April 19, 2024

Help

September 3, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

Lord, I seek refuge in You;
let me never be disgraced.
Save me by Your righteousness.
Listen closely to me; rescue me quickly.
Be a rock of refuge for me,
a mountain fortress to save me.
For You are my rock and my fortress;
You lead and guide me
because of Your name.
You will free me from the net
that is secretly set for me,
for You are my refuge.
Into Your hand I entrust my spirit;
You redeem me, Lord, God of truth.
Psalms 31:1-5

In reading this passage I was captivated by David’s personal, confident prayer of faith.  Faith and prayer go together hand-in-glove.  Charles Spurgeon wrote:

“Faith is the foundation of prayer. Faith gives to men on earth the protection of heaven.”

David cries out for help.  He has great faith in God.  In Psalm 18:2 (AMP) he confidently asserts that God alone is His protection.

The Lord is my Rock, my Fortress, and my Deliverer;
my God, my keen and firm Strength in Whom I will trust and take refuge,
my Shield, and the Horn of my salvation, my High Tower.

David was wise to recognize his weaknesses.  As Chuck Smith states: “Wisdom is knowing your weakness.” I would add that wisdom is also knowing where to turn for help.  In Proverbs 30:26 the hyraxes (or conies) are considered wise because they realize they are small and weak then seek shelter in the rocks.  In 2 Samuel 22:2, 7 (HCSB) David cried out to his Rock, his Fortress to be rescued.  He said:

The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer,
I called to the Lord in my distress; I called to my God.
From His temple He heard my voice, and my cry for help reached His ears.

I searched for definitions of “rock”:

  1. noun – shield, defense, fortress, refuge, stronghold
  2. adjective – immovable, impenetrable, secure

I want to be like David—

  • I want to recognize that I am weak and open to attacks from the enemy.
  • I cannot provide shelter or a refuge for myself.
  • I owe my safety entirely to God.
  • I want to take refuge behind the immovable, impenetrable shield of my Rock and my Redeemer.

He has sheltered me before…is defending me even now…and will continue to keep me securely in His grasp.  With faith-filled anticipation, we pray; and in faithfulness, He answers.

“Faith establishes a claim to have it’s anticipations made good”
– Pulpit Commentary

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Lord, we are so very thankful and grateful that we can seek refuge in You, our Rock and our Fortress, knowing we will be protected and secure as we stand behind the rock solid walls of Your promises.  Thank You for hearing our cries for help.  Let us always be mindful to seek shelter in Your stronghold and nowhere else.  In your Mighty and Holy name we pray, Amen – it is so!

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There’s Within My Heart A Melody

June 14, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

There’s within my heart a melody
Jesus whispers sweet and low
Fear not, I am with thee, peace, be still
In all of life’s ebb and flow

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus
Sweetest Name I know
Fills my every longing
Keeps me singing as I go

All my life was wrecked by sin and strife
Discord filled my heart with pain
Jesus swept across the broken strings
Stirred the slumbering chords again

Feasting on the riches of His grace
Resting ’neath His sheltering wing
Always looking on His smiling face
That is why I shout and sing

Though sometimes He leads through waters deep
Trials fall across the way
Though sometimes the path seems rough and steep
See His footprints all the way

Soon He’s coming back to welcome me
Far beyond the starry sky
I shall wing my flight to worlds unknown
I shall reign with Him on high

Words and music: Luther Bridges

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The Name of Jesus is more than enough to take care of every need in your life:

  • Who saves us from our sins?  Jesus

He is the One all the prophets testified about, saying that everyone who believes in Him will have their sins forgiven through His Name.
Acts 10:43

  • Who heals the brokenhearted?  Jesus

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He hath anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He hath sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,”
Luke 4:18

  • Who gives us mercy and grace?  Jesus

Let us therefore come boldly unto the Throne of Grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
Hebrews 4:16

  • Who shelters us with His Wings?  Jesus

He will cover you with His feathers. He will shelter you with His wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection.
Psalm 91:4

  • Who leads us through the storms and trials of life?  Jesus

When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.
Isaiah 43:2

  • Who can we follow and be secure?  Jesus

The Lord is my Shepherd; I have all that I need…He guides me along right paths,…Your rod and Your staff protect and comfort me…
Psalm 23

  • Who is our peace so we need not fear?  Jesus

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

  • Who is coming again to welcome us Home!?  Jesus

Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.
John 14:1-3

Jesus is truly the sweetest Name I know!  The power and the love that resides in the Name of Jesus, is more than enough to make me sing!  How about you?!

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Precious Jesus, You are worthy of all of our praise and worship!  You are our Savior, our Healer, our Protector, our Security, our Peace, our soon-coming King, and so much more!  Thank You, Jesus, that we can rest assured that all of our needs—spirit, soul, and body—can be satisfied in You.  In the Life-Giving Name of Jesus, Amen.

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You Are My Hiding Place

November 8, 2013 by

SeekingHimLogo

You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble;
You surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah.
Psalm 32:7

Sometimes we find ourselves in the place where we want to hide…to be in a secret spot…away from trouble and strife. At those times, it is best not to run and isolate; and try to be alone. It is best to seek our God.

Then you will call upon Me, and you will come and pray to Me,
and I will hear and heed you.
Then you will seek Me, inquire for, and require Me [as a vital necessity]
and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.
Jeremiah 29:12 and 13

To know God’s promises brings such peace and comfort to our minds, does it not? Here we read of His particular promise to hear when we call and His promise to be found when we seek Him. His promise to us (to me and you!) is so simple! Listen…

my part: call upon Him…seek Him with my whole heart
His part: He will hear and heed…He will be found

The psalmist surely understood these promises! David was chased, hunted down by Saul and his army. He had to hide in caves and amongst the rocks on the cliffs. He was all alone during most of this time…alone—except for the abiding Presence of his God! David knew that his God would hide him.

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.
Psalm 27:5

For David this was literally true. For us, however, most of our ‘hiding’ is not out in the wilderness. Our hiding is in plain sight—we hide our hearts, our feelings, our thoughts. But we can turn to the One Who loves us so and seek Him.  And when we do, He will be found.  And He will hide us in His shelter.

Think back…maybe you don’t need to go too far into your memories…to a time when you called out to your heavenly Father and sought Him with all your heart. When, perhaps, you were going through a situation and you needed His protection over your heart. When He heard you…and was found by you…and He hid you (your feelings, your thoughts, your heart). How did you feel then? Did you have that “…peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, <which> will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus?” (Philippians 4:7) I trust you did!

And so I encourage you, my friends, cling to His promises and purposefully take a stand on them!  He will hide you!  Trust Him knowing that,

I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living!
Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!
Psalms 27:13 and 14

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Lord, thank You for Your promises!  thank You for Your love!  thank You for the joy of knowing You will hide us!  thank You for the peace we have that is beyond our ablity to understand…but we do trust You and we do believe!!!  thank You in Jesus’ name.  amen.

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