Seeking daily

As a Christian our heart should yearn for the things of the Lord. Sadly, we often allow our lives and minds to be so filled with other things that our hearts are enticed away from God.
My true prayer this year is to ask God for a renewed yearning for Him. I have failed him in so many ways this past year. We all sin but to dwell on it and keep our focus on them is wrong. Often we allow ourselves to be pulled down by that. Satan loves to dwell on our faults. That is not what God wants. He wants us to confess them and then move on from them.
Proverbs 28:13  He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.

The Lord wants us to forsake the sins. When I look up a word I go to the Webster's 1828. 

Forsake -  1. To quit or leave entirely; to desert; to abandon; to depart from. 

2. To abandon; to renounce; to reject.

A friend asked me to do a Scripture Writing plan with her this year. I am excited by how perfect the passages have been already.

Yesterday's verses 

Isaiah 43:15-19
Thus saith the LORD, which maketh a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters; 
Which bringeth forth the chariot and horse, the army and the power; they shall lie down together, they shall not rise: they are extinct, they are quenched as tow. 
Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. 
Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.

vs 18 addresses that perfectly. Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. We need to confess and MOVE ON! vs 19 says Behold, I will do a new thing; - make a choice to make a change. That was the challenge from yesterday. 

Today's continues on that line. 

Lamentations 3:22 -26

   It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. 

  They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. 

  The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. 

  The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. 

  It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD. 

vs. 22 Our sins deserve punishment - daily, immediate, harsh YET God in his mercy does not give us what we deserve. His compassion is there for us!! 

vs 23 "new every morning" Wow! We have a fresh start each day. God does want repentance as we need. My husband has a saying "keep a short account of your sins". When we sin and know it confess it immediately don't wait. When we sin and "let it slide" it is easier to keep on that downward slide. That is what I have allowed over and over this past year until I felt so burdened and heavy by the weight of sin. We find an answer for this in Hebrews 12:1b "let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,"

lay it aside and run FORWARD continue on the race that God has given us.

vs 24 "the Lord is my portion" The amount he sees that I need. He promises to supply my needs. Often we see our wants as needs. He truly knows our needs. Sometimes those needs are trials to make us stronger. The end of the verse "I hope in him". I pray that the Lord will keep my eyes this year focused solely on Him and not hope in my self, finances, friends, or even my husband. 

vs 25 reminds us that we are best when we wait for Him. In that waiting time we should seek. James 4:8  Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.  He promises when we seek and draw to Him he draws to us. There are times in life that I have felt God is far away. When I truly examine my life in an honest light I see that it is not Him that is far away but rather me. I have left Him not the other way around. 

vs 26 This is sometimes hard for us to accept. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait.

quietly wait

first off anyone who knows me knows that I am not often quiet. I love to talk! 😊 

I decided to go the Esword (online concordance) and look up "be quiet". A few verses stood out to me.

Psalm 107:30  Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven. 

We will be glad when we are quiet. Being quiet in the Lord is SO important yet so hard. We want to tell him our thoughts and wants. The next verse I found goes with that thought.

Proverbs 1:33  But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil. 

we dwell safely when we let him lead and do the work. Often we think we some how need to help God accomplish things for us. God is quite capable and we need to let him.

I Thessalonians 4:11 And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you;

We are to be quiet and do our business. Let God do His. 

the word in verse 26 is wait - nobody really likes to wait

I love the verse Psalm 130:5  I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope. 

This verse talks about waiting but it also shows us how. "in his word". When we are abiding in Christ by drawing close to Him then we find hope in the wait.

I so often forget this. I wait and WORRY, fret, or try to work it out myself.

My prayer for today.

Lord, please help me to see you mercies each day. Help me to rest and wait on you. You see the whole picture of my day, month, year. I need to allow you to guide me in each step. Give me strength to abide in you and not try to run ahead. I long to have a close dependent relationship with you. Keep my eyes on you! Thank you for your compassion on me. Help me to show that same compassion and mercy to those around me. Let me guide my children by example of your love. May my day be pleasing to you.

I hope my ramblings make sense. I am basically just writing (typing) as the thoughts come to me. I am sharing here for myself but also in hopes to maybe help someone else a little.

Feel free comment and share your own thoughts. I enjoy feedback!

Happy January 2nd!! Have a good day in the Lord!