before the Crucifixion with His disciples.  He told them that He is the Way to God.  He is the Truth from God.  Jesus brought God’s truth to us and gave us the life.”

❦

And in Know The Father Through His Son Jesus, Tina pointed out how Jesus, being the very image of His Father, made Him known to the Apostles.

“Through their training and living with Jesus, the Apostles may have just looked at him as just a man with an anointing from God.  Not as Who He truly is—Jesus being the image of God.  This thought is pretty cool though.  Just think of being around Jesus, who is the image of God, for three years.  I would imagine I might  just take for granted Jesus being with us everyday, not thinking He was going to ever leave.  I would, not intentionally, not listen as intently. I would hear, but not really.  Then once He was gone I would regret not having been more intentional in listening, as well as noting everything being said…watching the miracles being performed…wishing I had asked for God to anoint me in much the same way as His Son. ”

❦

Have you had the opportunity to read through these blogposts this week?  If not, I would encourage you to do so!  Our bloggers have made these as well as some other wonderful points to direct us towards Jesus, Who IS The Way, The Truth, and The Life.  Through Him, and ONLY through Him, do we have access to God the Father.

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One Path

April 3, 2015 by

SeekingHimLogo

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

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

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

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Jesus said to him, I AM the Way and the Truth and the Life;
no one comes to the Father except by (through) Me.
John 14:6 AMP

In this verse, Jesus makes a very bold statement—one that forces us to make a decision.  It is an all-or-nothing deal.  There is simply no middle ground. Either Jesus is the only Way to the Father or Jesus is not telling the truth.  (That was so hard for me to type!)

Consider the following verses:

Jesus said to her, “I AM the Resurrection and the Life.
The one who believes in Me, even if he dies, will live.
Everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die—ever.
Do you believe this?”
John 11:25-26 HCSB

“Do you believe this?”  That is the crux of the matter.  Those four words sum it up in a nutshell.   What do you believe?

I believe that God revealed Himself in Jesus.  I believe that Jesus is the perfect human revelation of God.  I believe that without Christ on the Cross, we would only be able to come before God as our Judge and not as our Father.  I had never considered that Jesus wasn’t telling the truth.  As I pondered that question, I went looking for Scripture that supports what I believe.  Here is what I found:

For in Him the whole fullness of Deity (the Godhead)
continues to dwell in bodily form
[giving complete expression of the divine nature].
Colossians 2:9 AMP

Inasmuch then as we have a great High Priest
Who has [already] ascended and passed through the heavens,
Jesus the Son of God,
let us hold fast our confession [of faith in Him].
Hebrews 4:14 AMP

He went once for all into the [Holy of] Holies [of heaven],
not by virtue of the blood of goats and calves
[by which to make reconciliation between God and man],
but His own blood, having found and secured a complete redemption
(an everlasting release for us).
Hebrews 9:12 AMP

But our High Priest offered himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins,
good for all time.
Then He sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand.
Hebrews 10:12 NLT

God in bodily form.  Doesn’t that just blow your mind?  Jesus is our High Priest, a willing sacrifice as an atonement for all our sins.  Jesus secured eternal redemption for us.  All we need to do is believe that He is who He says He is—the only Way to the Cross, the Truth of the Word in an earthly body and the Giver of eternal Life.

As John 8:32 (AMP) states:

And you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free.

We know the Truth when we have a relationship with Jesus and believe solely in Him…that is what sets us free.  Truly free.  That’s what I want—to be free indeed!

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Father, thank You for sending a perfect representation of You in bodily form.  Thank You for providing Your Only Son as the only Way for us to have eternal Life.  I truly desire to be free.  Only Jesus can set me free.  I firmly believe He is The Way, The Truth and The Life and the only Way I can call You ‘Abba’ is through Him.  In His Holy name I pray, Amen – It is so!

