Their Voice Has Gone Out To All The Earth

All Glory To God Forever (Inspired by Psalm 19)



The heavens sing of Thy glory,

The skies reveal Thy work 

Every day they sing of Thee

In songs that have no words...


Every day and night they sing

They pour forth melodies
 
In a language without sound

Their love to Thee they bring.



Though their speech be silent

Their grammar be unknown
Their syntax may be foreign
Yet God will make them known...


Everywhere in all the earth

In every place they go 

God makes their language understood

Where their songs are sown.



They sing God’s holy truths

Every night and day

They glorify the Most High

They praise His holy name...



Before all of the Angels

And all the Universe

Their songs are triumphs of His grace

That display His works...



All glory to God forever 

They’re singing all the day...

All glory! Glory! Glory!

May Christ be ever praised!


All glory to Christ forever

Who saved the world from sin

May Christ be praised forevermore

By all who honor Him,

In Jesus’ holy name,

Amen.


(Prayer Song) All Glory To Christ, 
Copyright © 2019 by SD Harden All rights reserved.
 
___________________________________________________

For Meditation

• “The heavens declare the glory of God. The expanse shows His handiwork. Day after day they pour out speech, and night after night they display knowledge.

    • There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. Their voice has gone out through all the earth, their words to the end of the world...” Psalms 19:1-4 WEB 
 


• “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known of God is revealed in them, for God revealed it to them.


• "For the invisible things of Him since the creation of the world are clearly seen, being perceived through the things that are made, even His everlasting power and divinity; that they may be without excuse."         

• 
"Because, *knowing God, they didn’t glorify Him as God, neither gave thanks, but became vain in their reasoning, and their senseless heart was darkened.”~ Romans 1:18-21 WEB    


*Please note that Paul addresses these words to those who are Believers in God, to those who DO KNOW GOD. The word Paul used for *know is:

•    Strongs1097 γινώσκω [GINW/SKW] {ginṓskō} \ghin-oce'-ko\a prolonged form of a primary verb; to "know" (absolutely)(allow, be aware (of), feel, (have) know(-ledge), perceived, be resolved, can speak, be sure, understand.

*Please re-read the above passages in Romans 1 -not as addressed to unbelievers, -but as to the believer who has suppressed the truth about God in Christ...
One needs to READ the Bible and not merely books ABOUT the Bible, i.e., --commentaries by people. 
Because we are ALL human and we all make mistakes.

One needs to read what our Lord Jesus and the Apostles taught~~not what so and so taught, or even what a denomination or school or theology or philosophy that professes to be Christianity taught or teaches ~because our destiny is at stake.

Jesus said, “But don’t you be called ‘Rabbi,’ for one is your teacher, the Christ, and all of you are brothers. Call no man on the earth your father, for one is your Father, he who is in heaven. Neither be called masters, for one is your master, the Christ. But he who is greatest among you will be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” ~Matthew 23:8-12 WEB

If we argue that the pastor or a famous person is more educated and better able to teach us than Jesus Christ from His Word or the Holy Spirit through His word, then we do not truly believe Jesus’ words.

We become a follower of our pastor or famous teacher, author, philosopher, or school rather than Jesus Christ when we believe their words have more authority than the risen Lord and Savior whom we profess to love and serve.
However, that person we are following and putting our faith in cannot save us from our sins.

If we are a follower of a human and not actually following Christ, we confess by our lives that we do not actually believe the above words Christ spoke that He alone must be our MAIN TEACHER~ RABBI; nor will we ever comprehend or really believe in our hearts the following verses ( *See below) from the Word of God.

If any teacher or leader suppresses these important teachings or tries to explain or twist  them so that they do not mean just what the reader absolutely understands that they mean, then those leaders deny Christ and suppress the truth about God.

Meditate on the following bible verses…they reinforce Jesus’ teachings that we must abide in HIM, allow His Holy Spirit to privately teach us as we maintain a consistent prayer life with Him, worship Him, and personally study His Word with Him that we might come to know our Lord and Savior personally and glorify Him as we were created to.

All we have is idolatry if we reverse His paradigm of worshiping Jesus first and foremost.
If we make anything but Jesus our Head, we will have only an idol.

The first commandment is to love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, soul, mind, and strength. (Deuteronomy 6:5)

If we stop loving JESUS as our Head, we will wander off into error and we will, before we know it, change the truth of God into a lie and be self deceived yet still call ourselves a Christian.
Meditate:

    •    Jesus said, “He that loveth Me not keepeth not My sayings: and the word which ye hear is not Mine, but the Father's which sent Me."

