November 24, 2024

God’s Pure Word

October 28, 2015 by

SeekingHimLogo

As for God, His way is perfect:
The LORD’s Word is flawless;
He shields all who take refuge in Him.
Psalm 18:30

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There are benefits and value to God’s Law and Word.

The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes.
Psalm 19:8

The ‘precepts of the Lord’ are definite rules concerning righteous living that are a joy to the godly.  The ‘commands of the Lord’ are the authoritative source of guiding light for the faithful who seek His way. Therefore as we follow His precepts and commands contained in the Word we are assured of the tree of life.

 And if anyone takes words away from this Book of prophecy,
God will take away from him his share in the Tree of Life
and in the Holy City which are described in this Book.
Revelation 22:19

We may not ever have a careless attitude toward this Book…or any part of God’s Holy Scripture.  Such an attitude is manifested if we choose to believe only certain parts of God’s revelation and reject other parts that we do not like.  As at the beginning of the human pilgrimage on earth, failure to take God’s Word with absolute seriousness is a matter of life and death (Genesis 3:3-4).

Dear ones, every word of God is flawless.

Every word of God is flawless
He is a Shield to those who take refuge in Him.
Proverbs 30:5

His words are truth and they are right.

I have not spoken in secret from somewhere in a land of darkness,
I have not said to Jacobs descendants ‘seek Me in vain’.
I, the Lord, speak the truth; I declare what is right.
Isaiah 45:19

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Dear Lord, we give You all the praise and honor for You are the great I AM, the all-seeing, all-knowing God who is present everywhere.  We give You all the praise and honor because there is none who is like unto Thee.  We bless You, Lord.  Father, we pray in the mighty name of Jesus for the zeal to study Your Word and take all the precepts and commands therein and do them all to the glory of Your name. Whatsoever You have spoken since You are a true God, let it be true to our lives also in Jesus’ name. Be glorified and magnified at all times.  We also pray for forgiveness for we have previously taken Your Word not to its entirety.  We have chosen what is the best for our ears;  please forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  Create in us a clean heart, dear Lord.  Blessed be Your holy name and all this we ask in the name of Jesus, AMEN!

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This Week…Proverbs 30:5

October 16, 2015 by

SeekingHimLogo

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

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This week, here on the Seeking Him devotional blog, we have been reminded of the Truth that God’s Word always proves true.  Our devotional writers have shared their understanding with us in the devotions that they have written.  Here are a few excerpts from their thoughts….

In Understanding God’s Ways, Ahmee reminded us of a few folks throughout the Scriptures who simply believed God’s words to be true….

“In Proverbs 30:5 says, “Every word of God proves true…”.  We have to simply trust and believe that God is going to do as He says He will … Let’s take a look at some stories in the Bible in which the people had faith in God’s word, simply because He said it…”

❦

In Divine Protector, Ann reminded us of numerous promises from the Scripture which tell us about our God and His heart to care for us….

“A ‘shield’ is something that protects; and so God is saying that He is a “…Shield to those who take refuge in Him.”  He protects those who come to Him for refuge … Those who trust in the Lord, rather than in things that can be seen, receive the Lord as their Help and Shield.  Consider these verses…”

❦

In Truth We Can Depend On, Clella encouraged us to remember that what God has spoken He is 100% faithful to bring to pass….

“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…”

❦

Click on each link to read each devotional.

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Understanding God’s Ways

October 14, 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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I have a friend who, if she reads something in the Bible, then she believes it is true.  No questions asked…it’s just true.  If God says that it can happen, it’s true.  She’s not a “who, what, when, where, why, and how” type of person;  she’s an “Okay, I trust You, God, and I know that if Your word says that this is so, then it is so.”  I envy her ability to be like this.  I wish that I didn’t have so many questions, and I wish I didn’t need to know exactly how things were going to work.  I like to reason my way through things logically.  However, the things of God are not always going to be able to reasoned through logically.  Instead, like Proverbs 30:5 says, “Every word of God proves true…”.  We have to simply trust and believe that God is going to do as He says He will.

If I had been born in Biblical times, I can only imagine what my story would look like in the Bible.  (Yes, I would have story in the Bible. It might be only those little blurs, but I would be mentioned.)  Let’s take a look at some stories in the Bible in which the people had faith in God’s word, simply because He said it….

