May 5, 2025

He Has Made Me Glad

November 3, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

I will enter His gates with thanksgiving in my heart
I will enter His courts with praise
I will say this is the day that the Lord has made
I will rejoice for He has made me glad

He has made me glad
He has made me glad
I will rejoice for He has made me glad
He has made me glad
He has made me glad
I will rejoice for He has made me glad

Songwriter:  Gwen R. Shaw / Performed on iWorship volume A

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How many of y’all have seen one of the TRANSFORMER movies?  Often I feel like Bumblebee (he is the one that communicates in sound bites).  God drops little “sound bites” into my thoughts.  (Though, sometimes I’m a little slow to catch on.)  While reading this morning, He popped this song into my head.

As I was thinking about this song, I realized that many times when we wake up in the morning, we don’t feel like we have a reason to be glad.  We are still consumed by yesterday’s trials or focusing on the problems the new day might bring.  But Psalm 118:24 (NASB) says

This is the day which the Lord has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it.

And Psalm 145:2 (AMP) states

Every day [with its new reasons] will I bless You [affectionately and gratefully praise You];
yes, I will praise Your name forever and ever.

We may not think, or feel like, we have cause to be glad.  Yet Scripture tells us otherwise.  His Word gives us these reasons:

  • Great is His faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning
    Lamentations 3:23 NLT
  • Each day proclaims the good news that He saves
    1 Chronicles 16:23b NLT/ Psalm 96:2
  • But each day the Lord pours His unfailing love upon me,
    Psalm 42:8a NLT
  • Blessed be the Lord, Who bears our burdens and carries us day-by-day
    Psalm 68:19a AMP
  • Be our strength every morning and our salvation in time of trouble
    Isaiah 33:2b HCSB
  • At daybreak, Lord, You hear my voice
    Psalm 5:3a HCSB
  • Satisfy us in the morning with Your faithful [unfailing] love
    Psalm 90:14a HCSB

His mercies are new each morning and His love is unfailing.  He hears us, bears our burdens, carries us. He is our Strength and our Salvation.  What more could we ask for?  Just one of those should be more than enough to make us glad and cause us to rejoice.  It is when we fix our eyes on this world we forget why He has made us glad. Psalm 143:8a (AMP) offers another reason to be glad:

Cause me to hear Your loving-kindness in the morning,
for on You do I lean and in You do I trust.

Today, as we recognize His faithfulness and place our complete trust in Him, let’s meditate on His goodness and…
♪ ♬ ♪ enter His gates with thanksgiving in [our] heart ♪ ♬ ♪  enter His courts with praise!  ♪ ♬ ♪

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Breakfast

November 1, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

Hold the milk, put back the sugar
They are powerless to console
We’ve gathered here to sprinkle ashes
From our late friend’s cereal bowl
Breakfast Clubbers, say the motto
That he taught us to repeat:
“You will lose it in your gym class
If you wait ’til noon to eat”

Back when the Chess Club said our eggs were soft
Every Monday he’d say grace and hold our juice aloft
Oh, none of us knew his checkout time would come so soon
But before his brain stopped waving, he composed this tune

When the toast is burned
And all the milk has turned
And Captain Crunch is waving farewell
When the big one finds you
May this song remind you
That they don’t serve breakfast in hell

Breakfast clubbers, drop the hankies
Though to some our friend was odd
That day he bought those pine pajamas
His check was good with God

Those here without the Lord
How do you cope
For this morning we don’t mourn
Like those who have no hope

Oh, rise up, Fruit Loop lovers
Sing out sweet & low
With spoons held high
We bid our brother, “Cheerio!”

 Singer/Songwriters: Peter Furler, Steve Taylor along with the NewsBoys

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Breakfast is often said to be the most important meal of the day. The meal is one of many starting points for our days. Some of us eat eggs, bacon, toast, or whatever. Others eat cereal or pop tarts. It just depends on what is in the pantry and different tastes. For some people, it is their favorite meal of the day. Yet, it is not the most important thing on earth.

