November 21, 2024

Already There

November 3, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

From where I’m standing
Lord, it’s so hard for me to see
Where this is going
And where You’re leading me
I wish I knew how
All my fears and all my questions
Are going to play out
In a world I can’t control

When I’m lost in the mystery
To You my future is a memory

‘Cause You’re already there
You’re already there
Standing at the end of my life
Waiting on the other side
And You’re already there
You’re already there

From where You’re standing
Lord, You see a grand design
That You imagined
When You breathed me into life
And all the chaos
Comes together in Your hands
Like a masterpiece
Of Your picture-perfect plan

When I’m lost in the mystery
To You my future is a memory

One day I’ll stand before You
And look back on the life I’ve lived
I can’t wait to enjoy the view
And see how all the pieces fit

One day I’ll stand before You
And look back on the life I’ve lived

Casting Crowns
Songwriters: Matthew West, John Mark Hall, Bernie Herms

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This morning my mother-in-law, Martha, got up to tell my husband she was not feeling well.  She had been up since 2 a.m. with a headache and could not go to sleep.  You see, she had fallen on Saturday afternoon and bumped her head.  Nikki and I did not tell John, because Martha had asked us not to.  So I had to tell him what happened with her by my side and he fussed, but she quieted him down.  So off to the emergency room they went at 4:10 a.m.  Thank goodness they were able to get in and out quickly.  They performed a CT scan and she is fine.  They came back home, he went to work, she started preparing breakfast, and I left for work.  I am glad it was nothing.  But there are some things we need to work out still with her in the household. I should have told John so we could have taken her Saturday afternoon and had her checked out then.

As we get older and have to live with our children or in a facility for seniors, God is there to watch over us.  He knows what our future holds.  It is up to us how we are to live it.  Should we live in fear or in dread?  No, God is already there, waiting, preparing the way for us. All we have to do is seek His will for us with earnest intentions and know with confidence that God will work it all out for His glory.  Look at Paul…he knew from visions God had given him what was waiting for him in Jerusalem, and he still pursued the mission God had given him (Acts 20:17-38).  Paul knew what was most important.

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Father, help us develop the passion Paul had to serve You no matter what.  Help us to achieve and see joy and opportunity to do our best for you in all situations.  We have lost our way and do not see what we need to do any more.  Give us courage to tell others about You.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

 

 

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Daddy Protection

October 29, 2015 by

SeekingHimLogo

As for God, His way is blameless.
The Word of the Lord is tested;
He is a Shield to all who take refuge in Him.
Psalm 18:30

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Remember, as a child, how our dad was our hero?  How he could not do any wrong in our eyes?  Well, God wants us to love and trust Him like that.  To love Him with a purity and honesty that surpasses anything we could ever comprehend.

As we grew older our dads made mistakes, because they are human. They maybe did not show up at a ballgame, dance recital or have time to listen.  But I know Who does—God our Father.  He has time to listen to all of our issues.  He is always there…all we need to do is call out to Him because He will give us the ultimate peace.

There are a few moments when we experience pure joy.  For some it is when their children are born; for others it is receiving the long-awaited proposal; for others it is when we accept the love and forgiveness of our Heavenly Father.  You feel alive, changed, clean, and whole.  Just as the shepherds watching the sheep on the night Jesus was born; they witnessed the joy of the celebration of heavenly hosts.  Then they were able to see Jesus while he was just hours old. Can you imagine their pure joy?

Mary was able to have the celebration of her first-born child, even though she was not at home.  God was so good to her to have others there to witness Jesus’ birth and all could feel the love of the Father that night, those who were expecting and able to see.  This is what we felt when we first believed.

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If you have not pursued Jesus as your personal Savior, reach out to Him.  It is as simple as saying this simple prayer, “Father, I am a sinner. Forgive me for my sins. Thank You for loving me and accepting me into Your family. In Jesus’ name, amen.”

