Unto The Least of These Encouraging Inspirational Messages of Hope

Showing posts with label thanksgiving. Show all posts
Showing posts with label thanksgiving. Show all posts

Friday, October 18, 2019

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)


Thursday, November 27, 2014

Lord, Give Me a Thankful Heart





“Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!” Psalm 107:8 (KJV)

 Lord, Give Me a Thankful Heart

Today is Thanksgiving, a day we remember to give thanks to our Creator for all of the blessings He has given to us.
If we are honest, each one of us, no matter what path we are on in our journey has only to look around us to see so many good things God has done for us. No matter what challenges we may be facing, there is always something to be thankful for.

Can we see? Thank God for our vision. Can we use our hands to pick something up or write or type with?
Thank God for the use of our hands even if we have pain.
Can we swallow food?
Thank God that we can swallow our food~ some people can’t even do this.
Can we hear the birds singing, children laughing? Thank God for our sense of hearing.
Can we smell the turkey cooking in the oven, the fresh rolls baking? Thank God for our sense of smell.
Can we walk? Thank God for this wonderful ability, even if we must use a walker to get around with-- at least we have mobility!
Do we have a job? Even if it is not what we had originally planned to do in life, at least it pays the bills, thank God for this job, and look for all the good things you can find that you like about it instead of what you don’t like about it. Then you will be happy.
Do we have a house, a roof over our heads? It may not be a mansion or even the house of our dreams, but it keeps us warm in the winter and shelters us from the storms.
It is a place where our family gathers and after all, what are fancy appearances but things to boast about and puff ourselves up with and make us proud?
Let us be grateful for our house no matter how humble, for our house is a very great blessing and a gift from our Heavenly Father. There are so many homeless.
Whatever gift we have been given, whether it be good health, or even a trial, yes—a trial can be a gift from heaven because it can lead us closer to God, we must look around and thank the Lord for all His blessings He’s given to us on our journey in this life, for there is always something to be thankful for, even in the midst of pain and suffering.

A defining characteristic of last days people is ingratitude.
St. Paul wrote these words to Timothy:

Remember this: There are some terrible times coming in the last days.  
People will love only themselves and money. They will be proud and boast about themselves. 
They will abuse others with insults. 
They will not obey their parents. 
They will be ungrateful and against all that is pleasing to God.  
They will have no love for others and will refuse to forgive anyone. 
They will talk about others to hurt them and will have no self-control. 
They will be cruel and hate what is good.  
People will turn against their friends. They will do foolish things without thinking and will be so proud of themselves. Instead of loving God, they will love pleasure.  
They will go on pretending to be devoted to God, but they will refuse to let that “devotion” change the way they live.
2 Timothy 3:1-5 (ERV)

The prophet Jeremiah wrote, “The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.” ~Lamentations 3:22-23 (NLT)

One wonders how Jeremiah could write these words after meditating on his story in the book of Lamentations. He was in indeed as he wrote, I am a man who has seen much trouble.” ~Lamentations 3:1(ERV)
He could write them because His focus was on His Creator and on all the good that God is and does.

Jesus Christ said that the lamp of the body is the eye, and that if our eye is evil then our whole body will be filled with darkness. In other words, if we keep looking for faults, we are going to constantly see them.
But if we rather look for the good, we will be walking in the light with God and we will be able to find peace, joy, and satisfaction no matter what our circumstances are.
“For God is light and in Him there is no darkness at all. “~ 1 John 1:5

God is looking for the good in us and He wants us to make an effort to look for the good in ourselves, in each other, and in our circumstances every day and to be thankful. 

Keeping a thankful journal can help us do this.  If we are having difficulty being satisfied with our situation or someone, write down everything we can find that we like about that thing or that person. Consciously focus on the positives.

It is the enemy’s job to go looking for faults in people, to go around accusing and criticizing and find things wrong. The bible calls him “The accuser of the brethren.”
He wants us to always be dissatisfied. “...who accuses them before our God day and night.” ~ Revelation 12:10

St. Paul says instead to “Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” Philippians 4:8 (NLT)

 “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (KJV)

  Prayer

 Heavenly Father, thank You for this wonderful Thanksgiving day. 
Please forgive me for not being grateful for all of the wonderful gifts that You have bestowed upon me, for not recognizing the blessings in the midst of the storms along my path. 
Forgive me for  so often focusing on the negatives instead of looking for what is true and noble and good and right in people and circumstances that I have found challenging. 
Lord, I pray for a grateful heart that looks for the good in every situation, even in the midst of pain; in every person You bring across my path; 
I pray for a thankful heart that sees Thy blessings every day and perceives Thy measureless love abounding in all things. 
Thank You for Thy greatest gift of all, Thy Son Jesus Christ our Savior, I love You, Lord,  In Jesus’ name, Amen.
  
Unto The Least of These "Lord, Give Me a Thankful Heart" © 2014 Suzanne Davis Harden All Rights Reserved. Photo Credit: BJU Press  https://www.bjupress.com
Scripture Verses: NLT Bible Translation, ERV Bible Translation, KJV Bible Translation


Wednesday, September 17, 2014

The Painting





 "And we know that all things work together for good 
to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." 
~Romans 8:28 (NKJV)

"For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago." Ephesians 2:10 (NLT)


The Painting 
© 2014 S.D. Harden 

Lord, I thank You for today, 
For Thy gifts You sent my way... 
Thank You for forgiving me 
When I was too blind to see 
Thy treasures all along my path; 
Gifts for which I never asked;
You poured them out upon my way; 
You called them gifts, I called them pain~ 
Because I was too blind to see 
Them through Your eyes,
But patiently 
You held my hand 
And said to me, 
Someday, My child, 
Someday, You'll see, 
This pain's a gift~ 
Thy suffering
Is just My paintbrush
Painting Thee;
~A Portrait grande
Someday You'll see
My Face in yours
My Masterpiece.



Jesus Comforting His Child © S.D. Harden All Rights Reserved.
 Prayer 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that Thy mercies are new every morning, so great is Thy faithfulness to us. You are such an awesome, generous God, Thy word says that You daily "load us with benefits"--daily You give and give to us and bear all our burdens if we will allow You to. And although we may have to suffer various trials, Thy word promises that You are going to weave all these together into something 
beautiful in each one of us
 who love You. 
That is why we can be thankful always, for all things, even though we may not understand sometimes, we know we can trust in Thy faithfulness and in Thy love for us. 
Thank You, Abba Father. We love You. In Jesus' name, Amen.

"The Painting" © 2014 Suzanne Davis Harden All Rights Reserved. Unto The Least of These /Illustration: Jesus Comforting His Child; Suzanne Davis Harden © 2014 All Rights Reserved.
Scripture Photo Illustration/via Pinterest  
Scripture Quotation: New King James Bible ©1982 Thomas Nelson Inc. Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.