Tag Archives: seek the lord

Words of Encouragement: How Great is Our God

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In dire circumstances we may find ourselves filled with doubt. How can God get us out of the messes that we find ourselves in? We forget that God is the creator of Heaven and Earth! He made all the stars and all the planets and everything in them. So in times of trouble, we can be assured that no trouble is too large for God to deliver us from, and no problem to small to appeal to Him for help with. Nothing is greater than our God. This reading is from Isaiah.

 

 

Isaiah 40:21-26

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

21 Do you not know? Have you not heard?
Has it not been declared to you from the beginning?
Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?
22 It is He who sits above the circle of the earth,
And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers,
Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain
And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in.
23 He it is who reduces rulers to nothing,
Who makes the judges of the earth meaningless.
24 Scarcely have they been planted,
Scarcely have they been sown,
Scarcely has their stock taken root in the earth,
But He merely blows on them, and they wither,
And the storm carries them away like stubble.
25 “To whom then will you liken Me
That I would be his equal?” says the Holy One.
26 Lift up your eyes on high
And see who has created these stars,
The One who leads forth their host by number,
He calls them all by name;
Because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His power,
Not one of them is missing.

Words of Encouragement: Philippians

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This is a complicated and difficult time we live in. Fortunately, we have a God who wants to comfort us, and we are happy to be extending some encouraging verses to build your spirits and strengthen you in Jesus over the next few weeks. These are just for you to read and pray over, and reflect on throughout the day in these uncertain times. Our first verses, are from Paul’s letter to the Philippians. Paul was no stranger to adversity. While he was in the city of Philippi, he was arrested, along with his companion Silas, and jailed during his ministry. Instead of complaining and grumbling, and being miserable, Paul and Silas did something remarkable. They sang. They prayed and sang hymns unto the Lord. Then God freed them both from their bonds, and the jailer who witnessed it was converted, as was his whole household! (Acts 16:16-34) In our moments of great despair, we should be praying, and singing to God, and He will free us from our bonds, and upon witnessing our freedom, others will find Jesus. Here are today’s verses:

Philippians 4:4-8

4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God,which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

Seek The Lord (Isaiah 55:1-9) Commentary

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“Come, everyone who thirsts,  Whoever has a spiritual thirst; whoever is without a caregiver; whoever is a sinner come to the waters;  To Jesus for forgiveness, to be under the care of God, to be filled with the Holy Spirit;  the water of life and he who has no money,  Blessed are the poor, for theirs is the kingdom of God. (Luke 6:20); Salvation cannot be bought with riches, nor is it denied to the very poor  come, buy and eat!  Not with money, with your heart; Jesus has provided for you, his sacrifice a currency for eternal life  Come, buy wine the blood of Christ, given for you and for many and milk  the spiritual nourishment of the Holy Spirit.

Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,  Jesus is the bread of life; the Word of God our food
and your labor for that which does not satisfy?   For worldly goods, desires of flesh which bring only a temporary happiness
Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good,
and delight yourselves in rich food.   Listen to God, delight in his love for you
Incline your ear, and come to me;  Incline your heart, your spirit; Whoever can hear, let him hear
hear, that your soul may live;  That you may have eternal life
and I will make with you an everlasting covenant,  through Jesus
my steadfast, sure love for David.  As true and loving as the promises made to David, manifested in Jesus
Behold, I made him a witness to the peoples,  Christ, the messiah, the new covenant, and descendant of David
a leader and commander for the peoples.   Spiritually, above all else; Love God with all your heart

Behold, you shall call a nation that you do not know,  Christ will call the gentiles
and a nation that did not know you shall run to you,  Thirsting for the living water,

because of the Lord your God, and of the Holy One of Israel,  Because God has drawn them
for he has glorified you.  Jesus risen from the dead in glory

“Seek the Lord while he may be found; While his mercy is abundant; before the day of judgement; Before your mortal life ends
call upon him while he is near;   Before He gathers his elect and you are left behind
let the wicked forsake his way,  Let all sinners repent and receive mercy, for the Lord offers salvation 
and the unrighteous man his thoughts;  Purify your hearts, sin no more

Let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him,  How merciful is God!
and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.  Having sacrificed His son for us
For my thoughts are not your thoughts,  They are holy, pure; greater in wisdom;
neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.  God’s way is love, His way is perfect

For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.  So we should diligently seek it! Seeking our own way is a path to destruction. Seek the Lord, and find life.

