Archive | September 2014

Like Newborn Babies

Sep10

like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, — 1 Peter 2:2

“like newborn babies”. As I watch my new granddaughter long for the milk, sometimes not very quietly, every two to three hours it brings to mind that she needs this to grow big and strong. Most newborn babies lose weight their first week of life but my granddaughter has gained a quarter pound already. She longs to feed. She needs it, longs for it, cries for it and is not satisfied until she is full.

I thought, how do I long for the Word of God? If I am going to grow in my salvation I need to feed on the Word of God. I need to long for it as a baby longs for milk. Is my desire so strong that I cry out for it if I am not fed regularly?

Are you losing weight or gaining weight? The Word is necessary for growth in your Christian faith. How many meals do you miss in a day? How many opportunities pass by you to be in the Word in a day? Are you suffering from malnutrition? Why not try some Word today and nourish your spiritual life. Give it a try, it may be as honey to your lips.

How sweet are Your words to my taste! Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth! — Psalm 119:103

Continually seeking Him,

Sharon

Legacy

Sep9

I will sing of the lovingkindness of the Lord forever; To all generations I will make known Your faithfulness with my mouth. 26 “He will cry to Me, ‘You are my Father, My God, and the rock of my salvation.’ — Psalms 89:1, 26

“To all generations I will make known Your faithfulness with my mouth.” Is this the legacy you are leaving behind? Will you be remembered for sharing the Lord’s faithfulness to you? Are you crying out to God, “You are my Father, My God, and the rock of my salvation”? Do others know that God is your Father, God and Rock? Will Jesus be exalted and remembered by the life you leave behind?

Make a difference. Know God intimately and He will establish your legacy.

Continually seeking Him,

Sharon

Falling

Sep8

When he falls, he will not be hurled headlong, Because the Lord is the One who holds his hand. — Psalm 37:24

We all stumble at times and sometimes we fall. We beat ourselves up more than our God does. He sustains us with His hand. As I read this I remember holding my children’s hands as they were learning to walk and they would stumble a little and there they would be dangling and swinging from my hand but not touching the ground. They had not skinned their knees or worse yet hurled headlong onto the ground. Just as we care for our children, our Father cares even more for us. Take the step. If you fall, know that our Lord is holding on tight to your hand. He is there all the way.

Continually seeking Him,

Sharon

Childlike Trust

Sep7

Childlike Trust in the Lord.
A Song of Ascents, of David.

O Lord, my heart is not proud, nor my eyes haughty;
Nor do I involve myself in great matters,
Or in things too difficult for me.
2 Surely I have composed and quieted my soul;
Like a weaned child rests against his mother,
My soul is like a weaned child within me.
3 O Israel, hope in the Lord
From this time forth and forever. — Psalm 131

Childlike faith leaves no room for worry, no room for stress from responsibility or “too much on my plate”, or insecurity. My Father has it all under control. I can trust that He wants the best for me and will supply all my needs. And . . . if I would just get out of His way and let Him lead, I would be so much more secure in my life. As David pleads with Israel to hope in the Lord, I believe the Lord wants us to hope in Him from this time forth and forever. It is so worth it.

Continually seeking Him,

Sharon

Days Are Coming

Sep6

“Behold, days are coming,” declares the Lord God, “When I will send a famine on the land, Not a famine for bread or a thirst for water, But rather for hearing the words of the Lord. 12 “People will stagger from sea to sea And from the north even to the east; They will go to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, But they will not find it. — AMOS 8:11

Pray for a thirsty land and a thirsty you. Pray that God will make hungry the USA for the word of God and seek it while it is still able to be found. Pray that God will give you a thirst for His word. None of us are beyond the need for God’s word. Hide it in your heart. One day we may not have the word of God so easily available to us, so we will need to have it in our hearts to recall it for strength, comfort, guidance, and hope. Heed the warning and tell others of God’s word. What we take for granted now — a Bible or two or more on the bookshelf –we may not have access to one day. Think about it. Can you live without access to the Holy Bible?

Continually seeking Him,

Sharon

Dwelling

Sep5

One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord And to meditate in His temple. — Psalms 27:4

What a worthy pursuit: “One thing I have asked . . . that I shall seek.” That I would have the awesome privilege to dwell*, to behold the beauty of the Lord (WOW!!!!!) and, as if that isn’t enough, to meditate in His temple.