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Guidance

October 19, 2015 by

SeekingHimLogo

Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
Psalm 119:105

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Did you know when people traveled at night in the old days, they would attach a lantern to their sandals?  This way the pathway was lit and they could travel safer.  During the day, robbers would lay in wait for their victims, but at night they were usually home with family and friends.

But, that aside, how can someone travel through life without knowing God?  God designed us for fellowship with Him.  Not for us to be separated from His perfect love. God chose a people to be called his own, a people to be set apart.  As God searched, He found Abram.  God calls Abram to leave his family and go to a land He will give him and will make Abram a father of many nations.  So Abram packed up his wife and his nephew went with him to this new place.

Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country
and your kindred and your father’s house
to the land that I will show you.
Genesis 12:1  

Abram never questioned his walk with God.  He choose to follow and believe no matter what…or how long a promise might take to be fulfilled.  Can we wait 30, 40, 50 or more years for a promise to be fulfilled?  We may not think so.  My friends, we serve a God who looks out for our best, not what we think is best.  He knows the bigger picture.

God promised Abraham and Sarah a son.   And, when Abraham was near 100 years old and Sarah was almost 90 years old, the promise was fulfilled.

And Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age
at the time of which God had spoken to him.
Genesis 21:2

How awesome is God for proving His love for these two.  Sarah may have doubted, believing her body was past the time to provide children, but God had a bigger plan for these two.

My friends, God would do this and much more for us—if only we would believe and follow His good and righteous path for our lives.  We need to cultivate our love for Him by reading or listening to His word and by submitting to the teaching of others.

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Father, I thank You for loving us when we are not lovable.  Thank You for Your Holy Spirit who keeps us from walking too far away from You.  Thank You for Your Son, Jesus, who fulfilled Your promise and showed us how to walk with You.  Do not give up on us.  Do not take your Spirit away from us when we stray or stubbornly look away. Forgive us for our rebellious nature and for sinning against You.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

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The Spoken Word

October 6, 2015 by

Forever, O Lord, Your Word is settled in heaven.
Your faithfulness continues throughout all generations;
You established the earth, and it stands.

Psalms 119:89-90

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Growing up in a small town, nothing is ever hidden for long.  People love to talk.  They often do not realize their words can hurt and cause irreparable damage to others.  No one knew (other than one or two) my secret.  But I felt I needed to tell my brother and sister-in-law when I found out they were letting their daughter spend the night at my parent’s home and her sleep in the bed with my dad.  Little did I know when I did share with them that my sister-in-law would go around telling everyone in the town I had lived in.  I was trying to protect my niece…not hurt mom and dad.  Mom asked me about it, and I told her I told my brother to protect my niece; and she was angry.

Was I wrong?  I don’t think so.  It did, however, change a few things.  Dad did say he was sorry for what he had done to me, but said he would never have hurt my niece.  How was I to trust that?  I pray he never did.   The secret was out and I did not have to hide that any longer.  What did hurt though was the words my sister-in-law spread.  My brother and she are no longer married due to some other things, but I believe God is just and merciful in all situations, because He said we are not to exact revenge on others.

Genesis chapter 1 tells us how God created everything with His spoken Word.  He spoke and it was.  And in just six days.  Genesis 2 tells us God rested on the seventh day. After He rested He created man, Adam, in His own image.  Can you imagine how lovely Adam was?  Perfect in every way.  Then God gave Adam charge over the Garden of Eden.  From the beginning of time God has given us work to do.  And He also gave us rules.

But the LORD God warned him,
“You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden
— except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.
Genesis 2:17
Adam did not have a problem obeying.  God then created Eve, from Adam’s rib, to be a helpmate in the perfect world God created and placed them in. God fellowshipped with Adam and Eve…walking with them and talking with them everyday.  Then a serpent entered the scene.  He thought he would tempt the woman with the fruit growing on the tree in the middle of the garden—the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
He was very sly.  He told Eve she would not die and made her look at the fruit and observe how appetizing it looked.  He also told her she would have knowledge just like God of good and evil.  We do not know what truly enticed her to eat, but the serpent caused her to look at the fruit and want it.  Then she shared with Adam after he observed that she did not die.
God gave them consequences for disobeying.  He knew they would but He was disappointed all the same.  Their disobedience (as well as our own sin) has separated us from God.
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Father, we thank You for telling us You love us. Thank You for grafting us into Your Kingdom when we accepted Your Son, Jesus, in our hearts.  Send Your Holy Spirit to show us when we stray and go off course.  Let us seek Your Word, grow Your Word in our hearts and be able to share Your love and grace with everyone…even family.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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Our Words