    •    "These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you."

    •    "Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send Him unto you."

    •    "Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will shew you things to come. He shall glorify Me: for He shall receive of Mine, and shall shew it unto you.” ~ John 14:24-26,16:7,13-14 KJV  

    •    Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

    •    For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

    •    And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. 


    •    Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.

    •    They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.

    •    But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth.

    •    Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.

    •    Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also. 



    •    Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father.

    •    And this is the promise that He hath promised us, even eternal life. 

    •    These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you.

    •    But the anointing which ye have received of Him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in Him.

    •    And now, little children, abide in Him; that, when He shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before Him at His coming. 


    •    If ye know that He is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of Him.”~ 1 John 2:15-29 - KJV     

Unto The Least Of These, Copyright © 2019 by SD Harden, All rights reserved, All Glory to God, Prayer Poem, All Glory To God, Copyright © 2019 by SD Harden, All rights reserved, All Glory to Christ,Scripture Collage Painting, Copyright © 2019 by SD Harden, All rights reserved, All Glory to God, Scripture Quotations taken from the King James Version Bible, and World English Bible WEB) (Public Domain)






Thy Word Have I Hid In My Heart

A couple of years ago the Lord inspired me to create an Encouraging Scripture Promise Wall Calendar based on my Encouraging Card Collection. I loved my calendar for it would encourage me each morning with a promise from God’s word.

Whenever I was discouraged all I had to do was look up at the scripture on my calendar; somehow the Lord always used the bible verse to speak to my heart.

The promises in the Bible give us hope. And no wonder, for our God is “The God of hope.”(Romans 15:13)

The next year, I had three calendars printed.

I hung one in my kitchen, one at my work chair, and one beside my bed.

Anytime I felt sad or discouraged I would look up at one of my calendars, depending on which room I was in, read the bible promise, and be filled with fresh courage.

This year the Lord inspired me to create a new Wall Calendar featuring twelve comforting Bible Promises, one for each month of the year illustrated with my scripture paintings and collages.

He impressed upon me the importance of meditating upon His word every day, reminding me of Jesus’ words in Matthew 4:4 when tempted by the devil to turn stones into bread during His wilderness Temptations. Jesus fought the temptation with scripture:

“It is written, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” Matthew 4:4

In rebuking the devil with scripture, the Lord Jesus was teaching us how to fight the enemy: with His word. In Ephesians 6:17 Paul wrote “to take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” as a vital part of our spiritual armor against the deadly attacks of our unseen spiritual foe who is out to destroy our soul.

Knowledge of God’s word is not only vital to our survival as believers in spiritual warfare, but the Psalmist said, “Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against Thee.” Psalm 119:11

The promises of God comfort and give us hope, keep us from going astray, aid us in defeating our spiritual enemies, and they also guide us in the Lord’s paths of righteousness.

 “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.” Psalm 119:10
 

“Every word of God proves true…” Proverbs 30:5

The Apostle Paul wrote that we grow our faith by nourishing ourselves with a steady diet of God’s Holy Word. For it is our spiritual food, that will help us grow closer to our God if we will make it our daily habit to read it and obey it.

In this way we will learn to understand the Lord’s will for us, to discern His voice in our hearts, and find out what pleases and displeases Him.

This year the Lord has inspired me to study and meditate on the bible promises on my calendars each month in a new way.

Each morning I plan to meditate on the bible promise for the month and pray about how it applies to me and where I am on my life’s journey with the Lord.

I’m going to ask the Holy Spirit to teach me new insights as I study the scripture more in depth along with other bible study tools, like the Strong’s concordance, the Matthew Henry Bible Commentary, and my Study Bible.

I plan to pray over the scripture throughout the month and ask the Lord to teach me new things about that promise each day. I have learned that we can never exhaust all of the riches to be found in God’s holy word!

“In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” Colossians 2:3

I hope by studying God’s promises in this way, that by the end of each month I will have memorized each of the bible promises featured on the calendar.

By the year’s end, if I meditate on these verses daily,  then I will make them all my very own, for the Lord has shown me that this is one very good way to hide His word in my heart and make it my treasure.

I would be so honored if you would get one of my scripture calendars and join me in studying God’s promises each day.

May the Lord bless you!

Prayer

Heavenly Father,

Help me to hide Thy word in my heart every day. Please use Thy word to help me become more like Thy Son Jesus Christ. Help me to always obey everything that You teach me from Your word, so that it doesn’t just go in one ear and out the other. I ask that You let Your word be my treasure now and for always. Thank you, Lord, I love you, In Jesus mighty name, amen.

