God’s Joy-Clothes!

This year, I'm sharing my "Treasures" of my study of my "Ponder the Morsels" book. I've picked 31 Psalms to study throughout 2013. Today I studied Psalm 30. Here is what I learned.

You changed my ·sorrow [mourning] into dancing. You took away my ·clothes of sadness [sackcloth], and clothed me in ·happiness [joy]. Psalm 30:11 (EXB)

You did it: You turned my deepest pains into joyful dancing; You stripped off my dark clothing and covered me with joyful light. Psalm 30:11 (VOICE)

You did it: you changed wild lament into whirling dance; You ripped off my black mourning band and decked me with wildflowers. Psalm 30:11 (MSG)

"Thou hast girded me with gladness." My "sackcloth" was but a loose garment about me, which might easily be put off at pleasure, but my "gladness" is girt about me, to be fast and sure, and cannot leave me though it would; at least none shall be able to take it from me. Sir Richard Baker

Observe the contrast, God takes away the mourning of his people; and what does he give them instead of it? Quiet and peace? Ay, and a great deal more than that. "Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing." He makes their hearts to dance at the sound of his name. He takes off their sackcloth. That is good. What a delight to be rid of the habiliments of woe! But what then? He clothes us. And how? With some common dress? Nay, but with that royal vestment which is the array of glorified spirits in heaven. "Thou hast girded me with gladness." This is better than to wear garments of silk or cloth of gold, bedight with embroidery and bespangled with gems. Many a poor man wears this heavenly apparel wrapped around his heart, though fustian and corduroy are his only outward garb; and such a man needs not envy the emperor in all his pomp. Glory be to thee, O God, if, by a sense of full forgiveness and present justification, thou hast enriched my spiritual nature, and filled me with all the fullness of God. The Treasury of David

What am I going to wear? Do I want to remain in the sadness and despair of sackcloth? Or do I want to be “girded” in happiness and ultimate joy? It’s a choice. I can choose to remain in the sadness and despair, or I can be dressed in God’s joy-clothes! 

One thing about God’s joy-clothes, they are the perfect outfit for any situation! You’ll always be styling in God’s joy-clothes! 

To create a positive day, I have to shed the clothes of sadness and despair and make sure that I am fully clothed in God’s Joy-Clothes!

Heart-Voice

This year, I'm sharing my "Treasures" of my study of my "Ponder the Morsels" book. I've picked 31 Psalms to study throughout 2013. Today I studied Psalm 28. Here is what I learned.

Hear the sound of my ·prayer [supplication], when I cry out to you for help. I raise my hands toward your Most Holy Place [C the place where God made his presence known, the sanctuary]. Psalm 28: 2 (EXB)

I’m letting you know what I need, calling out for help And lifting my arms toward your inner sanctum. Psalm 28: 2 (MSG)

Hear the voice of my supplication as I cry to You for help, as I lift up my hands toward Your innermost sanctuary (the Holy of Holies). Psalm 28:2 (AMP)

The word "supplications," in the plural, shows the number, continuance, and variety of a good man's prayers, while the expression, "hear the voice," seems to hint that there is an inner meaning, or heart-voice, about which spiritual men are far more concerned than for their outward and audible utterances. The Treasury of David

Heart-voice. What is my heart crying out to God? Am I concerned with material things that don’t matter? Or am I concerned with my relationship with God and where I stand in relation to a Holy God? 

Heart-voice vs head voice. My head often thinks I need something or I want to demand something from God. Yet, whom am I to demand anything from a Holy God? 

I can enter the Holy of Holies, the presence of God, only because of His grace and mercy. When I enter His presence, I can then humbly let my heart-voice pour out to my Heavenly Father. 

To create a positive day, it must begin with spending time in God’s presence and pouring out  heart-voice to a gracious and merciful God. 

Wait

This year, I'm sharing my "Treasures" of my study of my "Ponder the Morsels" book. I've picked 31 Psalms to study throughout 2013. Today I studied Psalm 27. Here is what I learned.

·Wait for [Hope in] the Lord’s help. Be strong and let your heart be brave, and ·wait for [hope in] the Lord’s help. Psalm 27:14 (EXB)

Stay with God! Take heart. Don’t quit. I’ll say it again: Stay with God. Psalm 27:14 (MSG)

Please answer me: Don’t give up. Wait for the Eternal in expectation, and be strong. Again, wait for the Eternal. Psalm 27:14 (VOICE)

Wait, I say, on the Lord; this is repeated, to express the importance of this duty, and to encourage to it. Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible 

Wait on the Lord - This is the sum of all the instruction in the psalm; the main lesson which the psalm is designed to convey. The object is to induce others, from the experience of the psalmist, to trust in the Lord; to rely upon Him; to come to Him in trouble and danger; to wait for His interposition when all other resources fail.