September 30, 2015 by

SeekingHimLogo

The grass withers, the flower fades,
but the word of our God stands forever.
Isaiah 40:8

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Words.  How do you use your words?  Do you build up or do you tear down?  When you are angry do you say hateful, hurtful things?  As we have grew up, we may have heard words spoken in anger, tearing us down.  But  we can come back from those words.  We can heal from the hurtful words spoken to us.  James spoke of our tongue, saying:

The tongue is a small thing, but what enormous damage it can do.
James 3:5

When we believed that Jesus died on the Cross for our sins, we were made new.  As we read and study the Word of God, our hearts are recreated.  Our past experiences have told us that life can be uncaring, unfriendly.  But our life with Jesus as our Lord  will be vastly different if we choose to learn and discover more of God’s love.

The beauty of God’s Word is it has existed for thousands of years… it ‘stands forever’.  There is nothing which has prevented it from existing.  His words are so powerful, it has been translated to many languages and dialects, enabling people in most all nations to have the opportunity to learn and grow.  God has created pastors to lead us, to teach us, to encourage us.  We just need to sit and learn; then go into the world and share the goods news of the sacrifice Jesus made.

Remember the first time you accepted Jesus as your Savior…the elation, the empowerment you felt when you realized your life was going to be forever.  Do you still have the same passion, the drive to share?  I pray you do.  I pray someone was able to come alongside you and disciple you; and to encourage you with the words of our Father. And that passion within you would grow so you could share His good news with others.

Keep pursuing your passion.  Keep learning, discovering who you are in Christ and you will be rewarded.

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Father, I pray for those who may have lost their passion for You. I ask that they begin to seek You with a renewed fervor to tell others about Your love.  I pray for a light to shine forth, and that we share with others so we can tell them what You have done for us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Lead Me

September 29, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjvI look around and see my wonderful life
Almost perfect from the outside
In picture frames, I see my beautiful wife
Always smiling, but on the inside
Oh, I can hear her saying

Lead me with strong hands
Stand up when I can’t
Don’t leave me hungry for love
Chasing dreams, but what about us

Show me you’re willing to fight
That I’m still the love of your life
I know we call this our home
But I still feel alone

I see their faces, look in their innocent eyes
They’re just children from the outside
I’m working hard, I tell myself they’ll be fine
They’re independent, but on the inside
Oh, I can hear them saying

 

So, Father, give me the strength
To be everything I’m called to be
Oh Father, show me the way
To lead them
Won’t You lead me?

To lead them with strong hands
To stand up when they can’t
Don’t want to leave them hungry for love
Chasing things that I could give up

I’ll show them I’m willing to fight
And give them the best of my life
So we can call this our home
Lead me ’cause I can’t do this alone

Father, lead me ’cause I can’t do this alone

Sanctus Real
Matt Hammitt, Jason Ingram, Chris Rohman

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How transparent the writers of this song are!  They want to lead their families in the right way—to be a guide, a good example of how to live life.  How much more should we live our life for our families?  With God all these things are possible.  We should have nothing we desire or need.  God will provide all we need.  All the love, support, peace of mind, and joy.

They are wise men to ask for God’s help in leading their families! We can’t do these things in our own power.  We are often too quick to begin to seek our own desires and not keep our focus on God’s.

I am echoing their simple prayer:
Father, lead me ’cause I can’t do this alone.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Lead Me

September 24, 2015 by

SeekingHimLogo

Search me, O God, and know my heart!
Try me and know my thoughts!
and see if there be any grievous way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting!
Psalms 139:23-24

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Being a leader carries with it a lot of responsibility.  Some do it well, working hard to be available to their team and leading by example.  It is hard work to keep everyone motivated and on the right page. God is a great motivator.  He wrote us a manual for motivating ourselves and others..it is called the Holy Bible!