For more information about my Bible Promise Calendar and Encouraging Scripture Promise Calendar see my Etsy Shop Listings below: (Links will take you to my Etsy Shop.)

2018 Comforting Bible Promise Calendar

The 2018 Encouraging Scripture Promise Calendar

Thy Word Have I Hid In My Heart, Unto The Least Of These  © 2017 SD Harden All rights reserved. Scripture Paintings (Thy Word Is a Lamp To My Feet, Thy Word Have I Hid In My Heart, Faith Comes By Hearing © SD Harden 2017 All rights reserved./ Scripture Quotations KJV Bible/ 2018 Comforting Bible Promise Calendar & 2018 Encouraging Scripture Promise Calendar © SD Harden All Rights Reserved.

Faith is the Two A's

Faith is The Two A's

The following devotional "Faith is The Two A's" was written by  Reverend Donald Peters, the Pastor of our church. 
He'd preached a wonderful sermon on Faith and then included this excellent devotional from it in our bulletin last Sunday. He graciously gave me permission to share it on my blog.

Faith is the two A's: 
Accepting what God says and Acting upon it.
His Word is the Fact, and on that we Act.

Four Ways to grow our FAITH:

1. FOCUS primarily on God, rather than circumstances.
   When Peter focused on Jesus, he was able to walk on water. 

"You were raised from death with Christ. So live for what is in heaven, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God. 

 Think only about what is up there, not what is here on earth."~Colossians 3:1-2 (ERV)

"We must never stop looking to Jesus. He is the leader of our faith, and he is the one who makes our faith complete. He suffered death on a cross. But he accepted the shame of the cross as if it were nothing because of the joy he could see waiting for him. And now he is sitting at the right side of God’s throne."
 Hebrews 12:2 (ERV)

2. Read the Bible thoughtfully and unhurriedly, allowing it to sink into your soul.
Romans 10: 17 reminds us, "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (KJV)

Psalm 1:1-3 (KJV) "Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful."
2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper." 

3. Pray to the Lord from the heart, because the Christian has a personal relationship with Him.

Psalm 62:8 (KJV) "Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us."

Romans 8:26 (KJV) "Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered."

4. Act on what the Lord reveals to you through the Word and prayer, for faith is incomplete until we do.


James 1:22 (ERV) ^"Do what God’s teaching says; don’t just listen and do nothing. When you only sit and listen, you are fooling yourselves."

James 1:25 (NASB) "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."


“But My righteous one will live by faith." ~ Hebrews 10:38 (NIV)

Heavenly Father, Thy Son Jesus Christ said that if we had faith even as small as a mustard seed we could move a mountain. We ask You to give us more faith. Fill our hearts with faith, hope and rivers of peace; may we always remember that You are in control and have engraved each one of us on the palms of Your almighty hands. May You meet the needs of everyone praying this prayer, In Jesus' name we ask, we love You, Lord, amen.

"Faith is the Two A's" ©  2015 Rev. Donald Peters All Rights Reserved.  Photo Credits via Pinterest Scripture Quotations: Easy To Read Version Bible (ERV)
Copyright © 2006 by World Bible Translation Center,
New American Standard Version Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960,
New International Version, NIV® Copyright ©1973,
King James Version (KJV) (Public Domain)
Prayer: S.D. Harden Unto The Least Of These © 2015 All Rights Reserved.

Bridge of Safety

     "Little Emily" Oil Painting Study by S.D. Harden 

   (after an original illustration by Jessie Willcox Smith)

"Faith is what makes real the things we hope for. It is proof of what we cannot see. 

Faith helps us understand that God created the whole world by his command. 

This means that the things we see were made by something that cannot be seen. 

Without faith no one can please God. Whoever comes to God must believe that he is real and that he rewards those who sincerely try to find him."  Hebrews 11:1, 3, 6

"Little Emily" is an oil painting study I did in college when I was 20 years old. It's a copy of an illustration by my favorite illustrator Jessie Willcox Smith. (1865-1934)

(The original by JW Smith is far nicer in every way if you want to compare them.)

But as a young art student I loved copying all of my favorite artists in the hopes that I could someday attain to their level of excellence. 

Little Emily seems to me an illustration of someone who is walking by faith.

Balanced on a narrow beam over a deep body of water into which she could fall at any moment, she nervously walks toward her goal. 