Wait, I say, on the Lord - Repeating an idea with which the heart was full; a lesson resulting from his own rich experience. He dwells upon it as a lesson which he would fix deeply in the mind, that in all times of danger and difficulty, instead of despondency, instead of sinking down in despair, instead of giving up all effort, we should go forward in the discharge of duty, putting our trust solely in the Lord. Barnes' Notes on the Bible

When something is worth repeating.... it’s worth paying attention to, and worth doing. Wait on the Lord. No matter the circumstances you may find yourself, wait on the Lord. If you are seeking answers, wait on the Lord. If you want to know what direction to go, wait on the Lord. 

Wait on the Lord. Don’t move ahead without Him. Wait on the Lord, trust in Him and what He is doing. 

To create a positive day, I need to wait on the Lord and that means fully trusting in what He is doing, where He is leading, and His timing for it all. 

Translate into Action

This year, I'm sharing my "Treasures" of my study of my "Ponder the Morsels" book. I've picked 31 Psalms to study throughout 2013. Today I studied Psalm 15. Here is what I learned.

The one who does not collect interest on a loan  or take a bribe against an innocent person. Whoever does these things will never be shaken. Psalm 15:5 (GW)

If they loan money to someone, they do not charge them interest. And they refuse to testify against an innocent person, even if someone offers them money to do it. Whoever lives like this will always stand strong. Psalm 15:5 (ERV)

He that putteth not out his money to interest, Nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doeth these things shall never be moved. Psalm 15:5 (ASV)

"He that doeth." 'Tis not said he that professes this or that, or he that believes thus and thus, or he that is of such or such an opinion or wail of worship, or he that sets up new lights, and pretends the Spirit for his immediate guide; 'tis not he that hears much or talks much of religion; no, nor he that preaches and prays much, nor he that thinks much of these things, and means well; but 'tis he that "doeth these things" - that is actually employed about them - that is the religious and truly godly man. Condensed from Adam Littleton, D.D., 1627-1694 

Do: carry out, accomplish, achieve, act, arrange, be responsible for, bring about, cause, close, complete, conclude, create, determine, discharge, do one's thing, effect, end, engage in, execute, finish, fix, fulfill, get with it, go for it, look after, make, make ready, move, operate, perform, produce, pull off, see to, succeed, take care of business, take on, transact, undertake, wind up, work, wrap up.

Accomplish. Execute. Produce. Achieve. Act. Do. It’s one thing to know something, and it’s another things to act on that knowledge. 

I’m reminded of physical therapy. When I was going through physical therapy, my therapist would give me exercises to do at home. When I arrived at my next appointment, he would ask if I had done the exercises. Since I did do them, I would answer, “yes”. I remember asking him one time, if he knew if people  lied about doing them. He replied, “yes, because they don’t get stronger, or gain range of motion.”  Doing the exercises produced a positive result. There was evidence of the “doing.”

The same is true for knowing God’s Word and acting upon it. There is evidence in my life that an be seen by those around me, if I “do” what God’s Word says I’m to do. Knowing about God, and knowing what His Word says is good. However, there must be more to that knowledge—it must be acted upon. 

To create a positive day, my knowledge has to translate into action, producing godly actions.

Feast on the Worthy, Satisfying Seeds

This year, I'm sharing my "Treasures" of my study of my "Ponder the Morsels" book. I've picked 31 Psalms to study throughout 2013. Today I studied Psalm 1. Here is what I learned.

Wicked people are not like that. Instead, they are like husks that the wind blows away. Psalm 1:4 (GW)

But wicked people are not like that. They are like chaff that the wind blows away [dead, unstable]. Psalm 1:4 (EXB)

One important fact that I had to learn quickly regarding caring for my parakeet, Max, is regarding his seed. Max cracks open the seed with his beak, and eats the kernel inside, leaving behind the husks. Looking at his food dish, it looks full, however it is actually empty... just full of empty husks. If I didn’t learn this fact quickly, Max would have starved. 

The empty husks have no value, they are empty and worthless. So often, the things of the world look so good and appetizing, yet in reality they are empty and of no value... simply worthless husks. 

I have a choice to make, enjoy the company and empty husks the world offers, or enjoy the rich, full, satisfying blessings God provides. 

Starve on the worthless husks, or feast on the worthy seeds.  Which will I choose? It is an ongoing choice as the world’s husks look so tempting. 

To create a positive day, I need to choose to feast on the worthy, satisfying seeds and let the worthless husks blow away. 

Consult Wise Counsel

This year, I'm sharing my "Treasures" of my study of my "Ponder the Morsels" book. I've picked 31 Psalms to study throughout 2013. Today I studied Psalm 13. Here is what I learned.