Noah

So God said to Noah, ‘I have decided to destroy all living creatures, for they have filled the earth with violence. Yes, I will wipe them all out along with the earth! Build a large boat from cypress wood and waterproof it with tar, inside and out. Then construct decks and stalls throughout its interior.”
Genesis 6:13-14

Noah’s reply?

So Noah did everything exactly as God had commanded him.
verse 22

WHAT?!  No questions?  None?  Not a single one?  Now THIS is the type of faith my friend has.

 

Joshua

But the Lord said to Joshua, ‘I have given you Jericho, its king, and all its strong warriors.  You and your fighting men show march around the town once a day for six days…  On the seventh day you are to march around the town seven times, with the priest blowing the horns. When you hear the priests give one long blast on the rams’ horns, have all the people shout as loud as they can. Then the walls of the town will collapse, and the people can charge straight into the town.”
Joshua 6: 2-5

And what was Joshua’s response?

So Joshua called together the priests…then he gave orders to the people….
verse 6

Seriously, though? Marching around a city and shouting is supposed to bring down some walls? How unreasonable and illogical does that sound? It makes absolutely no sense! But, it happened though.

Mary

Now this lady—Mary—she is my kind of girl.  We need to ask some questions!

Mary asked the angel, ‘But how can this happen? I am a virgin.”
Luke 1:34

You see when Gabriel came to tell her that she had found favor with God and would be conceiving a child, she had questions. This just didn’t make sense to her…just HOW could she have a baby and yet still be a virgin.  IMPOSSIBLE!  Gabriel explained,

The Holy Spirit will come upon you…
verse 35

After she received her answers, Mary replied,  “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true…” (verse 38).  Now, THIS is me.  I don’t think there is anything wrong with asking questions.

Wanting to understand is not a bad thing.
However, it should never get in the way of following God.

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Lord, help us to stay focused on You.  May we not be afraid to ask questions and seek understanding.  But may we also not let it hinder us from proceeding in our relationship with You.  Amen.

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Divine Protector

October 13, 2015 by

SeekingHimLogo

Every word of God is flawless,
He is a Shield to those who take refuge in Him.
Proverbs 30:5

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A ‘shield’ is something that protects; and so God is saying that He is a “…Shield to those who take refuge in Him.”  He protects those who come to Him for refuge.

After this the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision
…Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your Shield, your very great reward.
Genesis 15: 1

At this time Abram was fearful but God reassured him in a vision that He was Abram’s shield and reward—He would protect Abram.

Those who trust in the Lord, rather than in things that can be seen,
receive the Lord as their Help and Shield.  Consider these verses:

Blessed are you, O Israel; Who is like you, a people saved by the Lord?
He is your Shield and Helper and your glorious Sword,
your enemies will cower before you and you will trample down their high places.
Deuteronomy 33:29

We wait in hope for the Lord; He is our Help and our Shield.
Psalm 33:20

For the Lord God is a Sun and Shield.
The Lord bestows favor and honor.
No good thing does He withhold from those whose walk is blameless.
Psalm 84:11

O house of Israel, trust in the Lord; He is their Help and Shield.
Psalm 115:9

He remembers those who fear Him and promises to bless them.  God rules in heaven but has delegated the rule of the earth to humans.  All of us need to take God seriously on His words.  What He said He shall do…He will do it.  He cannot change His mind for He is unchangeable.

Also the Glory of Israel will not lie or change His mind;
for He is not a man that He should change His mind.
1 Samuel 15:29

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Dear Lord, thank You for Your Word.  Thank You because You are our Shield in our lives.  We thank You for You have showed us other Scriptures that have built our faith once and again…more and more.  Let Your grace be sufficient as we trust in You always.  In Jesus’ name, I 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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Ancient Words Ever True

October 11, 2015 by

SeekingHimLogo

Every word of God has proven to be true.
He is a Shield to those who come to Him for protection.
Proverbs 30:5

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Holy words long preserved
For our walk in this world
They resound with God’s own heart
O let the ancient words impart

Words of life, words of hope
Give us strength, help us cope
In this world where’er we roam
Ancient words will guide us home

Ancient words ever true
Changing me and changing you
We have come with open hearts
O let the ancient words impart

Holy words of our faith
Handed down to this age
Came to us through sacrifice
O heed the faithful words of Christ

Holy words long preserved
For our walk in this world
They resound with God’s own heart
O let the words impart

Robin Mark
written by Lynn DeShazo

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Refiner’s Fire

August 8, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

Purify my heart
Let me be as gold and precious silver
Purify my heart
Let me be as gold, pure gold

Refiner’s fire
My heart’s one desire
Is to be holy
Set apart for You, Lord
I choose to be holy
Set apart for You, my Master
Ready to do Your will

Purify my heart
Cleanse me from within
And make me holy

Purify my heart
Cleanse me from my sin
Deep within

Brian Doerksen
singer/songwriter

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There are numerous uses for fire.  Fire on a torch will light the way in a cavern.  A bonfire can provide warmth and a place to prepare food for campers.  A fire can also destroy property and lives, as we have seen this summer in the Western states.