In my heart, I imagine that the narrow beam she is walking on is God's trusted word. It will not fail her. But she must stay upon it. The way of life is narrow. And one must not walk to the right or to the left.

And if one turns back~look at the painting~she goes off the deep end!  

The past exists no more. 

One just has to keep going forward, walking on the path of God's proven word. 

Jesus said, "The whole world, earth and sky, will be destroyed, but my words will last forever." (Matthew 24:35)

God never lies. We can trust His word.

"God is not like people. He tells no lies. He is not like humans. He doesn’t change His mind. When (God) says something, He does it. When He makes a promise, He keeps it." ~ (Numbers 23:19)

That painting reminds me of how so often our lives are a balancing act of faith over deep waters upon the bridge of God's trusted word.

God is in His word. God is in our hearts. He will not fail us. As we keep our eyes focused on Christ, and do not become distracted, we will not lose our balance and fall into the sea of worry, doubt, fear, depression, anxiety and everything else that robs us of our joy.

But if we do somehow fall, we have a Good Shepherd, a Savior with a powerful hand  who will reach down into those murky depths and pull us out. 

His word promises:

"God reached down from on high and took hold of me; He drew me out of deep waters." (Psalm 18:16)

"The steps of good men are directed by the Lord. He delights in each step they take. If they fall, it isn’t fatal, for the Lord holds them with his hand." (Psalm 37:23-24)

We serve a mighty God. He says, "I am the Lord. I am the God of every person on the earth. You know that nothing is impossible for me.” (Jeremiah 32:27)

Prayer: Thank You, Heavenly Father, that nothing is impossible for You! You can keep us on the path of life, restore us if we somehow fall, and that Your word is our bridge of safety that will never fail us. We love You. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Unto The Least of These "Bridge of Safety" © 2014 S.D. Harden All Rights Reserved. Illustration: "Little Emily" Oil Painting copy by © S.D.Harden (after an original illustration by Jessie Willcox Smith) 

New Year's Prayer 2014

Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus, Holy Spirit, please bless all Thy children in the coming year.

Fill us with rivers of peace and hope from the eternal springs of heaven. 

Scatter all our fears and anxieties to the four winds and whisper a song of assurance deep

in our hearts that all will be well. 

Lord, draw us closer to Thy heart. Let the light within us not be darkness. 

Fill us with a holy passion for Thy word and help us to hide it daily in our hearts that we might not be deceived by false teachings.

Good Shepherd Jesus, teach us to distinguish Thy voice above all the voices that daily compete for our attention; all the false voices that pretend to represent You; Lord give us great powers of holy discernment. 

Precious Lord, help us to always abide in You, to learn to pray without ceasing, to give thanks in all circumstances, and to rejoice always. 

Help us to never give up, no matter what challenge may come our way, knowing that You are always with us and will never leave or forsake us.

Lord, help us to remember that You are the Eternal Light and that no darkness has ever or can ever overcome You, and that as long as we abide in You, no darkness can ever overpower us either.

Thank You, Lord. I love You. In Jesus Name. Amen.

John 1:4-5 (Christ) was the source of life, and that life was the light for humanity. The light shines in the dark, and the dark has never extinguished it. 

Unto The Least of These, New Year's Prayer 2014, © S.D. Harden 

Illustration Source/Internet

Hide God's Word In Your Heart

Bible Study Prayer

Dearest Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus, Holy Spirit, 

help me to diligently hide Your Holy Word in my heart every day. 

Please "let the word of Christ dwell in me richly."

Please give me Wisdom, Insight & Understanding as I meditate on Thy Word.

•BEGIN WITH PRAYER 

•READ THE BIBLE

•MEDITATE ON THE BIBLE

•READ WHAT OTHERS HAVE WRITTEN ON THE BIBLE

•PASS THE BIBLE ALONG TO OTHERS

•Holy Spirit, please guide me into all Thy Truth.

•Lord, open my eyes to behold wonderful things out of Thy Law. (Psalm 119:18)

•Lord, "...may the eyes of my understanding be enlightened, that I may know what is the hope of His Calling, & what are the riches of the Glory of His Inheritance in the Saints..." (Ephesians 1:17:18)

Heavenly Father, I ask all these things in Jesus' holy name. Thank you Lord. I love You. Amen. 

Unto The Least Of These, "Prayer To Hide God's Word In My Heart", © 2013 S.D. Harden; Bible Study Plan Adapted from  Bible Author & Teacher J. Vernon McGhee/Photo Illustration Source/Pinterest