November 26, 2024

Remembering and Deciding

October 14, 2014 by

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Remember Your word to Your servant,
for You have given me hope.
My comfort in my suffering is this:
Your promise preserves my life.
Psalms 119:49-50

Remember in the Disney movie, The Jungle Book, Mowgli meets the youngest elephant of a herd.  The leader of the herd, the young elephant’s father, proclaims that an elephant never forgets.  However, as the herd is leaving, the elephant’s mother ends up reminding the father that he is “forgetting” their son who is still talking to Mowgli.

Yet, we have a heavenly Father Who does not forget about us.  He brings us hope and love in the midst a life of sin and temptation.  He never leaves our side.  We can call out to Him, and He will answer us in the way that He thinks is best for us.

For the wages of sin is death
but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6:23

Yet we can find comfort in our Father who does not forget about us or His promises to us.  Remember John 3:16?  God gave us His Son so we would not perish if we believed in Him.  God sent His one and only Son here to die for our sins.  Jesus wiped away our penalty—death—for sinning against God.  Our punishment for sinning is death. However, if we believe in Jesus and proclaim Him as our Savior, our penalty has been paid.  We look forward to eternity in Heaven with God.

God’s promise of eternal life for acceptance of His Son as our Savior is very powerful. The war for our souls has been won once we repent and allow Jesus to come into heart.  It is free.  All we have to do is make the decision and open our hearts.  God’s promise preserves our life and brings comfort to our weary life.  He brings healing and love to our broken hearts.  It is a comfort that we have such a wonderful Father.

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Dear Heavenly Father: Thank You for remembering us—Your children. You created us and know every thought and move before we do. Your love has saved us from eternal condemnation and pain. You bring us comfort, love, and healing. Thank You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Comfort

October 13, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life.
Psalm 119:50

I love this passage of Scripture, for to be preserved by God is a big relief to any person who is waiting upon the Lord and has faith (1 Thessalonians 3:7) and has accepted Christ as his/her Lord and Savior.

This shows that God’s will for my life and your life is for us to be victorious in all areas of our lives. Even when we face trials, adversaries, challenges of any kind He will preserve us. Even if the enemies may fall 10,000 at the left side and 10,000 at the right, we will not be harmed for we are preserved and this is a comfort to us.

Though I walk in the midst of trouble You preserve my life,
You stretch out Your hand against the anger of my foes,
with Your right hand You save me.
Psalm 138:7

But why do you think He is preserving us for?

  • Because of His banner of love for us – He promised neither to leave us nor forsake us. He said in Psalm 23 that ‘surely goodness and mercy shall follow us’ all the days of our lives. In Isaiah 46:4 it says “Even to your old age and grey hairs, I am He, I am He who will sustain you, I have made you and I will carry you, I will sustain you and I will rescue you.”
  • So that we accomplish what He sent us here on earth for—we are His disciples and so we have to bear fruit (disciples). [Click here to read John 15:1-8.] God wants us to bear fruits, more fruit, much more fruit and abiding fruit.
  • For us to live a comforted life—a life that is not worried about anything but trusting in the Lord. By so doing, serving Him will not be a hassle to do. “Do not let your hearts be troubled, trust in God trust also in Me” (John 14:1). This was Jesus speaking, giving an assurance that He and God are there for us.
  • Finally Romans 8:28 crowns it all by saying, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.”

Let us make the purposes of God be fulfilled in our lives.

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Oh Lord, our God, we come before You in prayer giving You all the praise and honor for who You are…and what You have been…and what You shall be in the years to come. You are the Ancient of Days—from age to age You never fail us. We thank You for preserving us to Your glory. Make us also realize our calling and make us useful for Your purposes in this life. We thank You for this comfort and victorious life. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.

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A Small Reminder for God

October 12, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo
Remember Your Word to Your servant for You have given me hope.
Psalm 119:49

When I read verses like this, I always wonder why the writer felt the need to tell God to remember.  If God said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” then it’s safe to say that you should come to Him…and He will give you rest.  No reminder needed.

There is a certain level of uncertainty when it comes to God.  For example, two people can pray for healing; and yet one will live and one will die.  Why?  Only God knows. Surely, there is some type of order to the happenings of life.  After all, 1 Corinthians 14:33 says, “…For God is not a God of disorder but of peace.”  Even with this being the case we don’t get to see the Big Picture all the time.

Perspective plays a huge role in our relationship with God.  He sees things we simply do not see and can not see.  We often have to ask Him to open our eyes to see what He sees.  And sometimes He sheds light on a situation.  But sometimes, we are told to wait.

Have you ever felt betrayed by God?  You went to Him for guidance, followed His directions to the best of your ability, and still got what seemed to be an unfavorable outcome?  I have.  And when I find myself in these situations I often take to reminding God of His promises.