There is a fire that I definitely want in my life.  This fire destroys the impurities in my life. It is the Refiner’s Fire.

“Behold, I send my messenger, and He will prepare the way before Me.
And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to His temple;
and the Messenger of the covenant in Whom you delight,
behold, He is coming, says the Lord of hosts.
But who can endure the day of His coming, and who can stand when He appears?
For He is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap.
He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver,
and He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver,
and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the Lord.
Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord
as in the days of old and as in former years.
Malachi 3:1-4

Silver doesn’t come right out of the ground pure.  It is found in dirt, surrounded by other minerals such as copper, lead, and zinc.  To get the pure silver that has value, it must be refined.  There are several different refining methods, but the one that intrigues me most is the refining fire.  Silver melts at very high temperatures.  It is lightweight compared to other minerals, so it will float to the top; and the dross (the other minerals and impurities) will separate from the silver so it can be extracted in its pure form.  A similar process is done to purify gold, as well.

Do you see a comparison with our lives?  Each of us is precious in God’s sight since He created us in His image.  But each of us in our carnal nature comes to Jesus imperfect, impure.  We have sin (dirt) in our lives. We have bad habits (copper), bad attitudes (zinc), and even fears (lead) that cling to us and weigh us down. To stay in His presence we must become perfect, pure even as God is pure.

Every word of God is pure: He is a shield unto them that put their trust in Him.
Proverbs 30:5 KJV
[The Douay-Rheims Bible says, “Every word of God is fire tried:”]

The LORD’s promises are pure, like silver refined in a furnace, purified seven times over.
Psalm 12:6 NLT

As for God, His way is blameless (pure); the word of the LORD is tested;
2 Samuel 22:13NAS

I want to stay in the presence of my/our pure and holy God.  I can’t do that without allowing Him to refine me.  I sing this song with the sincere desire to be purified, cleansed of all impurities that cling to my life.  The refining fire may hurt because there are things in my carnal nature that I don’t want to let go.  But when I submit to God’s purifying, I find that I’m very glad to get rid of those impurities and their weight.

…let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely,
and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us….
Hebrews 12:1 ESV

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So I pray today and I hope you will join me:
Lord, purify my heart.  Please cleanse me from deep within.  I choose to allow You to use Your refining fire to cleanse the dross of my life away.  Please forgive me, Lord, for holding onto those things which tarnish the precious creation that You made me to be.  My one desire, Lord, is to be set apart for You—pure and holy—so I am ready to do Your Will.  In Jesus’ pure and holy Name, I pray.  Amen.

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Benefits of Precepts

April 23, 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 precepts of the Lord are right, making the heart glad; the command of the Lord is radiant, making the eyes light up.
Psalm 19:8 HCSB

As I was reading this passage, the word ‘precepts’ caught my attention. I have heard it many times.  But what, exactly, is a precept?

  • Merriam-Webster Dictionary
    –  a command or principle intended especially as a general rule of action
    –  a general rule intended to regulate behavior or thought
  • Wikipedia
    –  a commandment, instruction, or order intended as an authoritative rule of action

…Because Abraham listened to My voice and kept My mandate,
My commands, My statutes, and My instructions.
Genesis 26:5 HCSB

A ‘precept’ is a statute, mandate, command, instruction, law, or ordinance that gives direct advice.  The precepts of the Lord will set us right if we heed them. They give us a great advantage and provide many benefits. Matthew Henry states: “The Holy Scripture…is of much greater use and benefit to us than day or night, than the air we breathe in or the light of the sun.”   Wow!