No matter what we are feeling, God is there with His words ready to fill our hearts.  He created the Holy Spirit to aid us to stay on the path that leads to an everlasting life.  Where we may fail in this world, if our focus is on doing our best, then how can we go wrong?

That is why we labor and strive,
because we have put our hope in the living God,
who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe.
1 Timothy 4:10

God is amazing in how He loves us.  He already knows who is going to believe in Him and who will exceed what they imagined being able to do. Focusing on God’s best is where we will excel in all that we do.

Jesus is a wonderful example of this.  Jesus knew His fate before He agreed to obey His Father and become a human baby.  A baby who was helpless from birth and who would grow into an intelligent young man.  Going through the wilderness for forty days after being baptized by His cousin, John, Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit to persevere and not give into the temptations of Satan.  Jesus knew He ultimately would have the power He was tempted with.  God had already promised Jesus many things.  But God did not keep His Son from suffering that horrible death on the Cross. Why?  So we could see how much God knew our brokenness.

Only through our brokenness, and Jesus dying on the Cross and becoming a curse for us on the Cross, can we lay down EVERYTHING we have ever suffered.  Jesus, on the Cross, was displayed for all to see.  He was naked, beaten, tired, hungry, thirsty, abandoned, alone, suffering, hurting, crying, afraid, broken-hearted.  God left Him there to die.  In order for Jesus to be the final Lamb, the Sacrifice, God had to let Him die.  In Jesus’ death and resurrection, death was defeated.  We should not fear what is coming at the end of our life.

We have heard stories of people celebrating when they know they are approaching the end of their life.  They know God is waiting for them.  They have lived for God, keeping their focus on Him.  As Paul was nearing the end of his life, he knew death was coming.  In the Book of Acts, Paul is making his way to Jerusalem, then is told that he must go to Rome and present the case for Jesus before Felix.  Different people tell Paul not to go, but Paul was not deterred.

After we had been there a number of days,
a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea.
Coming over to us, he took Paul’s belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said,
“The Holy Spirit says, ‘In this way the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.’”
Acts 21:10-11 

and then:

The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage!
As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.”
Acts 23:11 

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Father, thank You for Paul’s boldness.  Thank You for sending Jesus to us to care for us and show us how to live selflessly for You.  Continue to show to us the leadership we can develop and share with others in our lives.  Forgive us when we become afraid.  Let us seek courage to take up our task and to finish the race well!  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Respect

September 16, 2015 by

SeekingHimLogo

If only You, God, would slay the wicked!
    Away from me, you who are bloodthirsty!
They speak of You with evil intent;
    your adversaries misuse Your name.
Do I not hate those who hate You, Lord,
    and abhor those who are in rebellion against You?
I have nothing but hatred for them;
    I count them my enemies.
Psalms 139:19-22

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As we go through life, we have choices.  The choices we make determine our future.  We can choose to serve God or our own needs or wants.  Just as David decided to trust God with his life through all he experienced, we can learn to walk through our trials in this life.

Our memories and reactions are just as unique as we are.  There are similarities between us, but we are unique.  Our families have formed us to be who we are.  Our dads are usually how we compare who God is.  I was adopted by my aunt and uncle.  I am not sure how old I was, but I do know they did the best they could in raising me and my cousin, their son.

Dad always did what he could by us kids and by mom.  He provided a place for us to live and thrive when we moved to the country.  He set mom up in a grocery store.  We were able to walk to elementary school and grew up protected.  There were not the typical pressures of living in a big city and attending a large school getting lost in the crowd.

We thrived and grew and matured.  We respected what our parents was able to do for us.  Especially now that we are older. I remember thinking I won’t say that to my kids and then I hear myself saying it to my son or daughter. Yeah, I had those days.  I would have days where I truly disliked my parents because I thought they were unfair and that I would not ever leave.  But I did, and through lots of tears and forgiveness, I have been able to respect my parents.