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Your Compass

April 2, 2015 by

SeekingHimLogo

 

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

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

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

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

 Jesus said to him,
I AM the Way and the Truth and the Life;
no one comes to the Father except by (through) Me.
John 14:6

What’s true…or not…is not for us to decide.  Truth is truth.  The Lord helps make this simple by being that Truth.  If ever we wonder what we should do, we have a Compass to point us in the right direction.  Jesus said that He is “…The Way, The Truth, and The Life.”  So, when we come across new teachings we need to be diligent in comparing this teaching to the Word of God that we know.

Anyone can look at the Bible and interpret it the way they want; but that doesn’t mean that you should blindly follow every interpretation of the Bible.  Go to it and read for yourself.  What does God say to you about what you are reading, and what does He say to you about the teaching you just heard?

There are concepts and things in the Bible that we KNOW for a fact.  We would know it immediately if we were to hear a teaching that contradicted what we KNOW to be true from our time spent in the Word.  I myself have encountered instances where someone was preaching and what they said directly went against what I KNOW to be true from the Bible.  I have also heard teaching that I was uncertain about. But everything in my spirit screamed, “This is not correct…run! Run quickly!”

Pastors are awesome.  They help teach us and guide us and share knowledge about the Word of God.  However, your Pastor cannot KNOW the Word of God for you.  You must KNOW it for yourself, so that you can live it and apply it and discern what you are being taught.

The Bible says that we should, “…not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world” (1 John 4:1).

There is only one Truth and one Way—the Way of our Lord Jesus Christ.

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Lord, help us to have discerning minds.  Let us not be critical or cynical, but discerning.  We desire to be good stewards of Your Word and teaching.  We do not desire to lead anyone astray.  Help us to clearly interpret Your Word and spread nothing but Your Truth to one another that we may grow to be a truth-loving and -following people of God.  Amen.

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You Are The Shepherd

March 29, 2015 by

SeekingHimLogo

 

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

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

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

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

 Jesus said to him,
I AM the Way and the Truth and the Life;
no one comes to the Father except by (through) Me.


You are the Shepherd, I belong to You
When I walk on rough ground, You will guide me through
You know my name, You know my voice
Before I was born I was Your choice
Show me how to follow, Lord, keep me close to You
You are the Shepherd, I belong to You

Open eyes to see You are the Way
Open ears to hear You are the Truth
Open hearts to know You are the Lord of Life
For every one You hold a special plan

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The Door Is Our Protection

March 13, 2015 by

SeekingHimLogo

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

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

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

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So Jesus said again, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you,
that I Myself AM the Door for the sheep.
John 10:7 AMP

I AM the Door.
If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved
and will come in and go out and find pasture.
John 10:9 HCSB

As I read this passage, my first thought was of Christ as the Door to eternal life.  In one of my digital media classes I created a photo depicting the Cross with a door in it and a highway sign that said ‘Heaven’ and pointed to the door in the Cross.  I used John 14:6 (HCSB) as my focal point for the image.

Jesus told him, “I AM the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
No one comes to the Father except through Me.

There is no other way to God but through the Door—Jesus.

Yet as I was studying commentaries on this passage, I came across a statement that made me pause.  Had I perhaps missed an additional meaning in this Scripture?  Had I stopped short without completely understanding the depth of this Scripture?

“In a “field” sheepfold, the shepherd actually laid his body across the entrance, to keep the sheep in and to keep out the wolves.” – David Guzik

(You can read the entire article here.)

I totally get the symbolism that Christ laid down His life for our salvation.  But I missed the part about Him being our protection. Christ is there to protect us from the evil one.  Further down in John 10 we read these verses:

I give them eternal life, and they will never perish—ever!
No one will snatch them out of My hand.
My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all.
No one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.
The Father and I are one.
verses 28-30 HCSB

Psalm 121:8 (HCSB) tells us:

The Lord will protect your coming and going both now and forever.

I love that!  Not only has Jesus provided us with the only way to reach God, He makes sure no one can snatch us out of His protection.   Amazing grace!  Such love is unfathomable.

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Jesus, thank You for not only providing me with a way to have fellowship with God and eternal life but for protecting me from the enemy as well.  Thank you for never letting go of me or giving up on me.  In Your Precious name I pray – Amen, It Is So!


