Not on this world, Lord, May our eyes rest, But on Your Son, In Whom, we are truly blessed.
Saved, redeemed, Loved, and set free, Because holy blood Was shed on Calvary.
He, lifted up, Now, new life we live, All our sins, vanquished, ‘Cause He now, forgives.
In the Sea, they’re forgotten, With pierced hands He throws, No longer to remember, Or cause our hearts woes.
Why would we look To the heart of another, When Jesus is better, Than father, mother, lover.
Dear eyes, follow the heart, To Him, let them be raised, In adoration to the One, In Whom, we are saved.
“And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.” John 12:32
“He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.” Micah 7:19
I don’t pray anymore for faith like Abraham’s or courage like David’s, or for any other qualities modeled by someone else.
Their lives are significant, and we can learn from them—but God is writing something personal in each of us. Every one of us carries aspects of ourselves that God wants to shape, refine, and bring to life. When we yield to His molding process, we become the version of ourselves that He intended from the beginning.
I want to become the best version of me that God desires. I’ve realized He has placed a unique beauty and originality within every person. Together, we each bring a distinct “flavor” to the larger story of humanity.
The stories of others can inspire us and offer guidance, but trying to replicate someone else’s journey can leave us discouraged when our path doesn’t look like theirs. And that’s because it was their story—not ours.
God sees the beauty in who you are and in the path you walk with Him.
We honor the footsteps of those who have gone before us, but we also embrace the truth that our road may look different. The beauty of your life rests in who God designed you to be.
The best version of you isn’t found in imitation—it’s found in His intention.
“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10
So much work was poured therein. It’s beauty – unsurpassed. Its fame – spread like wildfire. Its design – intricate and lavish. Gold, along with untold amounts of precious metals, materials, and gems, adorned its inside and outside. Precise planning and devoted hearts worked in building what would become known as Solomon’s Temple. That sacred place where people would centralize their worship. That holy place that would house the Ark of the Covenant.
After the ark was placed in its new home, praise among the people erupted in joyful adoration. Instruments sounded their melodious tunes. Voices raised with glorious praise and humble thanksgiving to the Lord, saying, “For he is good; for his mercy endureth forever!” (2 Chronicles 5:13).
Then, the extraordinary happened! God filled the house with the cloud symbolizing His mighty presence, and the priest could not minister there “for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of God” (2 Chronicles 5:14).
Through the years, this Temple would go through many changes due to leadership, the waning of people’s hearts, and the destruction it endured due to enemies (twice).
And yet, for all the catastrophe that building went through, God still had a place designed to rest His presence, His Holy Spirit: “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?” (1 Corinthians 6:19).
God promised Jeremiah that a new covenant was coming, which was going to be heart-focused (Jeremiah 31:33) due to being Spirit-filled (Ezekiel 36:26, 27; Joel 2:28, 29).
At the birth of the church in Acts 2, on the day of Pentecost, God fulfilled those prophecies when the manifestation of the Holy Spirit took over the upper room and the one hundred and twenty persons therein. This experience fulfills the very words of Jesus Christ Himself: “Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor in Jerusalem worship the Father… But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him” (John 4:21, 23).
The Father wants to fill the temple of our hearts!
While we gather in our local churches and assemblies of worship, may we remember that our worship is not predicated on the building, no matter how grand or humble. Our true worship is all about honoring Him who resides in our hearts. For that’s the temple God wants His glory to fill the most. In His sight, you are the lavishly beautiful one.
We are instructed in the Holy Scriptures not to forsake “the assembling of ourselves” (that’s a command found in Hebrews 10:25), but always remember that real worship is not about the music or experience. Real worship is seated in our hearts.
Blessings~
For more inspiration, I have included these articles for your reading pleasure:
There is a place for drawing near the presence of God, within and without. Solomon did everything in his power to beautify the sacred space of the ancient temple. Are we doing the same for the temple within?
Joseph of Arimathea made sure Jesus’ body was wrapped in “clean linen.” Through the brokenness of His body, we have been healed. Through His shed blood, we have been washed. We carry the Savior and His new covenant on the inside of us. Have we wrapped Him in “clean” vessels?
A lot of people are living for a showy outside life, but it’s the treasury of your heart that God values the most because it is in this place He wants to reign, rule, and abide through His Spirit. The lavish, ornamental details of a physical building cannot compare to a heart that has been made a ready place for God to dwell.
It never fails. If there is time, I try my best to properly prepare.
I make every effort to stay abreast of the latest forecasts. And at the thought of an impending storm, I go through my house to make sure certain things, especially those regarding the possible absence of power, are in place.
I plug in my computer, phones, tablets, and portable chargers in the event of an extended power outage.
Nobody likes to be without the things they depend on for day-to-day functioning. When disruptions occur with no ability to plug in, we can feel incapacitated and at a loss. We often don’t realize how important our power source is until it’s no longer available.
Thankfully, there is one power source we can always plug into. We can connect, without interruption, to the Word of God. And whenever we feel at a loss in life, unsure of which way to go, God’s Word will always be there to supply the illumination we need.
Even if you do not understand all that you are reading, we are invited to ask God in faith for wisdom, and He will happily supply (James 1:5-6).
Many circumstances can cause our lights to flicker, but we never have to be without light or the power source that supplies it: “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105).
Power lines can get severed by winds and branches falling on them, but God’s Word will never fall or be disconnected. It will always be relevant and the “right-now” source to turn to at all times, for all things.
“Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word,” (Psalm 119:114).
If you enjoyed this morsel of motivation, feel free to click on the articles below for more inspiration.