Through respecting and honoring them, I am showing the same respect for God.  God tells us we will be blessed with long life and abundance when we respect and honor our parents.  But we also need to teach this to our children and to those around us.  When everyone has a respect for each other, then this world will become a better place.  It only needs to start with us.

Honor your father and your mother,
so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.
Exodus 20: 12

In our time, as in David’s, ignorance prevents us from being in line with God’s best for us.  When we begin to serve our own desires we are out of God’s plan.  We need only to repent and turn back to Him

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Father, forgive us for when we seek our own way and not Your way.  Thank You for providing Your Holy Spirit as a guide and a reminder to us to return to You.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

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I Refuse

September 15, 2015 by
Sometimes I, I just want to close my eyes
And act like everyone’s alright, when I know they’re not
This world needs God, but it’s easier to stand and watch
I could say a prayer and just move on, like nothing’s wrong
But I refuse
‘Cause I don’t want to live like I don’t care
I don’t want to say another empty prayer
Oh, I refuse to
Sit around and wait for someone else
To do what God has called me to do myself
Oh, I could choose not to move
But I refuse

I can hear the least of these, crying out so desperately
And I know we are the hands and feet of You, oh God
So if You say move, it’s time for me to follow through
And do what I was made to do, and show them who You are

To stand and watch the weary and lost
Cry out for help
I refuse to turn my back and try and act
Like all is well
I refuse to stay unchanged, to wait another day
To die to myself
I refuse to make one more excuse

Josh Wilson
Singer/Songwriter

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It is so easy to sit around and not do anything.  It is much harder to do something about our problems or the issues we see around us.  All we need to do is ask God to help us be strong and give us the courage to do what is right. There are some who do not have to pray about it. They already know what they need to do…and they embrace the challenge.

We can all find this kind of courage, especially when we read the Psalms. Who much more can we follow than David?  Through his ups and downs, David always praised God.  As David went through his struggles and victories, it is also a reminder of our future Savior and King—Jesus.

Jesus, when he was in the garden of Gethsemane, prayed for God to take away what was going to happen. But, because it was not God’s plan, Jesus accepted His fate and completed His journey for His Father.

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Heavenly Father, we love You and thank You for sending us great examples for us to follow.  We want to be a light for You in this confused world.  Forgive us for being complacent and lazy.  Light a fire under us to share your awesome truths.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

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More Of You

September 8, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

I made my castle tall
I built up every wall
This is my kingdom and it needs to fall
I want You and no one else
Empty me of myself
Until the only thing that’s left is

More of You
Less of me
Make me who I’m meant to be
You’re all I want all I need
You’re everything
Take it all I surrender
Be my King
God, I choose
More of You
Less of me
More of You

This life I hold so close 
Oh, God, I let it go
I refuse to gain the world and lose my soul
So take it all I abandon everything I am You can have it
The only thing I need is

All to You, I surrender
All to You, my blessed Savior
I surrender all

Colton Dixon
written along with Ben Glover, David Arthur Garcia
traditional hymn, I Surrender All, by Judson W. Van DeVenter

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Walking through life everyday, we can become complacent.  Not searching for any more than what we have right now, right here.  But, God does not want us to live that way.  He wants us to live life to the fullest.  He wants us to seek Him and seek His ways. Until we do that, we will never experience the life He holds.  We can be safe…we can be ‘free’;  but are we really?   Are we really, truly free if we come to the same job everyday, perform the same tasks everyday—but are not living for Him?

  • When was the last time you told someone about your walk with God?
  • When was the last time you were on your knees with God?
  • When was the last time you were in His Word, seeking His Will for you?

You may say, ‘I am too old’ or ‘I am too young.’  Perhaps you may even say, ‘I am not physcially able to do anything.’  Sister in Christ, you are able.  You can pray.  You can say positive words to a hurting person. You can even post things to your Facebook page to encourage someone.  You never know when your words, your actions, your kindess will impact a person who needs a touch from God.

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