Remembering Me & Caring for Me

Throughout this year, each day of the month, I'm "Treasure Hunting" in a Psalm. I've created a "Ponder Every Morsel of Truth" Book to record the truths as I learn them. The fifteen of each month, I'm studying Psalm 8. Here's what Treasure I found today.

But why are people even important to you [What are people that you remember them]? Why do you take care of ·human beings [the son of man]? Psalm 8: 4 (EXB)

What (but why): what is there (common) to me and to thee?, what end, to what purpose.

Man (people): a mortal, humanity, miserable man; man in his fallen state, full of infirmity, ignorance, and sin.

That: expressing consecution, especially after a question implying surprise

Art mindful (remember): recall, call to mind, usually as affecting present feeling, thought, or action.

Son of man: the son of Adam, the sinful son of a sinful father, his son by likeness of disposition.

Visitest him (care): pay attention to, observe with care, practical interest, give a charge, commit, to attend to.

To fully understand Psalm 8:4, you have to read Psalm 8:3: 

I look at your heavens, ·which you made with [the work of] your fingers. I see the moon and stars, which you ·created. (MSG)

When one compares the vast expanse and greatness of the Heavens and all that God created, to mere man— why would God even bother with us? Look at the finite universe in which we live. We are but “ants”  in comparison to the immenseness of all creation. It’s humbling to realize that the Almighty God, Creator of all, remembers mankind—and more importantly, remembers individuals. And God know only remembers each of us, He cares for each of us. 

“[Are not…?] Five sparrows are sold for only two pennies [Greek: assaria; copper coins of very low value], ·and [yet] God does not forget any of them. But ·God even knows how many hairs you have on your head [even the hairs on your head have all been numbered]. Don’t be afraid. You are worth much more than many sparrows.” Luke 12:6, 7 (EXB)

Can you grasp that fact? God KNOWS exactly how many hairs are on my head. That means that God knows MORE about me than I know about myself! And not only does God KNOW about me, He CARES about me!

"This is a marvelous thing, that God thinks upon men, and remembers them continually." John Calvin

To create a positive day, I simply need to remember that the Almighty God, Creator of all, is remembering me, and caring for me. 

Abandonment vs An Ever-Present God

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 138. Here is what I learned.

Lord, you ·do everything [fulfill/accomplish your plan] for me. Lord, your ·love [loyalty] continues forever. Do not ·leave [abandon; forsake] us, ·whom you made [L the work of your hands]. Psalm 138:8 (EXB)

Jehovah will perfect that which concerneth me: Thy lovingkindness, O Jehovah, endureth for ever; Forsake not the works of thine own hands. Psalm 138:8 (ASV)

Lord: of deity Yahweh.

Will perfect: complete, accomplish, in the sense of completion, come to an end.

That which concerneth: on behalf of, at by means of, for.

Lovingkindness: Beauty -- favor, good deed, mercy.

Forever: indefinite futurity, continuous existence, indefinite, unending future.

Forsake: to slacken, abate, cease, be slothful, idle, leave, let alone.

Not: nay, neither, never, no, nothing, nought.

Works: business, deed, do(-ing), labor, thing made, possession, accomplishments, achievements.

Of thine hands: indicating power, means, direction.

Forsaken. Abandoned. Left alone. Ever feel that way? I know that living with chronic pain can cause isolation. Can’t leave the apartment, because it hurts to much to move. No one stops by, because they are busy, or are embarrassed because they can’t make it better. Abandoned. 

Satan likes us to focus on “being abandoned”. When we think we are abandoned, that opens the door for Satan to turn our thoughts from God and what God is doing, to doubts, fears, and self-pity. 

But the truth is—God will not abandon His children. Because His lovingkindness is indefinite—an unending future. Plus, we are God’s business! He created us. He loves us. He provided a way of salvation for us. We are His children. He will not abandon us. We might walk away from Him and do our own thing, but God is waiting for us. He will not, no never, leave us. 

Abandonment vs An Ever-Present God.

Which will I chose? 

  

God is concerned in all that concerns his servants. He will see to it that none of their precious things shall fail of completion; their life, their strength, their hopes, their graces, their pilgrimage, shall each and all be perfected. The Treasury of David

I have a choice to make. I can allow Satan to fill my mind with a sense of abandonment, fears, doubts and self-pity, or I can claim God’s lovingkindness and rest assured that He has not and will not abandon me and rest in that truth.

To create a positive day, I must chose God’s lovingkindness knowing full-well that God is at work in my life and that He is EVER-PRESENT!

Consider the Magnitude of this Fact

I'm studying the Book of Job. In Job 3, we learn some of Job's theology. Job wished that God forget the day Job was born, because of Job's anguish and pain. In order for someone to "forget" they have to know about it first! 

Job knew very well, that God knew the VERY moment Job was conceived. God knew all about Job—before Job was even formed. Consider the magnitude of that fact. God is very aware of our MOMENT of conception.

Psalms 139

O God, You know me inside and out, through and through. 

Everything I do, every thought that flits through my mind, every step I take, every plan that I make, every word that I speak,  You know, even before these things happen.

You know my past; You know my future.
Your enveloping presence covers my every move. Your knowledge of me sometimes comforts me, sometimes frightens me, but it is always far beyond my comprehension. 


There is no way to escape You, no place to hide.

If I ascend to the heights of joy, You are there before me. 
If I plunge into the depths of despair, You are there to meet me. 
I could fly to the other side of the world, and find You there to lead the way. 
I could walk into the darkest night, only to find You there to lighten its dismal hours.


You were present at my conception. You guided the molding of my unformed members within the body of my mother. 
Nothing about me, from beginning to end, has been hidden from Your eyes.
How frightfully, fantastically wonderful it all is! 


May Your all-knowing, everywhere present Spirit continue to search out my feelings and thoughts. 
Deliver me from that which my hurt or destroy me, and guide me along the paths of love and truth. 

Psalms Now by Leslie Brandt

Yes, Job wanted God to forget the day he was conceived. Job wanted to have that day not even exist, so that Job wouldn't have to endure his suffering. But Job did not curse God, because Job knew that God had a plan and purpose in mind.

I think also that Job found comfort in the fact that if God knew Job's moment of conception, God was also VERY aware of what Job was enduring at that very moment.

Consider the magnitude of that fact!

The fact that God knows exactly what is happening, what I'm going through, all the details of my life—and CARES about it all.... that makes a very positive day!