Many blessings to you~
“Power Source”
Where you plug in, where you get your resources and information, your inspiration for life, matters more than most people realize. Fill your life and thoughts with useless fillers, and you remain empty. But if you get connected to true power, you can run this race and fulfill the destiny God has ordered for you. Jesus said, “The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life” (John 6:63). In God’s Word, there is truth, revelation, and power! Get connected!
If there was ever a time when we needed to drown out the world’s noise and build ourselves even more in the Word of God, that time is now! When fear tries to speak, make God’s Word louder! Magnify what the Lord says in your life and declare His truth.
God’s Word will illuminate your life. God’s Word is the answer to all. Every question, every choice, every pondering of the spirit finds an answer covered in the “inspiration of God.”
In many dark times, the Word is what shines a light brighter than any sun. In the Word, we find comfort, solace, and peace no matter the prisons that try to hold us.
All these words speak beautifully of the testimony of what I was brought out of. For if the conditions were optimal, then there would be no need for the rescue. If I was good where I was, there would be no need for a recovery.
History has repeatedly proven that there is a vast void one experiences in the life that is lived outside of this holy renewal. There is an intense longing that says, I need saving. And saving, He did.
Crushed and broken, Jesus gave His life for mine. The sacrificial atoning exchange took place. Not for me to question or be in doubt, but to walk bravely in the paths He has ordained for me. Not to fear, but with confidence, He instilled in me the strength to stand toe to toe with what is before me, declaring, I can, because He did.
In His redemption, I can experience a life that I would have never imagined. Not one centered around the benefits of the gains this world offers. But it is because of the blessing of newness of life He presents to me.
Those words, “being redeemed,” speak to me and comfort me, telling me of His surrender and offering of Himself. He paid for what I could not.
It was my life that needed the change. Still, He arranged it so that I would be the one to reap the benefits of the seed of Himself sown (John 12:24). That I might be a part of the fruit of that vine (John 15:5), attached to Him, nourished by the flow of life therein, and brought up that I might live eternally with my Savior.
Only His atoning work makes this possible. When He reclaimed my life with the giving of His, the longing has been satisfied, and the rescue has been eternally made. My path before I encountered such grace and mercy was dismal at best. But when He died for me and invited me to take of Him, my soul said, yes. And now I have been captured by this gift of love.
Take in, dear friend, all that He offers you. Take in His love. Take in His being. Take in His gift of deliverance, for it is an incredible feeling when He declares such a loving action fulfilled in your life. And you will never be the same again.
“…Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine” (Isaiah 43:1).
If you like this devotional read, I’m sure you’ll love:
Sometimes a knight in shining armor just won’t do. You need the most powerful of the land, the King; Almighty God, to come to the rescue. Nobody can help you like He can. Nobody can love you like He can. Nobody can save you like He can. We need the King! Turn to the King – He’s waiting for you!
Corrie Ten Boom reminds us, “There is no pit so deep, that God’s love is not deeper still.” To the soul that turns to Christ, the ugliness of sin is done away with and He will satisfy with the beauty of redemption.
Oh, what a day that will be! The chains and the shackles of this world will be permanently loosed and true freedom will come once and for all. God’s people will rise to reign in victory because the Redeemer has come!
Even if things don’t look like their turning in your favor. Even if today doesn’t look better than yesterday. God, your Redeemer is alive and in charge. No matter what it looks like right now, believe HIM through it all!
Promises. Oh, my dear ones, the Bible is full of them. Each one is a God-breathed word to His people: “For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us” (2 Corinthians 1:20). And let me reassure you, not one of them will ever fail or fall to the ground as a non-existent thing.
Today, as you face this day, you may encounter things, situations, or even people who speak against those God-breathed promises for your life. You may even wrestle with thoughts regarding His promises for yourself. Nevertheless, as true as they were when He originally inspired them. As true as they were when those heavenly assurances were written by the Spirit into the heart and by the hand of the one whom He spoke through, they are still true today.
Not only are they still true today, but they are still true today for you!
Don’t get comfortable with the idea of believing that somehow God’s promises are more for others, disqualifying yourself from accepting His holy offers.
No, my friend. As His child, those promises are just as much for you as if your very name were written in the Holy Book next to them. As He spoke for all of His children, so He speaks His promises to you.
With the possibility of facing many ups and downs in the day, the foundation of God’s Word doesn’t change, and in that Word live these promises we hold so dear. For they are our light even in the dark days.
Is there a word you need spoken over your life today? Is there an area where you feel depleted of strength? Is there an encouragement of hope you need to anchor yourself in during these moments? Search for it in His promises. Whatever issue, wisdom, encouragement, or guidance you seek, the answer is in His Book. It’s in the Holy Bible.
Lean upon His Word today. Let His promises fill the crevices that may need extra support. He won’t fail you. His promises will always remain true and in effect.
My Friends, there are sooooooo many promises of God that still remain true to this day, and they always will be. I chose these few to share with you from my heart to yours. I pray that each one will speak life into your life today, and you will feel the embrace of the Father through His written word. May your heart be strengthened as you click on each one and read the encouragement they offer. Blessings~
PROMISES THAT ARE STILL TRUE!
You Are Held:“By thee have I been holden up from the womb: thou art he that took me out of my mother’s bowels: my praise shall be continually of thee.” Psalm 71:6
You Are Special:“I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.” Psalm 139:14
You Are Not Alone:“Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world,” Matthew 28:20b
You Are Important: “How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!” Psalm 139:17.
And, You Make a Difference to God: “I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.” Luke 15:7
Word For Life Says... 