When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked,
“Who then can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said,
“With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
Matthew 25:26

Men make meals. Men make things. We, as humans, come together to make wonderful things happen. Yet, we cannot do these things without God. Yet, men cannot save themselves from death. They can join groups of men, but they cannot do what God and His Son and His angels can do.

In the song, Breakfast by the Newsboys, the Breakfast Club (a group of eaters) has lost one of its members. The song illustrates that they are saying goodbye to this person, but that they know that they will see that person again because when they died they were children of God. Using the examples of the breakfast items, the song reminds us that the good things we experience here on earth will not be in hell—the choice we make when we refuse God.

When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we have nothing to worry about. We don’t have to worry about where we are going to spend eternity. Jesus gave His life for us so we may enjoy eternity in His glory and not in the fires of hell. We get to live with Jesus in Paradise.

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Dear Heavenly Father, Thank You for being able to choose to accept You and spend eternity with You. We know where we will be spending eternity—in Your glory. Your love has saved us, and we don’t have to worry about where we will spend eternity. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Fear Not, My Child

October 30, 2014 by

In myself I’ve failed the Lord
Then was afraid to try once more
That fire in my soul had fled
That’s when Jesus came and said

My spirit gives the strength you need
To raise you up and to succeed
And for vision in the night
To you, I’ll give these words of light

Fear not, my child
I’m with you always
I feel every pain
And every tear I see

Fear not, my child
I’m with you always
I know how to care
For what belongs to me

He said, My child, don’t look behind
Discouragement is all you’ll find
Don’t watch the waves that roll the sea
But just focus your eyes on Me

And I will make you strong and then
Your shattered courage I will mend
And if you fall and should get hurt
Remember these eternal words

Singer / Songwriter Carman Licciardello with Kim Boyce
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There are more than 100 records in the Bible where God spoke these words of comfort and encouragement—“Do not fear…” and “Fear not….” A clear statement of His heart towards His people, wouldn’t you say? But being fearful (afraid, worried, scared) is a temptation that almost everyone falls into at one time or another. For some of us, clinging to God’s promises that He will always be with us and that He will take care of us, takes determined effort. Me…I fall into this category. Anyone else?

But we DO have God’s promises…so knowing the Truth, and acting on it, is critical to dealing with our fears and worries. And we DO know where to find the Truth—in the Bible. Below are just a very few…oh, there are SO many…Scriptures to hold in our minds and our hearts. Perhaps you could write them out on index cards and keep them where you can find them easily—in your Bible, or on your desk, perhaps tacked up where you can see them easily. The point is to be reminded and to be encouraged and to ‘fear not.’

Serve only the Lord your God and fear Him alone. Obey His commands, listen to His voice, and cling to Him.
Deuteronomy 13:4

The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, and He delivers them.
Psalm 34:7

So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
Matthew 10:31

I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.
John 14:27

This is My command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.
Joshua 1:9

When I am afraid, I put my trust in You.
Psalm 56:3

In God, whose Word I praise—in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?
Psalm 56:4

He will cover you with His feathers. He will shelter you with His wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection. Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor the arrow that flies in the day. Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness, nor the disaster that strikes at midday. Though a thousand fall at your side, though ten thousand are dying around you, these evils will not touch you.
Psalms 91:4-8

They do not fear bad news; they confidently trust the Lord to care for them.
Psalm 112:7

David, who God called ‘a man after My own heart,’ dealt with much temptation to fear throughout his life. But David was sure that his LORD was always with him, even when he was (actually) alone. Listen to his confession of trust and confidence in his Lord:

The Lord is my Light and my Salvation—whom shall I fear or dread?
The Lord is the Refuge and Stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?
When the wicked, even my enemies and my foes,
came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell.
Though a host encamp against me, my heart shall not fear;
though war arise against me, [even then] in this will I be confident.
For in the day of trouble He will hide me in His shelter;
in the secret place of His tent will He hide me; He will set me high upon a rock.
And now shall my head be lifted up above my enemies round about me;
in His tent I will offer sacrifices and shouting of joy;
I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.
[What, what would have become of me] had I not believed
that I would see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living!
Wait and hope for and expect the Lord;
be brave and of good courage
and let your heart be stout and enduring.
Yes, wait for and hope for and expect the Lord.
Excerpts from Psalm 27

May we each also confess that ‘the Lord IS my Light and my Salvation…the Refuge and Stronghold of my life’.  May we also be assured that ‘my heart shall NOT fear…and in this will I be confident’.  May we ‘offer sacrifices and shouting of joy…and sing praises to the Lord’.  I pray for each of you that you, too, will wait and hope for and expect the Lord; that you will be brave and of good courage…and that your heart will be enduring.  Yes, may we wait for and hope for and expect the Lord!

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Brave

October 29, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

The gate is wide
The road is paved in moderation
The crowd is kind and quick to pull you in
Welcome to the middle ground
You’re safe and sound and
Until now it’s where I’ve been

‘Cause it’s been fear that ties me down to everything
But it’s been love, Your love, that cuts the strings

So long, status quo
I think I just let go
You make me want to be brave
The way it always was
Is no longer good enough
You make me want to be brave
Brave, brave

I am small
And I speak when I’m spoken to
But I am willing to risk it all
I say Your Name
Just Your Name and I’m ready to jump
Even ready to fall

Why did I take this vow of compromise
Why did I try to keep it all inside

I’ve never known a fire that didn’t begin with a flame
Every storm will start with just a drop of rain
But if you believe in me
That changes everything
So long, I’m gone

Singer/Songwriter Nichole Nordeman with Jay Joyce

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I had the gift of seeing Nichole Nordeman at the Women of Faith conference this past weekend in Denver, Colorado.  This song got me to thinking “What is status quo?” So I started doing some digging to find out about status quo and Christianity.  Here is what I found….

This excerpt, from Jane Morin, says it perfectly.  And she gives us examples of biblical people who dared to move beyond the safe way of living, a.k.a status quo, into a brave way of living.

“Status quo is a Latin term meaning the present current, existing state of affairs. To maintain the status quo is to keep things the way they presently are. There is nothing wrong with the status quo when it pertains to certain areas of our lives. However, living a status quo Christian life is totally unacceptable. At least it was during the days of the bible. I can think of many biblical characters who dared to move beyond the status quo of their belief system.”

•The woman who knelt and touched the hem of Jesus garment so she could be healed. (Luke 8:43-44)

•John the Baptist preaching in the wilderness. (John 1:23)

•David as he danced before the Ark of the Covenant throughout the kingdom to welcome back God’s presence. (1 Chronicles 15:29)

•Moses, when God used him through a series of plagues to set the Israelites free. (Exodus 9:14)

I could go on and on but I think you are getting the idea of what I am saying here. We have never been called to live in the cozy, Christian, comfort zone of life.”

(JaneMorin.com)

For we live by believing and not by seeing.
2 Corinthians 5:7 NLT

Living beyond the status quo of what you see and fully trusting God in whatever it is—is a brave way of living.  This is how we were meant to live…not in our safe little boxes where we are afraid to step into the unknown.  The situations you have no control over are the ones where God can shine the most and where miracles can happen.

I also had the gift of seeing Christine Caine and Lisa Bevere at this conference.  Here are a couple of things they said that struck me about living in a Higher Place beyond the status quo….

“It is time to grow up, ladies! What are you doing under your circumstances? Go to the Rock that is higher than I…”
Christine Caine

…From the end of the earth I call to You when my heart is faint.
Lead me to the rock that is higher than I….
Psalm 61:2 ESV

“Status quo is no longer an option, you are bringing the threshold of heaven.”
Lisa Bevere

Will you be brave and trust God with the very details of your life?  The choice is ultimately ours.

