March 28, 2024

Take My Life And Let It Be

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

Take my life, and let it be 
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee
Take my moments and my days 
Let them flow in ceaseless praise 
Let them flow in ceaseless praise 

Take my hands, and let them move 
At the impulse of Thy love 
Take my feet and let them be 
Swift and beautiful for Thee 
Swift and beautiful for Thee 

Take my voice, and let me sing 
Always, only, for my King
Take my lips, and let them be 
Filled with messages from Thee 
Filled with messages from Thee 

Take my silver and my gold 
Not a mite would I withhold 
Take my intellect, and use 
Every power as Thou shalt choose 
Every power as Thou shalt choose 

Take my will, and make it Thine
It shall be no longer mine
Take my heart; it is Thine own 
It shall be Thy royal throne
It shall be Thy royal throne 

Take my love; my Lord, I pour 
At Thy feet its treasure-store 
Take myself, and I will be 
Ever, only, all for Thee
Ever, only, all for Thee


School of Worship 
Frances Havergal – lyrics; Henri Malan – melody 
  ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.
Psalm 19:14
The psalmist, David, certainly seemed to have the same praise-filled thoughts in mind as did Ms. Havergal!  In this beautiful song of commitment, not only does she pledge her life (moments, days) but her physical selves (hands, feet, voice and lips) as well every thing of value she had (silver&gold, intellect) but all that was intriciscally ‘them’ (will, heart, love…and whole self).  How about you?  I am sure you have voiced words similar to these to Almighty God.

God deserves our all, every bit of what makes you…you; and what makes me…me. Anything that is in us that is good and righteous and pure and holy He has given to us…none of it is of our own doing.

Which is your favorite verse of this song?  Is there a particular one that your heart just sings out?  (Would you take a moment and leave a comment below sharing your thoughts?)  I love each and every one the verses but I think my current favorite is this one.

Take my love; my Lord, I pour  at Thy feet its treasure-store. 
Take myself and I will be ever, only, all for Thee (ever, only, all for Thee).

The love that I have is only pure and good and perfect love because God has placed it into my heart.

Such hope never disappoints or deludes or shames us,
for God’s love has been poured out in our hearts
through the Holy Spirit Who has been given to us.
Romans 5:5

And so, I have this beautiful love—truly my ‘treasure-store’—to pour at His feet symbolically as a sacrifice.  It symbolizes my promise, my commitment, my pledge of my whole self to the One Who loves me so!

Consider these verses, friends, as further statements of dedication and commitment. God truly deserves all that we are—proof of our love for Him!

I appeal to you therefore, brethren, and beg you in view of [all] the mercies of God,
to make a decisive dedication of your bodies [presenting all your members and faculties] as a living sacrifice, holy (devoted, consecrated) and well pleasing to God,
which is your reasonable (rational, intelligent) service and spiritual worship.
Romans 12:1 AMP

I am the Lord your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy.
Leviticus 11:44

  ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

My life
My hands
My feet
My voice
My silver and gold
My moments and my days
My will
My heart

Quite the list, hmmm?   Today, right now even, may we each make a conscious choice to dedicate all that we are to Him—‘Take my life, and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee.’

Take My Life, Let It Be

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

Take my life, and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee
Take my hands, and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love
At the impulse of Thy love

Take my feet and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee
Take my voice, and let me sing

Always, only, for my King
Always, only, for my King
 

Take my silver and my gold
Not a mite would I withhold
Take my moments and my days
Let them flow with ceaseless praise
Let them flow with ceaseless praise 

Take my will and make it Thine
It shall be no longer mine

Take my heart it is Thine own
It shall be Thy royal throne
It shall be Thy royal throne

Take my heart, it is Thine own
It shall be Thy royal throne
It shall be Thy royal throne 

Norton Hall Band
Southern Baptist Theological Seminary worship band
Frances Havergal – lyrics; Henri Malan – music

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

God deserves our all!  Every bit of what makes you…you; and what makes me…me.  Anything that is in us that is good and righteous and pure and holy He has given to us…none of it is of our own making.

Which verse is the one that resonates within your heart?  Would you leave a comment below and share that with us…and why?  I love ‘em all…but I think my favorite is this one.

Take my will, and make it Thine; it shall be no longer mine.  
Take my heart; it is Thine own;
It shall be Thy royal throne, it shall be Thy royal throne.”

If I surrender my will to God’s will (and so no longer my own!) then all the rest—my life, my moments, my days, my hands, my feet, my voice, my lips, my silver and gold, my intellect, my love—will also be offered to Him for His will to be my guide and rule.