Psalm 19:11 tells us, “Your servant is warned by them; there is great reward in keeping them.”  So what are some of the benefits we receive when we pay attention to the Lord’s precepts?  Verse 8 told us they make the heart glad and the eyes light up.  Look at some other benefits listed in the following verses:

You, through Your commandments, make me wiser than my enemies,
for [Your words] are ever before me. I have better understanding and deeper insight
than all my teachers, because Your testimonies are my meditation.
I understand more than the aged, because I keep Your precepts
[hearing, receiving, loving, and obeying them].
Psalms 119:98-100 AMP

Every word of God is pure; He is a Shield to those who take refuge in Him.
Proverbs 30:5 HCSB

For a command is a lamp, teaching is a light, and corrective discipline is the way to life.
Proverbs 6:23 HCSB

Who wouldn’t want these benefits?  I certainly do!  The Lord’s precepts show us what sin is.  And they provide great and wonderful benefits. But there is one benefit these precepts absolutely cannot provide—righteousness.

For no one will be justified in His sight by the works of the law,
because the knowledge of sin comes through the law.
Romans 3:20 HCSB

On the contrary, I would not have known sin if it were not for the law.
Romans 7:7b HCSB

As Galatians 2:9 (AMP) points out, righteousness comes only through faith in Jesus Christ:

For I through the Law [under the operation of the curse of the Law]
have [in Christ’s death for me] myself died to the Law
and all the Law’s demands upon me, so that I may [henceforth] live to and for God.

Christ was crucified for us.  His grace provided our acquittal.  Even so, we can honor Him by following His precepts.  We receive so many benefits by being attentive to them.

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Lord, thank You for Your amazing grace that removes all guilt from us.  Let us be more attentive to Your precepts and use them daily.  Thank You for the direct advice they provide to us and for the marvelous benefits we receive when pay heed to them. In Your Holy name I pray, Amen – It is so!

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Benefits of Precepts

October 8, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

The precepts of the Lord are right, making the heart glad; the command of the Lord is radiant, making the eyes light up.
Psalm 19:8 HCSB

As I was reading this passage, the word ‘precepts’ caught my attention. I have heard it many times.  But what, exactly, is a precept?

  • Merriam-Webster Dictionary
    –  a command or principle intended especially as a general rule of action
    –  a general rule intended to regulate behavior or thought
  • Wikipedia
    –  a commandment, instruction, or order intended as an authoritative rule of action

…Because Abraham listened to My voice and kept My mandate,
My commands, My statutes, and My instructions.
Genesis 26:5 HCSB

A ‘precept’ is a statute, mandate, command, instruction, law, or ordinance that gives direct advice.  The precepts of the Lord will set us right if we heed them. They give us a great advantage and provide many benefits. Matthew Henry states: “The Holy Scripture…is of much greater use and benefit to us than day or night, than the air we breathe in or the light of the sun.”   Wow!

Psalms 19:11 states “Your servant is warned by them; there is great reward in keeping them.”  So what are some of the benefits we receive when we pay attention to the Lord’s precepts? Verse 8 told us they make the heart glad and the eyes light up.  Look at some other benefits listed in the following verses:

You, through Your commandments, make me wiser than my enemies,
for [Your words] are ever before me. I have better understanding and deeper insight
than all my teachers, because Your testimonies are my meditation.
I understand more than the aged, because I keep Your precepts
[hearing, receiving, loving, and obeying them].
Psalm 119:98-100 AMP

Every word of God is pure; He is a Shield to those who take refuge in Him.
Proverbs 30:5 HCSB

For a command is a lamp, teaching is a light, and corrective discipline is the way to life.
Proverbs 6:23 HCSB

Who wouldn’t want these benefits?  I certainly do!  The Lord’s precepts show us what sin is.  And they provide great and wonderful benefits. But there is one benefit these precepts absolutely cannot provide—righteousness.

For no one will be justified in His sight by the works of the law,
because the knowledge of sin comes through the law.
Romans 3:20 HCSB

On the contrary, I would not have known sin if it were not for the law.
Romans 7:7b HCSB

As Galatians 2:9 (AMP) points out, righteousness comes only through faith in Jesus Christ:

For I through the Law [under the operation of the curse of the Law]
have [in Christ’s death for me] myself died to the Law
and all the Law’s demands upon me, so that I may [henceforth] live to and for God.

Christ was crucified for us.  His grace provided our acquittal.  Even so, we can honor Him by following His precepts.  We receive so many benefits by being attentive to them.

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Lord, thank You for Your amazing grace that removes all guilt from us.  Let us be more attentive to Your precepts and use them daily.  Thank You for the direct advice they provide to us and for the marvelous benefits we receive when pay heed to them. In Your Holy name I pray, Amen – It is so!

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