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911

Sep11

Why do you boast in evil, O mighty man?
The lovingkindness of God endures all day long.
Your tongue devises destruction,
Like a sharp razor, O worker of deceit.
You love evil more than good,
Falsehood more than speaking what is right. Selah.
You love all words that devour,
O deceitful tongue.

But God will break you down forever;
He will snatch you up and tear you away from your tent,
And uproot you from the land of the living. Selah.
The righteous will see and fear,
And will laugh at him, saying,
“Behold, the man who would not make God his refuge,
But trusted in the abundance of his riches
And was strong in his evil desire.”

But as for me, I am like a green olive tree in the house of God;
I trust in the lovingkindness of God forever and ever.
I will give You thanks forever, because You have done it,
And I will wait on Your name, for it is good, in the presence of Your godly ones. — Psalm 52

On this, the 14th anniversary of the World Trade Center bombing, let us remember that God is still on His throne. Trust in the lovingkindness of God and of great importance — thank Him. The ungodly will not prevail. God has a plan.

Continually seeking Him,

Sharon

Broken And Contrite Heart

Sep10

Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness;
According to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity
And cleanse me from my sin.
For I know my transgressions,
And my sin is ever before me.
Against You, You only, I have sinned
And done what is evil in Your sight,
So that You are justified when You speak
And blameless when You judge.

Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
And in sin my mother conceived me.
Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being,
And in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom.
Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Make me to hear joy and gladness,
Let the bones which You have broken rejoice.
Hide Your face from my sins
And blot out all my iniquities.

Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from Your presence
And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation
And sustain me with a willing spirit.
Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
And sinners will be converted to You.

Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, the God of my salvation;
Then my tongue will joyfully sing of Your righteousness.
O Lord, open my lips,
That my mouth may declare Your praise.
For You do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it;
You are not pleased with burnt offering.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.

— Psalm 51:1-17

The Lord is near to the brokenhearted
And saves those who are crushed in spirit.

— Psalm 34:18

Continually seeking Him,

         Sharon

Isaac and Rebekah’s Prayers

Sep9

Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was barren; and the Lord answered him and Rebekah his wife conceived. But the children struggled together within her; and she said, “If it is so, why then am I this way?” So she went to inquire of the Lord. — Genesis 25:21-22

Two phrases here stood out to me this morning, “Isaac prayed on behalf of his wife” and “She went to inquire of the Lord”.

In this self-centered, self-focused world it is refreshing to read how a husband prayed for the desire of his wife, according to God’s will (that man should procreate).

And I find it so true to life that sometimes when we get what we desire it isn’t always pleasant or as we expected. As is the case with Rebekah. But don’t miss this. Where did she go in her distress? To inquire of the Lord.

Today we are so quick to pray for ourselves and our desires, for things of this world instead of for the ways or purpose of God. When was the last time you prayed sincerely for your significant other (spouse, fiance, boy or girl friend)? Or your parent, sibling, mother-in-law? Do we even know their spiritual desires or needs?

When was the last time you went to God first with your distress, worries, problems? Or is your significant other, best friend, co-worker, therapist, etc. the first one you run to?

We have an all knowing, all loving God who would love to hear from us on a daily basis. Even a minute by minute basis sharing our burdens, desires, requests for His will in our lives as well as in the lives of others.

Who do you know that needs your prayers today?

Continually seeking Him,

Sharon

Eyes Wide Open

Sep8

Abraham’s wife and her maid, the mother of Abraham’s son Ishmael, did not always get along (to say the least). Sarah finally said, enough is enough, and went to Abraham to have her and Ishmael sent away. In great distress, but in obedience to God, Abraham sent Hagar and Ishmael away.

So Abraham rose early in the morning and took bread and a skin of water and gave them to Hagar, putting them on her shoulder, and gave her the boy, and sent her away. And she departed and wandered about in the wilderness of Beersheba.

When the water in the skin was used up, she left the boy under one of the bushes. Then she went and sat down opposite him, about a bowshot away, for she said, “Do not let me see the boy die.” And she sat opposite him, and  lifted up her voice and wept. God heard the lad crying; and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What is the matter with you, Hagar? Do not fear, for God has heard the voice of the lad where he is. Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him by the hand, for I will make a great nation of him.” Then God  opened her eyes and she saw a well of water; and she went and filled the skin with water and gave the lad a drink. — Genesis 21:14-19

Have you been there? I’m sure you have because life is not always kind. You are at the end of your rope, as Hagar is, and so you just distance yourself from the ones you love and focus on the situation before you. Have we forgotten the promises of God as Hagar did?

Moreover, the angel of the Lord said to her, “I will greatly multiply your descendants so that they will be too many to count.” The angel of the Lord said to her further,

“Behold, you are with child,
And you will bear a son;
And you shall call his name Ishmael,
Because the Lord has given heed to your affliction.

“He will be a wild donkey of a man,
His hand will be against everyone,
And everyone’s hand will be against him;
And he will live to the east of all his brothers.” — Genesis 16:10-12

God made His presence know and when she was reminded her eyes were open to God’s provision.

Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water; and she went and filled the skin with water and gave the lad a drink.

Our focus needs to be on God so we can see His provision. His way. His purpose. Seek Him through His Word where His promises will encourage us, strengthen us and lead us for our good and His glory. And when our focus shifts, we must seek Him in prayer to return our hearts to Him.

Continually seeking Him,

Sharon

Intercessory Prayer

Sep7

I will go down now, and see if they have done entirely according to its outcry, which has come to Me; and if not, I will know.” — Genesis 18:21 (bible gateway.com)

Abraham came near and said, “Will You indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked?   Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city; will You indeed sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous who are in it? Far be it from You to do such a thing, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous and the wicked are treated alike. Far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth deal justly?” So the Lord said, “If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare the whole place on their account.” And Abraham replied, “Now behold, I have ventured to speak to the Lord, although I am but dust and ashes. Suppose the fifty righteous are lacking five, will You destroy the whole city because of five?” And He said, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.” He spoke to Him yet again and said, “Suppose forty are found there?” And He said, “I will not do it on account of the forty.” Then he said, “Oh may the Lord not be angry, and I shall speak; suppose thirty are found there?” And He said, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.” And he said, “Now behold, I have ventured to speak to the Lord; suppose twenty are found there?” And He said, “I will not destroy it on account of the twenty.” Then he said, “Oh may the Lord not be angry, and I shall speak only this once; suppose ten are found there?” And He said, “I will not destroy it on account of the ten.” As soon as He had finished speaking to Abraham the Lord departed, and Abraham returned to his place. — Genesis 18:23-33 (biblegateway.com)

Intercessory prayer is pleading before the Lord on behalf of others. Are you standing before the throne of God on behalf of others? So many to be prayed for. All of us need to be praying. Are you willing? Who prayed and is still paying for you?

Continually seeking Him,

Sharon

Trust The Truth

Sep5

“The Rock! His work is perfect,
For all His ways are just;
A God of faithfulness and without injustice,
Righteous and upright is He.

— Deuteronomy 32:4

Do you believe that God, the Rock, is perfect, just, upright and faithful? Then why don’t you trust Him completely? Surrender everything and trust Him with your life.

Continually seeking Him,

Sharon

Origin of the Rainbow

Sep4

I establish My covenant with you; and all flesh shall never again be cut off by the water of the flood, neither shall there again be a flood to destroy the earth.” God said, “This is the sign of the covenant which I am making between Me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all successive generations; I set My bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a sign of a covenant between Me and the earth. It shall come about, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow will be seen in the cloud, and I will remember My covenant, which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and never again shall the water become a flood to destroy all flesh. When the bow is in the cloud, then I will look upon it, to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” And God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant which I have established between Me and all flesh that is on the earth.” — Genesis 9:11-17 (biblegateway.com)

Reminder. Promise. Covenant.

Continually seeking Him,

Sharon

What’s Your Excuse?

Aug20

God is not dead!!!! Hallelujah!!! He is real, alive, authentic, relational. And He wants you to know Him. What are you waiting for?

Stubborn? When they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they refused to believe it.— Mark 16:11

Uninformed? To these He also presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God. — Acts 1:3

Unwilling? You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me; and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life. — John 5:30-40

Afraid? “I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that have no more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear the One who, after He has killed, has authority to cast into hell; yes, I tell you, fear Him! — Luke 12:4-5

And He placed His right hand on me, saying, “Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades. — Revelation 1:17b-18

What are you going to do? The result, life or death, is your choice.

Continually seeking Him,

Sharon

King of Glory!

Aug18

Lift up your heads, O gates,
And be lifted up, O ancient doors,
That the King of glory may come in!
Who is the King of glory?
The Lord strong and mighty,
The Lord mighty in battle.

— Psalm 24:7-8

Continually seeking Him,

Sharon

Seeking Generation

Aug17

 

The earth is the Lord’s, and all it contains,

The world, and those who dwell in it.
2 For He has founded it upon the seas
And established it upon the rivers.
3 Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord?
And who may stand in His holy place?
4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
Who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood
And has not sworn deceitfully.
5 He shall receive a blessing from the Lord
And righteousness from the God of his salvation.
6 This is the generation of those who seek Him,
Who seek Your face—even  Jacob.              Selah.            — Psalm 24:1-6

Do we have a generation of seekers alive today? Who are those of the generation who seek Him, who seek His face?

Could it be those who dwell upon the earth knowing that the Lord is the Creator of the earth and all that it contains? Those who believe the world and they themselves belong to God? Could that person or persons have clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted their souls to falsehood nor sworn deceitfully and been blessed? Are you that person who has received righteousness from the God of your salvation and been granted entry into the Lord’s holy presence? Do you seek Him?

We need a generation that Seeks the Lord and His strength; that seeks His face continually. (Psalm 105:4) Are you a part of that generation?

Continually seeking Him,

Sharon