Consider these passages from the Scriptures in light of the gist of this song. Perhaps one or more of them might be just the impetus you need to make the decision to ‘take your life and let it be….”

I appeal to you therefore, brethren, and beg you in view of [all] the mercies of God,
to make a decisive dedication of your bodies [presenting all your members and faculties]
as a living sacrifice, holy (devoted, consecrated) and well pleasing to God,
which is your reasonable (rational, intelligent) service and spiritual worship.
Romans 12:1 AMP

I am the Lord your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy.
Leviticus 11:44

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.
Psalm 19:14

Trust in the Lord with all your heart
And do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.
Proverbs 3:5 and 6

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

My life
My hands
My feet

My voice
My silver and gold
My moments and my days

My will
My heart

Quite the list, hmmm?   Today, right now even, may we each make a conscious choice to dedicate all that we are to Him—‘Take my life, and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee.’

Dear Lord, we do SO want to dedicate ourselves—every part of us—to You, our Maker!  Please help us to recognize areas in our lives that get in the way of this…and please help us change, Lord!  May we choose to offer ourselves, all we are and all we have, to You!  You deserve the best, the most.  You deserve our ALL!  We ask these things in Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

On My Knees

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

There are days when I feel the best of me is ready to begin
Then they’re days when I feel I’m letting go and soaring on the wind
Cause I’ve learned in laughter or in pain how to survive

I get on my knees, I get on my knees
There I am before the love that changes me
See I don’t know how but there’s power when i’m on my knees

I can be in a crowd or by myself or almost anywhere
When I feel there’s a need to talk with God, He is Emmanuel
When I close my eyes, no darkness there
There’s only light

 

Jaci Velasquez
written by David and Nicole C. Mullen, and Michael Hunter Ochs

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

One of the joys (and privilege!) of our relationship with our heavenly Father is being in His Presence, and spending time alone just with Him.  I call it my  ‘quiet time’ with Him.  There are many different ways to seek God but, to me, nothing compares to a dedicated, purposeful, intentional, devoted quiet time. Think about this for just a moment…what are some of the things we do with our bodies as we seek Him? A few that I thought of were:

we kneel
we sit
we stand
we lay prone
we raise our hands
we clap our hands
we walk
we lift our eyes

Perhaps you are thinking, “Oh, that is NOT for me, Coleen!  I am kind of reserved, y’know.  And besides, what might people think?!?”  Let me remind you, my friends, we are talking about YOUR quiet time with Your Father…most probably no one is around, right?

Let’s look at some examples given in the Scripture of people who, using their bodies, gave voice to the cries of their hearts:

When Daniel learned that the document had been signed,
he went into his house.
The windows in its upper room opened toward Jerusalem,
and three times a day he got down on his knees, prayed,
and gave thanks to his God, just as he had done before.
Daniel 6:10

While Ezra prayed and confessed,
weeping and falling facedown before the house of God,
an extremely large assembly of Israelite men, women, and children
gathered around him. The people also wept bitterly.
Ezra 10:1

Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord
in the presence of all the assembly of Israel
and spread out his hands toward heaven.
He said, “O Lord, the God of Israel, there is no God like You
in heaven above or on earth beneath,
keeping covenant and showing lovingkindness to Your servants
who walk before You with all their heart…
1 Kings 8:22-24

Then He said to them, My soul is very sad and deeply grieved,
so that I am almost dying of sorrow.
Stay here and keep awake and keep watch with Me.
And going a little farther, He threw Himself upon the ground
on His face and prayed saying, My Father, if it is possible,
let this cup pass away from Me;
nevertheless, not what I will [not what I desire],
but as You will and desire.
Matthew 26:38 and 39

And there are so MANY other examples throughout the Scriptures to show us that it is a good thing to physically express our love…our adoration…our praise…our great need for our awesome and great God! Just as Daniel,  and Ezra, and Solomon, and our Lord Jesus Himself prayed and cried to God, they were ‘on their knees‘ and prone on the ground as they expressed their hearts to Him.

So may I please encourage you to do the same…allow your body to be a part of your expression of the words you are speaking as you spend your ‘quiet time’ with your heavenly Father.

Jesus told us what is required—that we give Him all of ourselves:

Love the Lord your God
with all your heart,
with all your soul,
with all your strength,
and with all your mind
Luke 10:27

True worship and praise comes from the heart.  If our worship is not coming from our hearts, it will not matter what posture or physical expression of our praise we use.