My Soul Thirsts (Psalm 63) Commentary

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O God, you are my God; There is no other god, I worship no other; nothing is put before you earnestly I seek you;  With sincerity of heart
my soul thirsts for you;  It is satisfied by nothing in this sinful world; “If anyone is thirsty let him come to me and drink” John 7:37
my flesh faints for you,  Exhausted; the anxieties of the world and guilt of sin wear out the body
as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.  Such is a life without the Holy Spirit
So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, In the church; Look upon Jesus on the cross, to remember he carried your burden;
beholding your power and glory.  Jesus is risen, ascended into heaven.
Because your steadfast love is better than life, Better to be away from the body and at home with the Lord (2Cor 5:8) ; The humble life with Christ is far better than the prideful life of sin
my lips will praise you. Because you, Lord, are loving and forgiving.
So I will bless you as long as I live;  My life in your service and as your witness
in your name I will lift up my hands. The name of Jesus, who suffered for us and redeemed us with God.
 My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, Jesus is the bread of life;
and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips,  Of my salvation
when I remember you upon my bed, To ask forgiveness for the day’s transgressions, to give thanks for Your mercy and provision, and to ask for guidance
and meditate on you in the watches of the night;  Marveling at Your creation, pondering Your wisdom, meditating on Your law, Enjoying Your company
for you have been my help,  The Lord never forsakes us
 and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.  Under Your protection, Your care
My soul clings to you;  To Jesus, our savior, in love; for protection; because He satisfies our souls
your right hand upholds me.  We are, without You, without spiritual balance, and fall into sin

But those who seek to destroy my life  The wicked, the anti-christs, Those who persecute me for Your name’s sake
shall go down into the depths of the earth;  Shall perish and not have eternal life;

they shall be given over to the power of the sword;  Facing judgement, at the appointed time
they shall be a portion for jackals.  Their souls torn apart; Do not fear those who can kill the body, but he who can kill the soul.
But the king shall rejoice in God;  King David; Jesus, our King; Believers, heirs to the kingdom of God
all who swear by him shall exult, Whosoever believes in him, shall not perish, but have eternal life
for the mouths of liars will be stopped.  The truth of God always prevails; Satan, the father of lies, and all who partake in his attack on Jesus and his church, will be silenced.

If Anyone Thirsts (John 7:37-39) Commentary

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On the last day of the feast  The Feast of Tabernacles or Feast of Booths, which remembered the Exodus from Egypt and the Israelites time in the wilderness. For this reason they lived in tents or temporary dwellings. It also celebrated the harvest, and God’s provision. (See Leviticus 23:33-43)  the great day A day of great festivity.  During the ceremony a priest would lead a procession down to the Pool of Siloam, and fill a pitcher with water. Then he would bring the pitcher back to the altar, and pour the water over it. This was a jubilant celebration, with trumpets, shouting, and chanting, based from Isaiah 12:3, “With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.”   Jesus stood up to make himself visible Christ does not hide himself  and cried out, raised his voice over the crowd  “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. That is, if you truly want to draw from the well of salvation, if you thirst spiritually, then you must accept Christ, the only path to eternal life. All men and women thirst this way, and no worldly pursuit can satisfy a dry soul. Jesus can. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”  The Holy Spirit descends upon all believers, and that is the gift of God. It is an eternal spring of God’s comfort, if we do not grieve it or suppress it. 

Longing for the Lord (Psalm 84) Commentary

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How lovely is your dwelling place,
    O Lord of hosts!  The temple, buiIt for his worship; Heaven, where there is no sin, no illness, no pain or suffering. There will be no tears, and the Lord shall be our light. (Rev 21-22) How lovely is all of God’s creation!
My soul longs, yes, faints
    for the courts of the Lord;  Drawn to God; He designed us this way, to find Him as the sole fulfillment of our emptiness; Longing for forgiveness
my heart and flesh sing for joy
    to the living God.  To Jesus! Our Lord and Savior, crucified for us, but risen!

Even the sparrow finds a home,
and the swallow a nest for herself,
    where she may lay her young,  Don’t be afraid, You are of more value than many sparrows, (Matt 10:31)
at your altars, O Lord of hosts,
     my King and my God.   Altars of the temple; At your footstool, the earth, where we worship.  (Is 66:1)
Blessed are those who dwell in your house,
    ever singing your praise! Selah  Who worship Jesus, and are heirs to the inheritance of eternal life.