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Heavenly Father, I pray for each lady reading this, and myself, that we will choose to live beyond the status quo and be brave in the unknown places and trust you. In Jesus’ Name. Amen!!!

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Trust In Jesus

October 28, 2014 by

One of these days we all will stand in judgment for
Every single word that we have spoken
One of these days we all will stand before the Lord
Give a reason for everything we’ve done and what I’ve done is

Trust in Jesus, my great Deliverer
My strong Defender, the Son of God
I trust in Jesus, blessed Redeemer
My Lord forever, the Holy One, the Holy One

What are you gonna do when your time has come
And your life is done and there’s nothing you can stand on
What will you have to say at the judgment throne
Well, I already know the only thing that I can say

There’s nothing I can do
On my own to find forgiveness
It’s by His grace alone
I trust in Jesus, trust in Jesus

Singer/Songwriters: Third Day ~ Mark Lee, David Carr, Mac Powell, and Tai Anderson
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Jesus came to call the Jewish people to a new life.  When His people would not listen, He sent the disciples and Paul to minister to everyone.  Jesus reached many hearts who turned to Him and His Father, but He knew His twelve would need to reach the rest of the world.  Now it is up to us to go and tell others the good news of his edemptive work on the cross and how God loves us. John 3:16 (KJV) tells us, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  Isn’t that amazing! Only let’s look further, let’s look at the context of the verse. Jesus was speaking to Nicodemus, a leader of the Jewish people. Nicodemus came to ask Jesus how to become saved. Here is a bit of their conversation from the Gospel of John, chapter 3…
Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”  Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.  That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.  Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’  The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” Nicodemus said to Him, “How can these things be?”  Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things?  Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony.  If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things?  No one has ascended into heaven except He who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.  And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him may have eternal life.  “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him.  Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.  And this is the judgment: the Light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the Light because their works were evil.  For everyone who does wicked things hates the Light and does not come to the Light, lest his works should be exposed.  But whoever does what is true comes to the Light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

Wow, He did that for us.  We are blessed to know the Father through the Son.  When we feel the Holy Spirit nudge us, sometimes to the point of a hit, we should heed the warning and repent.  We should stop and listen to what the Holy Spirit is saying.  We do not know when we will be called home.  We should be mindful of what we are doing and example we are displaying for others to follow.  God is a forgiving God, One who does have limits.  I do not want to find those limits.  But I feel sometimes I push them. Thank You, Lord, for not giving up on me.

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Healing Has Begun

October 27, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

 

You have carried the weight of your secret for way too long
Thinking if there is a place called forgiveness you don’t belong
Oh, but freedom can never be found behind those walls
So just let ’em fall, just let ’em fall

Oh, the healing has begun
Oh, the healing has begun

How long has it been since you felt anything but shame
Child, lift up your eyes ’cause mercy remembers your name
And those tears you’ve been holding back, let ’em fall down like rain
‘Cause today is the day, yeah today is the day

Oh, the healing has begun
Oh, the healing has begun

Hallelujah, hallelujah
Just lift your eyes
Lay it down
What once was lost
Has now been found, oh

There’s a world full of people dying from broken hearts
Holding on to the guilt, thinking they fell too far
So don’t be afraid to show ’em your beautiful scars
‘Cause they’re the proof, yeah you’re the proof
Oh, the healing has begun

Songwriter/Singer – Matthew West along with Joseph Houser

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I heard this song for the first time Saturday night at church during communion.  It touched me on so many levels, and in so many ways, I would have to write a book to explain it all.