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my [firm, impenetrable] Rock and my Redeemer.
Psalm 19:14

I Love You, Lord

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv
I love You, Lord
And I lift my voice
To worship You
Oh, my soul, rejoice!
Take joy, my King
In what You hear
Let it be a sweet, sweet sound
In Your ear

Songwriter: Laurie Klein / Performed by Petra

* ~ ♥ ~ ✞ ~ ♥ ~ *

My daughter and I used to sing this song to my grandson when we were rocking him to sleep.  As I was remembering this, a thought came to mind—it is easy to make a sweet sound when I sing praise songs and worship my God.  But are my thoughts and words a sweet sound in His ear as well?  Ouch!

Laurie Klein, who wrote this song, said, “We must be prepared to meet Him no matter who we’re talking to or what we’re doing, whether we’re worshipping in church or worshipping with all the tasks that make up our day.”

I am afraid I do not guard my words, my thoughts or my intentions as closely as I should.  Deuteronomy 1:45 (NASB) warns of what can happen if we don’t.

Then you returned and wept before the Lord;
but the Lord did not listen to your voice nor give ear to you.

How horrible would that be?!?  Instead, I want Him to put a “new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God;” Psalm 40:2 (NASB).  I want “the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart (to) be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer” Psalm 19:14 (NASB).

1 Chronicles 28:9 says we are to “serve Him with a whole heart and a willing mind; for the Lord searches all hearts, and understands every intent of the thoughts.”  I would do well to remember that He alone understands EVERY intent of my thoughts.  I can hide nothing from Him.

I do love Him.  I want to lift not only my voice, but my words, my thoughts, and my intentions in worship to Him.  And I pray they are a sweet, sweet sound to His ear.

Take My Life And Let It Be

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

~  Listen while you read, please!  ~

Take my life, and let it be 
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee; 
Take my moments and my days, 
Let them flow in ceaseless praise, 
Let them flow in ceaseless praise. 

Take my hands, and let them move 
At the impulse of Thy love; 
Take my feet and let them be 
Swift and beautiful for Thee, 
Swift and beautiful for Thee. 

Take my voice, and let me sing 
Always, only, for my King; 
Take my lips, and let them be 
Filled with messages from Thee, 
Filled with messages from Thee. 

Take my silver and my gold; 
Not a mite would I withhold; 
Take my intellect, and use 
Every power as Thou shalt choose, 
Every power as Thou shalt choose. 

Take my will, and make it Thine; 
It shall be no longer mine. 
Take my heart; it is Thine own; 
It shall be Thy royal throne, 
It shall be Thy royal throne. 

Take my love; my Lord, I pour 
At Thy feet its treasure-store. 
Take myself, and I will be 
Ever, only, all for Thee, 
Ever, only, all for Thee.


  ~Frances Havergal-lyrics; Henri Malan-melody; performed by School of Worship~
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.
Psalm 19:14
The psalmist, David, certainly seemed to have the same praise-filled thoughts in mind as did Ms. Havergal!  In this beautiful song of commitment, not only does she pledge her life (moments, days) but her physical selves (hands, feet, voice and lips) as well every thing of value she had (silver&gold, intellect) but all that was intriciscally ‘them’ (will, heart, love…and whole self).  How about you?  I am sure you have voiced words similar to these to Almighty God.

God deserves our all, every bit of what makes you…you; and what makes me…me. Anything that is in us that is good and righteous and pure and holy He has given to us…none of it is of our own doing.

Which is your favorite verse of this song?  Is there a particular one that your heart just sings out?  (Would you take a moment and leave a comment below sharing your thoughts?)  I love each and every one the verses but I think my current favorite is

Take my love; my Lord, I pour  at Thy feet its treasure-store. 
Take myself and I will be ever, only, all for Thee (ever, only, all for Thee).

The love that I have is only pure and good and perfect love because God has placed it into my heart.

Such hope never disappoints or deludes or shames us,
for God’s love has been poured out in our hearts
through the Holy Spirit Who has been given to us.
Romans 5:5

 And so, I have this beautiful love—truly my ‘treasure-store’—to pour at His feet symbolically as a sacrifice.  It symbolizes my promise, my commitment, my pledge of my whole self to the One Who loves me so!

Consider these verses, friends, as further statements of dedication and commitment. God truly deserves all that we are—proof of our love for Him!