How long must I make decisions alone with sorrow in my heart day after day? How long will my enemy triumph over me? Psalm 13:2 (GW)

How long shall I take counsel in my soul, Having sorrow in my heart all the day? How long will my enemy be exalted over me? Psalm 13:2 (NASB)

How long - This refers to the third aspect of the case, or the third phase of the trouble, that is, that he was perplexed and embarrassed, having a deep and heavy sorrow in his heart, and he asks how long this was to continue. "Shall I take counsel in my soul." This refers to the methods which he endeavored to devise to escape from trouble. He was perplexed, persecuted, and apparently forsaken; and being thus apparently forsaken, he was constrained to attempt to devise some plan for his own deliverance, without interposition or help from on high. He was under a necessity of relying on himself; and he asks "how long" this was to continue, or when he might hope that God would interpose to aid him by his counsels, and thus to deliver him. Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Make decisions alone. That can lead to wrong choices, wrong thoughts, and making wrong decisions. Thankfully, I don’t HAVE TO make choices alone. First and foremost, God provides wisdom and council throughout His Word. Secondly, if I listen, the Holy Spirit gives guidance. And lastly, God has provided some amazing godly friends whom I can ask for help. 

Most often the times I choose to make decisions alone, is when I have already decided the outcome I want. It’s easy to justify a decision when I want to control what I do. Yet, when I have to live with the consequences of that decision... I only have myself to blame. 

Make decisions alone... is a choice that can lead to disastrous results. To create a positive day, I need to consult wise counsel before making decisions starting first with God, then consulting the friends God has provided to help keep me on track!

The Unknown is the Very Best

This year, I'm sharing my "Treasures" of my study of my "Ponder the Morsels" book. I've picked 31 Psalms to study throughout 2013. Today I studied Psalm 11. Here is what I learned.

I have taken refuge in the Lord. How can you say to me: “Flee to your mountain like a bird? Psalm 11:1 (GW)

I am already in the soft embrace of the Eternal, so why do you beckon me to leave, saying, “Fly like a bird to the mountains. Psalm 11:1 (VOICE)

I ·trust in the Lord for protection [find refuge in the Lord]. So why do you say to me, “·Fly [Flee] like a bird to your mountain. Psalm 11:1 (EXB)

Refuge: have hope, make refuge, put trust; a primitive root; to flee for protection.

God is a refuge providing security and protection. How often do I say I trust God, that I am taking refuge in Him, only to fly away on my own? The distance from the head to the heart, is often a difference of only 10 to 12 inches... on the outside. 

The longest distance in the world is from head to the heart. Taking what we know and turning it into a demonstrable action, something that will elicit change in our lives and the lives of those around us, is true wisdom. The ability to transform knowledge into action is oftentimes quite the hurdle. M. J. Formica

Why do I leave security to fly out on my own.. you’d think that would create more fear. But as I’ve said before, too often I have the “I can do it myself” mentality. I want to take control. 

The thing about God’s refuge and security, it’s with me all the time, as long as I stay in His will. But so often, I get fearful of where God is leading—the unknown—that I fly away and try to find my own safe way. However, being away from God’s refuge is never a safe place. 

To let God's faithfulness free me from the fear of the unknown, I only have to stay in the refuge that God provides as He leads me. God will make the unknown known in His perfect time. 

To create a positive day, I need to remain in the security of God’s will and trust God that the unknown is the very best for me to accomplish His plan for me. 

Majestic

This year, I'm sharing my "Treasures" of my study of my "Ponder the Morsels" book. I've picked 31 Psalms to study throughout 2013. Today I studied Psalm 8. Here is what I learned.

O Lord, our Lord, how excellent (majestic and glorious) is Your name in all the earth! Psalm 8:9 (AMP)

Majestic: astonishing, awe-inspiring, awesome, ceremonious, cool, dignified, elevated, exalted, fab, grand, grandiose, imperial, imposing, lofty, magnificent, marvelous, mind-blowing, monumental, noble, out of this world, regal, royal, smashing, sovereign, stately, stunning, sublime, sumptuous, superb, wonderful, wondrous.

When I stop and think for just a moment about the majestic, awe-inspiring, wondrous the Name of God is..... I can’t even grasp the full concept. But what I can grasp makes me praise God and gives me confidence that God is in control. 

Just when I think I grasp how majestic and awe-inspiring God is.... He is more than that. He surprises me with showing just how majestic He is. 

O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name.... in all the earth! O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name.... in all the earth! O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name.... in all the earth! O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name.... in all the earth! 

Simply repeat that over and over until the fact sinks in! 

To create a positive day.... it starts with saying, O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name.... in all the earth! Then taking that fact and apply that truth to all that I do. O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name.... in all the earth!