Matthew West has said this is a song about healing and forgiveness…about embracing the gift of grace.  This song reminds me how grateful I am that “…mercy remembers [my] name.” The Psalms tell us:

The Lord is close to those who are of a broken heart and saves such as are crushed with sorrow for sin and are humbly and thoroughly penitent.
Psalm 34:18 AMP

He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds [curing their pains and their sorrows].
Psalm 147:3 AMP

We all have broken, shattered pieces of our lives.  Things we regret doing, things that make us feel guilty and ashamed.  Jesus came to heal us of spiritual ailments as well as physical ones.  I love this part “So don’t be afraid to show ’em your beautiful scars, ‘cause they’re the proof, yeah, you’re the proof….”

I have often asked God not to let my pain be in vain.  Isaiah 61:1b (AMP) tells me: “He has sent me to bind up and heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the [physical and spiritual] captives and the opening of the prison and of the eyes to those who are bound….”  Sometimes it hurts to reveal those scars.  Sometimes it is scary to open yourself up to others.  But just imagine what it would be like if doing so helped someone else begin to heal!

The part that really touched me this weekend is the “Oh, the healing has begun.” I have sung that refrain over and over and over again in my head.  There is a person…a situation…that I have been praying for and about for years.  This song is something they really need to hear and believe.  God showed me He is using my pain and my scars to begin their healing.  And those words were confirmation that God has indeed begun the healing in them.

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Thank You, Father, that Your healing in us has begun.  Let our pains, our scars be a light of hope to others.  In Jesus’ name I ask this, Amen – It Is So!

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I’ve Always Loved You

October 26, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

I don’t know how to explain it
But I know the words would hardly do
Miracles and signs and wonders
Aren’t enough for me to prove to you

Don’t you know I’ve always loved you
Even before there was time
Though you turn away
I tell you still
Don’t you know I’ve always loved you
And I always will

Greater love has not a man
Than the One who gives His life to prove
That He would do anything
And that’s what I’m gonna do for you

 Songwriter: Mac Powell / Performed by Third Day with Josh Wilson

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This song was more than words to a dear member of my family.  It was as if God was speaking directly to her.  On her worst days, this song would come on the radio and she would smile through tears.  How encouraging that when the whole world is crumbing at your feet and everything that you held dear is gone, that the Creator of the universe is wildly, madly in love with you. He always has been and always will be.

Sometimes He has to really work at making us believe it—that no matter what we do or don’t do, He will never stop pursuing us.  Miracles and blessings come our way, and yet on a hard day, we question.  Why do we still have so much doubt?  We hear all around us that if God loved us that ___ wouldn’t have happened, or that divorce wouldn’t have gone through, or that your child wouldn’t have become sick, or even worse, died.  We will never know the answers to those hard questions. Not on this side of Heaven.

What we do know is that He is Sovereign and His ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts.  We know that even if we could rewrite the story, we would choose His way.  We only see what is in front of us.  There is a bigger picture and all of the things we trudge through  do have a purpose.  Maybe one person was saved through your example. Jesus stopped for the one, right?  And even if just one person asked Jesus into his or her heart, wasn’t it worth it?

All of this life is doable, simply because He does love us. There is so much hope in those four letters…and joy and peace.  I challenge you today to find all the ways He loves you.  Write them down and look at them when those bad days come (and believe me, they will).  But your hope is in Him.  And He is really all you need.

Here are some verses that I encourage you to write on index cards and place them where you will see them and be reminded that He has always loved you.

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son,
that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16

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For I, the Lord your God, will hold your right hand, saying to you, “Fear not, I will help you.”
Isaiah 41:13

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The Lord your God is with you,
He is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
He will quiet you with His love,
He will rejoice over you with singing.
Zephaniah 3:17

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Let us pray: Dear Lord, You are amazing, wonderful, and loving.  You are Sovereign and You are good.  You have always loved us, even when we feel we do not deserve it.  You sent Your Son to die, so that we don’t have to work to be saved, we just are when we ask.  The veil was torn and now we come to You as we want.  No temples, no walls, no harsh judgment… only sweet love and forgiveness and grace.  Remind those who forget often.  Let them know that they are loved by You!  We thank You and we praise You.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Come To The River