 Blessed are those whose strength is in you, For the Lord is unfailing
in whose heart are the highways to Zion.  The righteous path; following Jesus to the Holy City

As they go through the Valley of Baca
    they make it a place of springs;   A valley of weeping or mourning in a world cursed by sin, overcome by faith in Christ
     the early rain also covers it with pools.  For God’s providence is with them;
They go from strength to strength;  Rejoicing in their trials, doing all things through Christ who strengthens
    each one appears before God in Zion.  In final judgement, to receive their inheritance

O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer;
    give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah   Not any other but the one true God
Behold our shield, O God;
    look on the face of your anointed!  Our protector; Be our light, show us Christ

 For a day in your courts is better
    than a thousand elsewhere.  Where there is Love and not sin
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
    than dwell in the tents of wickedness. In humility we approach you, Lord, as servants, away from the  wicked who perish! The lowest place in your kingdom is greater than the highest in theirs!
For the Lord God is a sun and shield;   A light and guide for our lives, a protector of our souls
the Lord bestows favor and honor.   Humble yourself and be exalted
No good thing does he withhold
    from those who walk uprightly. Love your God, love your Neighbor as yourself; Walk with Jesus, by the Spirit
O Lord of hosts, 
     blessed is the one who trusts in you!  Not meaning in wordly goods, though God does bestow gifts upon us, but by being sanctified by the Holy Spirit; being set apart for Him; blessed with his  providence, mercy, and love.

You Seek Jesus of Nazareth (Mark 16:1-8) Commentary

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 Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb  Many people still search for Jesus in a tomb, but do not find him. Christ was resurrected! To search for him as anything else is futile. Only false gods are dead. Seek instead the true living God, above all else.  and they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?”  The stone was too large for the women to move. Instead of worrying about our trials we should be  praying about them. Many obstacles are thrown in front of those who seek Christ, by unbelievers and the enemy, to discourage us from our pursuit. Give these troubles to God, and let him guide you past them.

But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. To reveal that Jesus was not there; to show he had risen. The Lord may put us on a particular path that he may reveal to us his glory.  As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.  At the presence of the angel.

“Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene,  who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. The women were expecting to find the body of Jesus. There is no death in Jesus, we find life in Christ. See the place where they laid him. Witness for yourselves, His victory over death and sin!

 Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.  The evil one utilizes fear to keep us from speaking the name of Jesus. Let your fear drive you to the Lord, not withhold you from him. The disciples by themselves were fearful, but they were given courage by the Holy Spirit, and were able to preach boldly- even in the face of death.

But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you. Tell Peter, tell him especially, because his heart grieves over his denial of Jesus. The Lord wants none of us to suffer in our sin, He offers us repentance, He offers to bear our burdens.  We will see Christ again, as he told us; he will return.

Jesus at the Door (Song of Solomon 5:2-8), Commentary

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 I slept, but my heart was awake. Do not sleep lest you fall into temptation, keep your hearts awake.
A sound! My beloved is knocking.   Jesus approaches us; Our souls our drawn to God,
“Open to me, my sister, my love,
    my dove, The Holy Spirit descends as a dove, and our bodies are its temple
my perfect one,  Only made perfect through Christ
for my head is wet with dew,
    my locks with the drops of the night.”  With the dew of heaven; (see Genesis 27:28, Hosea 14:5) In Hosea 6:4,  Dew is used as an example of brevity, here one moment gone the next, which is a recurring theme in the passage
I had put off my garment;
    how could I put it on?  
I had bathed my feet;
    how could I soil them?  We may carelessly make excuses to accept the call of Christ. Churches caught in the comfort of modern culture and opinion set the truth of Christ aside.
My beloved put his hand to the latch,
    and my heart was thrilled within me.  The Spirit stirs us up, Our souls long to be healed, and would be, if we should open the door to Jesus. Jesus is coming soon! We should be thrilled for his return!
I arose to open to my beloved,
and my hands dripped with myrrh,
my fingers with liquid myrrh,
    on the handles of the bolt.  Because the Lord had touched the door, He left his essence upon it. The myrhh was dripping;My cup runneth over with the blessings of God;
I opened to my beloved,
    but my beloved had turned and gone.  Let us not shut out Christ, for the sake of worldly comfort, should He depart from our churches, from our hearts. Let us not deny Him, should He come to collect his people and we are left behind.  Let us not avoid Him, should our lives end tomorrow, and our chance for redemption was never taken.
My soul failed me when he spoke.  The guilt of sin burdens us, and we decieve ourselves as unworthy of forgiveness. Yet Jesus bears that burden for us, and sets us free.
I sought him, but found him not;  
     I called him, but he gave no answer.  How dreadful to search for Lord and find his voice suppressed! Crosses hidden, Bibles burned, Prayer outlawed– Seek the Lord while he is near! How terrible to find He has come and gone, and we had not invited Him in, and were left! How awful, to find our lives here over, and we were too busy, to accept eternal life!
 The watchmen found me  as they went about in the city;
they beat me, they bruised me,  The enemies of Christ, haters of truth, persecuting the church and those who seek Jesus.
they took away my veil,
    those watchmen of the walls.  Assaulting the church; corrupting its purity.
 I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem,
    if you find my beloved,  An appeal to other believers, other churches; Christ,
that you tell him
     I am sick with love.  Prepared to accept Christ; Let this moment not come too late, for anyone.