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The Door Gives Access

March 9, 2015 by

SeekingHimLogo

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

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

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

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 So Jesus said to them again,“Truly, truly, I say to you,
I AM the Door of the sheep.
All who came before Me are thieves and robbers,
but the sheep did not hear them.
I AM the Door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved,
and will go in and out and find pasture.
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy;
I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.
John 10:7-10

A door gives access to someone to go in and come out of any building, vehicle, etc.  This access helps you to benefit of what is inside the building or outside the building, for example.

Jesus said, “I AM The Door“…what does this imply?  He is giving us access to use Him because those who enter through Jesus will be saved—they will have abundant life (verse 10); they will have all they need to be delivered from sin, guilt, condemnation. He is the ONLY Door; none other exists.

Jesus answered, I AM the Way, the Truth and the Life.
No one comes to the Father except through Me.
John 14:6

…through Whom we have gained access by faith
into this grace in which we now stand.
Romans 5:2

For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.
Ephesians 2:18

In Him through faith in Him we may approach God with freedom and confidence…
Ephesians 3:12

Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence
to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus…
Hebrews:10:19

I know your deeds.
See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut.
I know you have little strength
yet you have kept My word and have not denied My name…
Revelation 3:8

The above verses help us to understand what this Door can do and how it is going to help us.  Let us therefore choose deliberately to use this Door which will take us to the highest places.

The Israelites had much more limited access to God than we have today.  Christ, by giving His life as a perfect Sacrifice, has opened a way into God’s very presence and the throne of grace.  Therefore we, as believers, should gratefully and constantly draw near to God in prayer using this Door of access.

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Dear Lord, how wonderful and precious You are in all the earth.  There is no one who is like unto You.  Thank You, Lord, for giving us Christ the Savior to be our Door to salvation so that we can have life in abundance which means no more tears and sorrows.  Cause us, Lord, to continually and constantly draw near to You using this Door given to us.  We give You all the praise and honor in Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

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Overwhelmed

October 8, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

I see the work of Your hands
Galaxies spin in a heavenly dance,oh God
All that You are is so overwhelming
I hear the sound of Your Voice
All at once it’s a gentle and thundering noise, oh God
All that You are is so overwhelming

I delight myself in You
Captivated by Your beauty
I’m overwhelmed, I’m overwhelmed by You
God, I run into Your arms
Unashamed because of mercy
I’m overwhelmed, I’m overwhelmed by You

I know the power of Your Cross
Forgiven and free, forever You’ll be my God
All that You’ve done is so overwhelming

You are Beautiful, You are Beautiful
Oh God, there is no one more Beautiful
You are Beautiful, God, You are the most Beautiful

You are Glorious, You are Glorious
Oh God, there is no one more Glorious
You are Glorious, God, You are the most Glorious

Big Daddy Weave / Songwriters: Michael Weaver and Phil Wickham

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Do you ever get overwhelmed when you think about the glorious majesty of the Father???  I love, love, love the part in this song that says “…unashamed because of mercy…”  We don’t have to be ashamed because of the mercy of the Heavenly Father; we can run into His arms and receive His unconditional love.

God’s love is unconditional.  Unlike earthly affection, His love does not fluctuate.

The Father doesn’t care for us more when we have pleased Him
or less when we have failed or sinned.
Charles Stanley

But God showed His great love for us
by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.
Romans 5:8 NLT

Are you captivated by the beauty of the Father? I love this quote from Captivated By Christ!  (Click here for the full article by George Dillahunty.)

In our Holy Scripture text, for today, Jesus, the Christ, was talking to the Disciple/Apostle Thomas – “Doubting Thomas!” Every blessing – for the Christian true believer – is obtained – by being captivated by Jesus, the Christ – the Way, the Truth, and the Life! Having entered through the “Door,” by repentance and faith, we can continue to experience His Grace by following the path that only He can provide!

Jesus saith unto him, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life:
no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.
John 14:6

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My prayer for this day:
Father, may we all be so ‘captivated by Your beauty’ that we are ‘overwhelmed by Your mercy’ and ‘run into Your arms’…in Jesus’ Name! AMEN!!!

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