Reminding God of His promises is beneficial to us, not to Him. Reminding God about His promises, reminds us of God’s Word and can bring up some very important issues:

  • Do I really believe this promise?
  • Do I trust God to fulfill this promise?
  • Is there something in my life that I need to address or hand over to God?
  • Is something hindering God’s progress in this situation?

I feel this is a very vital role in growing with God.  I have friends who can read the Bible and take God at His Word easily.  When they read that God will provide for them…they believe that God will provide for them.  When I read that God will provide for me…I ask questions . I need to know how and when.  If I can’t come up with a solution in my mind, then it must be impossible.  I need details.  I have gotten better at simply taking God at His Word, but I often have to fight the urge to remind Him of the way things are “supposed” to be.

The Message translation says,

Trust GOD from the bottom of your heart;
Don’t try to figure out everything on your own.
Listen for GOD’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;
He’s the one who will keep you on track.
Proverbs 3:5 and 6

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Lord, I pray that I never forget Your promises and that I never stop coming to You when I have questions or concerns. Thank You for being faithful and answering my prayers.  Thank You for giving me knowledge and understanding.  Help me to doubt less, trust more, and follow relentlessly.  Give me the courage to stand for You, and humility to obey You. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

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More To Be Desired Are They Than Gold (Psalms 19:7-11)

October 11, 2014 by

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The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple;
The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes;
The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold,
Yea, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
Moreover by them Your servant is warned,
And in keeping them there is great reward.
Psalms 19:7-11

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Answers, Guidance, and Direction

October 10, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the [whole] person; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.
The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure and bright, enlightening the eyes.
The [reverent] fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the ordinances of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold, even than much fine gold; they are sweeter also than honey and drippings from the honeycomb.
Psalms 19:7-10

My kids started a new math curriculum a couple of years ago. This curriculum was confusing and, in my opinion, it made the process much harder than necessary. It would give a problem and no explanation on how to solve it. It would leave us flipping the paper over to see if we missed something or having to resort to a web search to assist in finding the solution. We were left wanting and needing more, left alone without direction or answers.

Now, this may seem extreme for a math situation, but you should understand that math is not my forte…I need as much clarity as possible. I need to know what to do and how to do it, without clarity I’m lost.

To me this is much like life—without clarity I’m lost. Reading the words in this passage gave just that…in a world where there are so many problems without clear solutions we are left to search for answers. But as always our Heavenly Father has those answers written for us, His clarity is at our fingertips in His word, it is on our lips with each prayer. He makes a statement and follows with a clarifying statement—His words rejoice our heart, they enlighten our eyes, they endure forever, they are righteous and true, they are richer than gold and sweeter than honey. They are clear and concise.

When I found the solution to the math problem, I found a sense of peace—peace that lasted until I read the next problem. But with God’s direction and answers the peace is lasting. Unlike math, where the answers may be questionable, God’s Word is always dependable, always correct.

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Let’s pray:  Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Your answers to life, for Your guidance, and for Your direction. Life can be like math at times, confusing and uncertain. But Your words are true, clear, and they enlighten us. They are dependable and constant. Your words guide our lives, our hearts and our minds, thank You. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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Learning and Instruction

October 9, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

The instruction of the LORD is perfect, renewing one’s life;
the testimony of the LORD is trustworthy, making the inexperienced wise.
The precepts of the LORD are right, making the heart glad;
the command of the LORD is radiant, making the eyes light up.
The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever;
the ordinances of the LORD are reliable and altogether righteous.
They are more desirable than gold—than an abundance of pure gold;
and sweeter than honey, which comes from the honeycomb.
Psalms 19:7-10 HCSB

Learning: the activity or process of gaining knowledge or skill by studying, practicing, being taught, or experiencing something; the activity of someone who learns; knowledge or skill gained from learning.

Instruction: a statement that describes how to do something : an order or command : the action or process of teaching : the act of instructing someone.

From the moment we are born we are learning. We learn to breath, we learn how to tell others we are wet, we are hungry, we are lonely and that we are afraid. We learn to be selfish. We learn that crying brings someone to care for us. We learn that we can engage people by smiling and cooing. We learn we can ‘eat’  our toes, our fingers, and we then we discover we can move by learning to crawl, and then walk.

Then, while we are still learning, instruction begins. We begin to observe how things are done, how things work. Things like putting a block into the correct shape.  We are instructed as to how to put on a shirt, a pair of pants, how to comb our hair, how to brush our teeth. Some go to daycare or have playdates, and here we learn to play nice with others, not hit or bite. We learn to be kind and to have compassion. We have learned at this point whom we should fear; whether it is a little person or a grown-up, we learn who we should stay far away from.

While in school we learn the ordinances (rules). We learn what we can do, what is acceptable behaviour and what is not. This is a precept. We must become teachable and willing to learn.