I appeal to you therefore, brethren, and beg you in view of [all] the mercies of God,
to make a decisive dedication of your bodies [presenting all your members and faculties] as a living sacrifice, holy (devoted, consecrated) and well pleasing to God,
which is your reasonable (rational, intelligent) service and spiritual worship.
Romans 12:1 (Amplified)

I am the Lord your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy.
Leviticus 11:44

*   *   *   *   *

Dear Lord, we do SO want to dedicate ourselves—every part of us—to You, our Maker!  Please help us to change our hearts in any areas that may get in the way of this.  Today may we choose to offer ourselves—all we are and all we have—to You!   You deserve our ALL!  We ask these things in Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Take My Life and Let It Be

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

Take my life, and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee;
Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise.
Take my hands, and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love;
Take my feet and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee,
Swift and beautiful for Thee.
Take my voice, and let me sing
Always, only, for my King;
Take my lips, and let them be
Filled with messages from Thee,
Filled with messages from Thee.
Take my silver and my gold;
Not a mite would I withhold;
Take my intellect, and use
Every power as Thou shalt choose,
Every power as Thou shalt choose.
Take my will, and make it Thine;
It shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart; it is Thine own;
It shall be Thy royal throne,
It shall be Thy royal throne.
Take my love; my Lord, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure-store.
Take myself, and I will be
Ever, only, all for Thee,
Ever, only, all for Thee.
  ~Frances Havergal-lyrics; Henri Malan-music; Kari Jobe-arrangement, vocals~

  • My life
  • My moments
  • My days
  • My hands
  • My feet
  • My voice
  • My lips
  • My silver and gold
  • My intellect
  • My will
  • My heart
  • My love
  • Myself

Quite the list, hmmm?  May I challenge you (oh, don’t worry—me, too!): don’t wait for the new year, 2014, to begin. Today, right now even, make a conscious choice to dedicate all that you are to Him. We have just come through the season of Advent along with the celebration of the birth of the Messiah.  During this season where we have considered God’s great love for mankind, we have been reminded of the vastness and enormity of God’s love for us!   God deserves our all, every bit of what makes you…you; and what makes me…me. Anything that is in us that is good and righteous and pure and holy He has given to us…none of it is of our own making.

Which verse is the one that resonates within your heart? Would you leave a comment below and share that with us…and why? I love ‘em all…but I think my favorite is “Take my will, and make it Thine; it shall be no longer mine. Take my heart; it is Thine own; it shall be Thy royal throne, it shall be Thy royal throne.”

If I surrender my will to God’s will (and so no longer my own!) then all the rest—my life, my moments, my days, my hands, my feet, my voice, my lips, my silver and gold, my intellect, my love—will also be offered to Him for His will to be dominant.

Consider these passages from the Scriptures in light of the gist of this song. Perhaps one or more of them might be just the impetus you need to make the decision to ‘take your life and let it be….”

I appeal to you therefore, brethren, and beg you in view of [all] the mercies of God,
to make a decisive dedication of your bodies [presenting all your members and faculties] as a living sacrifice, holy (devoted, consecrated) and well pleasing to God,
which is your reasonable (rational, intelligent) service and spiritual worship.
Romans 12:1 (Amplified)

I am the Lord your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy.
Leviticus 11:44

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.
Psalm 19:14

Trust in the Lord with all your heart
And do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.
Proverbs 3:5 and 6

* * * * * 

Dear Lord, we do SO want to dedicate ourselves—every part of us—to You, our Maker!  Please help us to recognize areas in our hearts that get in the way of this…and please help us change our hearts, Lord!  May we choose to offer ourselves, all we are and all we have, to You!  You deserve the best, the most.  You deserve our ALL! We ask these things in Jesus Name.  Amen.

Our Words and Meditations

SeekingHimLogo

A redeemer is someone who frees or delivers another from difficulty, danger or bondage, usually by the payment of a ransom price. A rock is a foundation, support or refuge. With these definitions alone I can understand why David wrote,

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sights, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.
Psalm 19:14

A desire to please God comes naturally when you begin to seek His face.  When we begin to seek God, we grow.  I think our words and the meditations of our hearts are good indicators of areas that need God’s life-giving truth.

In Luke 6:45, Jesus said, “The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart.  For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.”  The heart is one’s innermost character, feelings, or inclinations.  Our hearts are the core of who we are.  Our hearts are what God is concerned with changing.  The junk inside our core did not appear overnight.  No, the junk that is at our core grew over time.   How?

For as a man thinks, so he is.
Proverbs 23:7a

We let the junk in one thought at a time.  This is why we are called to renew our minds!  We need to pay attention to the thoughts that bounce around in our minds.

In Mark 4:24, Jesus said, “Be careful what you are hearing.  The measure [of thought and study] you give [to the truth you hear] will be the measure [of virtue and knowledge] that comes back to you- and more [besides] will be given to you who hear.”

At one point in my life, I had tons of thoughts racing through my mind…every waking second of every day.  You could ask me what I was thinking and I could not always tell you because, if I focused on my thoughts too hard, I’d often get nosebleeds.  I can remember sleepless nights due to the fact that my mind just wouldn’t be quiet.  That was a miserable time for me.