We have an awesome privilege. Are you dwelling? Are you beholding His beauty? Are you meditating in His temple? (Remember that your body is the temple). 24/7 meditating, pondering, lingering.

Continually seeking Him,

Sharon

* 1. to live or stay as a permanent resident; reside.
2. to live or continue in a given condition or state: to dwell in happiness.
3. to linger over, emphasize, or ponder in thought, speech, or writing

Rejoicing?

Sep4

For our heart rejoices in Him, Because we trust in His holy name. — Psalm 33:21

Having trouble rejoicing in the Lord? Could it be a lack of trust in Him? Or maybe it’s because we just don’t take everything to Him and then trust that He loves and cares for us to help us with everything we take to Him.

What is it that is frustrating you right now? What is it that is stressing you out right now? What is it that is consuming all your thoughts, movements, emotions, time?

Go to the Lord, seek His face. Tell Him everything. Then . . . Let it go. Trust Him to see you through — giving the strength, direction, wisdom, whatever it takes to be victorious for His glory!

So let your heart rejoice in Him because you trust in His holy name.

Continually seeking Him,

Sharon

Grandchildren

Sep3

Children’s children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children. — Proverbs 17:6 NIV

If the aged are those who have grandchildren then I will give in and agree that I am aged. And if grandchildren are a crown to the aged then I will have to say that my crown was filled yesterday with the most beautiful jewel weighing eight pounds, one ounce. I was blessed by our good Lord with a beautiful granddaughter yesterday and she is truly a joy beyond expression. I cannot thank my Lord enough for His wonderful bundle of joy wrapped in a pink precious little girl. My heart was overwhelmed by this little delicate child.

And to see the proud parents of this little girl beaming almost as bright as the jewel in my crown overjoyed my heart. I thank God they chose to have this baby and their decision to raise her in a Christian home. If this does not speak of the power of God in the lives of believers I don’t know what does. May they choose to glorify God through the family they have. I know I will be praying for them.

Thank you for allowing me to ramble on about my grand-baby but all is to the glory of God who allowed me to experience such a miraculous life event.

Continually seeking Him,

Sharon

The Bible — Word of God

Sep2

Just how important is the Bible — the Word of God? To mankind as a whole? How important is it to you? Is it a priority in your life? Do you consider it the sustenance that keeps your spiritual life alive and well? Are you well fed?

The Bible says the Word of God is:

“the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes” — Romans 1:16
“faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” — Romans 10:17
“you have been born again through the living and enduring word of God.” — 1 Peter 1:23

The Word blesses those who read and obey:

“Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near.” — Revelation 1:3
“This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.” — Joshua 1:8

The Word of God brings light to the darkness, understanding:

“So we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts.” — 2 Peter 1:19
“Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.” — Psalm 119:105
“The unfolding of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple.” — Psalm 119:130
“For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching is light; And reproofs for discipline are the way of life” — Proverbs 6:23

The Word of God is used for convicting, discipline, teaching:

“For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” — Hebrews 4:12
“and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;” — 2 Timothy 3:15-16

The Word of God is food for growth:

“like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation,” — 1 Peter 2:2
“And now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.” — Acts 20:32

The Word of God tells of Jesus!!!:

“You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me;” — John 5:39

Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls. But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does. — James 1:21-25

My hope is that you are feasting richly on God’s wonderful Word.

Continually seeking Him,

Sharon

Promise: The Holy Spirit

Sep1

I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances. — Ezekiel 32:27

O how blessed we are to have the gift of the Holy Spirit. Have you received Him? To receive the Holy Spirit we must believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who came to earth, born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, and for our sake died on a cross and was resurrected from the dead so that we would be reconciled to God. When we have accepted Jesus as our Savior and Lord we receive the Holy Spirit.

God puts the Holy Spirit within us. The Holy Spirit will cause us to walk in our God’s statutes and help us to observe His ordinances. Who knows the statutes and ordinances better than the Spirit of God? God wants us to succeed in following Him and obeying Him. He does not set us up for failure. Let us thank God for His Holy Spirit. What a wonderful promise.

Continually seeking Him,

Sharon