October 24, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

I’m torn between myself and Your Truth
These cursed memories, forever seeping through
My thirst for myself left me wanting more
‘Til I found myself facedown on Your shore

You say, Come to the river
Oh, and lay yourself down and let your heart be found
You say, Come to the river
Drink from the cup I pour and thirst no more

My restless heart led me astray
To my selfish pride I became my own slave
But You placed a thirst in me with no drink in sight
‘Cause I could not see ‘til I saw through Your eyes

Songwriters: Allen Salmon, Rhett Walker Canipe / Performed by Rhett Walker Band

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Have you ever been caught in this place?  “Torn between yourself and His Truth”?  I know I have….

This song has such powerful Truth in it.  A restless heart can lead you astray and to selfish pride you will become your own slave.  WOW!!!  Powerful words to consider….  Let’s see what God says about pride.

The pride of your heart has deceived you,
you who live in the clefts of the rocks and make your home on the heights,
you who say to yourself, ‘Who can bring me down to the ground?’
Obadiah 1:3

A prideful heart leads to a restless heart where you can be lost to yourself.  When my heart is restless I must come to the river and drink from the cup of living water where I will thirst no more.

I love how this excerpt from this woman’s website describes God’s love penetrating a restless heart.  She writes:

“That’s the Trust He’s asking of me, to let His love, as deep and endless as the ocean, to hold me up, to let the wellspring of His heart meet my deepest needs.”

(http://www.arestlessheart.com/)

This is the very trust that God is asking of you and of me, too.  That the “wellspring of God’s heart will meet my deepest need.”  Once we know and embrace the love of the Father towards us we can then be satisfied in our deepest needs and we will thirst no more.

But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again.
It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.
John 4:14 NLT

God is calling us to come and drink from the endless river where we will thirst no more and let Him fill us up.  So many times in life we try and fill up those empty places with other things that will never satisfy us.  They aren’t meant to…only God can fill the empty places of the heart until we are completely satisfied.  Will you let Him?  The choice is ours.  He is waiting with open arms for us to take the first step. So He can tell His daughters how precious and valuable we are to Him.

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Heavenly Father, may my restless heart never lead me astray to where I become my own slave.  May I choose to drink of the Living Water where I will thirst no more.  In Jesus’ name!!  Amen!!

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Remind Me, Dear Lord

October 23, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

All the things that I love and hold dear to my heart
Are just borrowed they’re not mine at all
Jesus only let me use them to brighten my life
So remind me, remind me, dear Lord

Roll back the curtain of memory now and then
Show me where You brought me from and
Where I could have been
Just remember I’m a human and humans forget
So remind me, remind me, dear Lord

Nothing good have I done to deserve God’s own Son
I’m not worthy of the scars in His hands
Yet He chose the road to Calvary to die in my stead
Why He loved me I can’t understand

Just remember I’m a human and humans forget
So remind me, remind me, dear Lord

Songwriter: Mrs. Dottie Rambo / Performed by Vocal Union

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Oh, if only we WOULD remember what God has done!  The blessings, the healings, the provision, the miracles, the deliverances, the protection, the guidance…along with all the love and grace and mercy!  But, like the song says, ‘but humans forget…’.  And so we ask our compassionate and kind ABBA Father to ‘remind me…remind me, dear Lord!’  I think there are any number of ways that God reminds us of all that He has done…is doing…and will do.

One of God’s greatest gifts to us (in my own opinion) is providing the Holy Spirit…the Helper, the Comforter. While Jesus was preparing His disciples for leaving them, He told them of God’s plan. One thing He said was,

“These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. But the helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.”
John 14: 25 and 26

Jesus promised the disciples that the Holy Spirit would help them remember what He had taught them. The disciples had seen all that Jesus did and heard all that He had taught.  And, since we too are disciples of our Lord, the Holy Spirit can help us in the same way.  As we read and study the Scriptures, we can trust that truth will be placed into our hearts by the Holy Spirit as we are taught.  He will convince and convict us of God’s will, and remind us when we stray from it.