The Lord has shown me the power of my thoughts and given me new thoughts to think.  He has shown me that I can choose what I will think and He has shown me what is pleasing to Him.  This is a joyful time for me.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
Phillippans 4:8

Don’t let negative thoughts consume you; you choose!  So, what are you thinking?

* * * * *

Thank You, Lord, for giving us Your word to overcome the negativity of this world.  May the meditations of our hearts be pleasing to You.  Amen.

Winning Him Without Words: Weekly Review

Hello!  This week, since Martha is out of town, I will be offering our Weekly Review of Chapter 7 of Winning Him Without Words!  I hope you don’t mind!  I know Martha has been doing an amazing job with your Weekly Review, and I can only hope I come close!! 🙂

__________

 

__________

Monday:  Beverly shared on the blog.

  • She began by asking the question, “Is it really necessary to win an argument?”  Then she asked “why?”
  • We all have things to learn from some of these battles we go through but we need to discern the unimportant issues and as we have all heard before “simply agree to disagree” with our husband.
  • Our husband needs to see that God has changed us.
  • We need to surrender our need to win a battle and instead embrace and surrender our marriage.
  • Let’s be the peacemaker and let Christ handle all the rest!
  • It’s OKAY to agree to disagree!!

Tuesday:  Jennifer shared on the blog.

  • We all have certain ways of acting and reacting to situations and events in our lives.
  • when hurt, pain, bitterness, and anger take root inside, instead of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, and goodness, the Lord cannot do His work in you.
  • Jesus is not going to force you to live in negative emotions.  However, He does not want you to live there!
  • Letting Jesus in to begin transforming your marriage means that He is going to start by transforming YOU, not your husband.
  • This change means loving our husbands with the unconditional love that Jesus pours out on us.
  • God can change your marriage. HE CAN. But it starts with YOU!

Wednesday:  Donna shared on our blog.

  • Death and life are in the power in the tongue, and we will eat its fruit.  Proverbs 18:21
  • We must speak our words carefully.
  • We have the ability to tear down or build up.
  • We will give an account on the day of judgement for every careless word we have spoken
  • The Father feeds us words of LIFE!
  • We should purpose every day to be more like our heavenly Father and speak life words to our husbands.

Thursday: Sarah shared on our blog.

  • A woman uses about 20,000 words per day while a man uses about 7,000.
  • Men are physical beings. The show their emotions through doing, not talking.
  • When it comes to arguing, our words can become mind numbing to our men.
  • When there is a conflict in your marriage that needs to be discussed, it is wise to discuss it with God first.
  • Your husband will listen harder and comprehend more if you are not droning on and on without ever making a clear point.
  • Choose words of “faithfulness, loyalty, friendship and honor”.
  • How do you speak to yourself? Are you continually beating yourself up?
  • God created you to be exactly who you are. You are a woman of God. You are beautiful in his eyes, inside and out.
  • You are now a new body in Christ and He has such great things planned for you!

And that leaves us with Friday… today! I want to finish this week by sharing with you the prayer that Lynn wrote at the end of this chapter.  I believe it says a lot more than I ever could!  I hope you have enjoyed this book, so far.  We have just a few more weeks left and we will then take a break for the Christmas and New Year’s holidays.  We will be sharing a preview of our next study with you soon.  So be sure to continue to check in with us daily!

Let’s Pray:

Father, today I surrender my husband wholly to You.  I am relinquishing my desire to save my husband, and I ask You to take Your rightful place in seeking and saving him for eternity.

Lord, show me the areas of conflict I need to stand upon as well as issues I can surrender and trust You to handle.  You tell us in Your Word that if we need wisdom, we should ask You for it and You will be generous in giving it to us. (James 1:5)

Lord, place in my mind Your wisdom that I may be the peacemaker and the one to help resolve conflict with my spouse.  Jesus, our words have the power of life and death, of cutting and healing.  Form this day forward, place a new awareness in my heart to be mindful of the words I speak to others.  Place Your words in my conscious and unconscious mind so that only words that are good and pleasing come from my lips.

Lord, “may the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in Your sight”.  (Psalm 19:14)

In Your powerful name, Jesus.  AMEN!

 

Be blessed & Be a Blessing to Others,

Christi

_____________

For the “Winning Him Without Words” Bible Study, you will need the book, your Bible, pen or pencil, a highlighter and a quiet place. You can order the book right through our website by clicking the “sign-up here” button at the top of our webpage; which is also where you can sign up to participate in this awesome bible study!