I obey Your precepts and Your statutes, for all my ways are known to You.
Psalm 119:168

We may not learn about the Bible until later, or totally understand, but our heavenly Father gave us His precepts—His rules, His laws—on how we should live. It does not matter when we begin to learn these, as long as we begin practicing them. He wants us to enjoy the life He has planned for us. We just have to be willing to trust Him.

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Father, thank You for loving us. I ask for my heart to become humble and teachable. I am not too old or too young to follow Your ways, to understand Your precepts. I want to have such a fire about me which will cause those around me to have a fire, a desire to know You. I want to learn. I want to be taught. I desire You, Father. Thank You for Your Word and for this ministry. Let us not grow weary in knowing You more intimately. In Jesus’ name I pray and ask these things, amen.

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Benefits of Precepts

October 8, 2014 by

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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.

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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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Your Way—The Only Way

October 7, 2014 by

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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Perfect Law

October 6, 2014 by

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The Law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul,
The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy making wise the simple.
Psalm 19:7

In this portion of Scripture, there are a few questions that can help us understand God and His character.

  1. What is it to be ‘perfect’?
  2. Which law is it talking about and where do we get the law that is perfect?
  3. Whose soul is revived and how?
  4. Which statutes?
  5. What does it means to be ‘trustworthy’?
  6. What it means to ‘make wise the simple’?

Consider these answers….

1-) To be ‘perfect’ is to be holy, righteous and good (Romans 7:12 and Psalm 119:142). And we see this in our God—He is Holy, righteous and good. Look at what He does to our lives: though we grieve Him, He is never upset with our characters, otherwise we would have been dead by now. However He is still gives us another chance.

2-) The “Law” is talking about the commandments that are holy, the Word of God that is contained in the Bible. When we meditate on this Word, it teaches us on what to do and what not to do. Therefore it is in this Book where we are shaped and molded to be perfect.

Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth meditate on it day and night
so that you may be careful to do everything written in it.
Then you will be prosperous and successful.
Joshua 1:8

3-) It is our souls that are revived as the Word of God is life.

The word became flesh and made His dwelling among us.
John 1:1 and John 1:14

4-) The statutes are the precepts, the commandments, the “dos and dont’s” which are to be obeyed.

5-) If something is ‘trustworthy’ it means it is so true, and there is truth in it.

Your righteousness is everlasting and your law is true.
Psalm 119:142

What this means is that the precepts, the commands, and the promises of God are true. What He says He will do, He will; believe it shall come to pass. When He says “the reward of sin is death,” He means it.

6-) We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. Meaning that it is simple to follow if one uses it properly otherwise if it is not used properly it make wise become tough.

We know that the law is good if one uses it properly.
I Timothy 1:8

Therefore, let us rejoice, my sisters, in meditating on the Word of God as it is a sure way to our perfect life. God is perfect—let us also be perfect. Remember He is holy and in Him there is no darkness.

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Father, we thank You for You are a perfect God.  We pray, oh Lord, for the grace that we should be perfect as well.  Whatever is not pleasing to You, Lord, may the Holy Spirit reveal it to us; and as we confess to You may we be united again with You and be with You always.  Thank You that You hear our prayers each time we come to You.  In Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen.

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A Guiding Hand

October 5, 2014 by

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A Guiding Hand

The law of the Lord is perfect,
refreshing the soul.
The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,
making wise the simple.
The precepts of the Lord are right,
giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are radiant,
giving light to the eyes.
The fear of the Lord is pure,
enduring forever.
The decrees of the Lord are firm,
and all of them are righteous.
They are more precious than gold,
than much pure gold;
They are sweeter than honey,
than honey from the honeycomb.
Psalms 19:7-10

My son has been learning about Moses and the Ten Commandments at church on Wednesday nights. I was probably about his age when I was first introduced to them myself. When I stop to think about them, I always imagine Charlton Heston playing Moses in the movie, The Ten Commandments, and receiving the tablets from God. Just seeing the fear on Moses’s (Heston’s) face is enough to invoke trembling in anyone’s mind.

When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance and said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die.” Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.”
Exodus 20:19-20

When Moses came down from the Mount, the people could tell that he had seen and talked with God. They themselves became scared. They had been trembling in fear when the thunder and lightning and the trumpet sounded. They knew that Moses had spoken to God, but they were afraid to speak to God themselves. They told Moses they would listen to what God said if Moses spoke it to them.

God gave His people His perfect Law through Moses. Moses’s face radiated the glory of God when he descended from the Mount with the Ten Commandments—the same commandments that many people are fighting over displaying today. God made these Laws to help guide us and protect us from the temptation of sin. His Laws are firm just like those of parents’ rules for their children.

God knew what human nature was like even before Adam and Eve bit the forbidden fruit. God knew that without guidance that man would fall into sin and not be able to return Him. It is wonderful to know that we have a God Who already knows about us and knows how to guide and take care of us.

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Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Your guiding hand. Without it we would surely be stuck in slavery to sin. You are always with us and always showing Your love. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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