The Holy Spirit does so much for us!   True, He does plant truth in our hearts, convince us of God’s will, and remind us when we stray from it…but the responsibility to DO—obey—is ours.  He reminds…we obey.  He guides…we follow.  He helps us…we do what is right.

So, while we surely can (and should!) ask for God’s grace in reminding us through the Holy Spirit’s working in our hearts, I do think we should be responsible to remind ourselves, too!  A few things that I have purposed to do so that I am reminded are:

  • daily Bible reading

Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips;
meditate on it day and night,
so that you may be careful to do everything written in it.
Joshua 1:8

  • listening to praise and worship music

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts,
to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.
Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you,
with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another
with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,
singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
Colossians 3:15 and 16

  • spending time with other Christians

And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works,
not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together,
as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another,
and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
Hebrews 10:24 and 25

  • having Scriptures up as decorations in our home

And these words which I am commanding you this day
shall be [first] in your [own] minds and hearts;
[then] you shall whet and sharpen them so as to make them penetrate,
and teach and impress them diligently upon the [minds and] hearts of your children,
and shall talk of them when you sit in your house
and when you walk by the way,
and when you lie down and when you rise up.
and you shall bind them as a sign upon your hand,
and they shall be as frontlets (forehead bands) between your eyes.
And you shall write them upon the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
Deuteronomy 6:6-9

{I would love to hear of ways that you remind yourself about our awesome God!}

Oh!  And here is a great list of 10 BIG daily reminders:

  • God exists
  • God loves you
  • Jesus died for you, and the Father has now bound himself to give you only good things.
  • God sees you as perfect
  • That is because of Jesus’ perfection…not yours
  • You will die
  • You will live forever in the new heavens and the new earth
  • For now. you are an exile on the earth
  • Nothing on earth is truly worth putting your hope in
  • You have no right to be unhappy

(Follow this link to read the entire article this list was taken from.)

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

Lift Me Up

October 21, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

Waiting for the sunrise
Waiting for the day
Waiting for a sign
That I’m where You want me to be

You know my heart is heavy
And the hurt is deep
But when I feel like giving up
You’re reminding me
That we all fall down sometimes
But when I hit the ground

You lift me up when I am weak
Your arms wrap around me
Your love catches me so I’m letting go
You lift me up when I can’t see
Your heart is all that I need
Your love carries me so I’m letting go

You lift me up with Your love
You lift me up with Your love
You lift me up with Your love
You lift me up

I know I’m not perfect
I know I make mistakes
I know that I have let You down
But You love me the same

And when I’m surrounded
When I lose my way
When I’m crying out and falling down
You are here to

I can see the dawn is breaking
I am feeling overtaken with Your love
With Your love
I don’t know what I can offer
In this moment I surrender to Your love
To Your love

You lift me up with Your love
You lift me up with Your love
You lift me up with Your love
You lift me up

Songwriters: Fuqua, Havens, Jordan Mohilowski, Dan Ostebo

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When Paul was writing to the Corinthians he boasted of his weakness (see 2 Corinthians 12:6-10.) He boasted of being able to endure the pain God felt was necessary to keep Paul humble and ready to serve. Paul did endure many hardships in order to do what God had called him to do. Paul endured beatings, shipwrecks, near starvation, severe thirst, and abandonment from friends. All of this to make sure everyone who would listen,  could receive, and become a servant of God. Paul wanted others to know about God, to love God, and to have the passion Paul was given to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ to all of the nations, to all  people.

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Lord, thank You for lifting us up. Thank You for being there for us and for not always answering our requests the way we want. Please give us wisdom to know when we need to stop and listen, and when we need to step out in faith to do Your will.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

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