Proverbs 3:1, 2: Abundance

My son, do not forget my law, but let your heart keep my commands; For length of days and long life and peace they will add to you. Proverbs 3:1, 2

Not: always negates properly the word immediately following

Forget: omit, cause to forget, to mislay, i.e. To be oblivious of, from want of memory or attention

Law: Instruction

Let your heart: the inner man, indefinite, soul, comprehending mind, affections and will

Keep: Guard with fidelity, keep, observe

Commands: code of wisdom

Length of days: years of life

Long: revolution of time, many years

Life: physical

Peace: welfare, health, prosperity

They will add: more wisdom and prosperity than is reported

More than reported. Abundance. We always want more. We never seem to have enough. But are we wanting more of the "right things"? Once again we are told, and very clearly, that if we REMEMBER and COMPREHEND (in knowledge and actions), we will have ..... wait a minute. 

How is this true? I know many who followed God's commandments and did not have long life or wealth and prosperity, let alone and abundance of it. 

How is this true? Because we once again are looking at our personal standards, not God's. Too often we get a mindset of what WE think we need to be "prosperous". We think we know what "old age" is. However, we have to remember that what we THINK makes one prosperous and what we think old age is.... doesn't compare to what God thinks! 

Length of days. How long is that? I do not know. But I do know that no matter how long my life is on this earth, I have ETERNAL life through Jesus Christ! Now that is truly, "length of days  & long life". 

Peace, welfare, prosperity. I'm not rich, so where is my prosperity—and the "more than reported prosperity?" Once again, whose standard am using the measure? If I use the world's standard, I am very poor—extremely poor. Yet, but if I use God's standard... WOW, I am rich! 

Rich? Yes, rich. For I have PEACE knowing that I am a Child of God, the King of kings. I am rich, knowing that the God who created everything, loves me. I am rich, because God supplies each need I have ACCORDING to HIS WILL—to accomplish HIS plan! 

Abundance. Yes, abundance. It's all a matter of perspective—whose standard is used the measure. And if I am REMEMBERING and GUARDING/OBSERVING WISDOM—then I'll be using the right standards to measure! 

Abundance. It's easy to miss if one's perspective gets skewed. To keep the right perspective and a heart must be permeated with a deep sense of reverence for God (Acts 9:31 MSG)—and only then will one see and enjoy the abundance God provides!

Immeasurable Greatness

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 150. Here is what I learned.

Praise Him for His mighty acts; praise Him according to the abundance of His greatness! Psalm 150:2 (AMP)

abundance: be more, multiply, ten thousands

abundance: noun

1. an extremely plentiful or over sufficient quantity or supply

2. overflowing fullness

3. affluence; wealth

As I read Psalm 150 this morning, I had to stop and think about the word, “abundance”. As I looked up the meaning, the word in Hebrew means “ten thousands”, multiply. 

God’s greatness is in the “ten thousands” and literally beyond! I’m to be praising God simply because of His greatness..... the abundance, the ten thousands of his greatness. 

How do I grasp “ten thousands”? I really can’t. God’s greatness is really immeasurable. 

Even if I can’t grasp the immeasurable greatness of God, to create a positive day, I need to start by praising God simply because of His greatness! 

The Point of Satiation

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 16. Here is what I learned.

You will teach me ·how to live a holy [the path of] life. ·Being with you will fill me with joy [In your face/presence is the fullness of joy]; at your right hand I will find pleasure forever. Psalm 16:11 (EXB)

Instead, You direct me on the path that leads to a beautiful life. As I walk with You, the pleasures are never-ending, and I know true joy and contentment. Psalm 16:11 (VOICE)

Fullness: satiety (satiate), abundance

Satiate: to supply with anything to excess

Is fullness of joy - Not partial joy; not imperfect joy; not joy intermingled with pain and sorrow; not joy which, though in itself real, does not satisfy the desires of the soul, as is the case with much of the happiness which we experience in this life - but joy, full, satisfying, unalloyed, unclouded, unmingled with anything that would diminish its fullness or its brightness; joy that will not be diminished, as all earthly joys must be, by the feeling that it must soon come to an end. Barnes' Notes on the Bible

I was trying to get comprehend “fullness of joy”.... and my human mind can’t quite comprehend it. I know what it’s like when my Team wins, or when my favorite driver wins. I know what it’s like when something extraordinary happens... like I win a contest, or God supplies a need in a creative way. I know what it’s like when I’m happy for a friend. But each of those moments is short-lived. The joy is based on something that happened. 

The joy that God provides isn’t based on circumstances, situations, rather God’s joy is provided from Himself. He is joy. 

And the presence of God, provides excess joy... abundant joy.... more joy that I can comprehend.. overflowing joy. 

To create a positive day, it’s not about trying to find joy around me, rather it’s about entering God’s presence and accepting His joy to the point of satiation.

The Pantry is Full, the Storage Unit is Full, & the Trucks are Waiting to Unload

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 117. Here is what I learned.

For His mercy and loving-kindness are great toward us, and the truth and faithfulness of the Lord endure forever. Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!) Psalm 117:2 (AMP) 

Because ·the Lord loves us very much [great is his loyalty/love toward us], and his ·truth [faithfulness] is everlasting. Praise the Lord! Psalm 117:2 (EXB)

The word “great” means so much! It’s means “strong, powerful, but with blessing”; it is not only great in bulk or number; but it is powerful.

Often I wonder what it would be like to have an unending supply of stuff in my home. The refrigerator would always be filled with yummy food, the pantry would have enough boxes, cans, and spices that I’d be able to cook any recipe without having to substitute. The linen closet would be full of all the cleaning supplies, soaps, shampoos, etc; again so that everything I’d need would be right at my fingertips. 

Yet, although that is wishful thinking to have an unending supply of stuff.... it’s not so when it comes to God’s mercy and loving-kindness. Not only is God’s mercy and love powerful enough to forgive my sin, and it’s so abundant there is a unending supply.

Seems like some days I need more of God’s mercy and love than others. And some days it seems like I’ve needed so much I’ve “used up” His supply... but the truth is that’s impossible. For no matter how much mercy and love I need, there is always more, and God is always ready to give it to me. 

So, not only is God’s mercy and loving-kindness unending, it’s always available for me to accept. Not only is the pantry is full, but the storage unit is full, and then there are trucks just waiting to unload. When I realize how great God’s love and mercy is and that there is literally an unending supply... WOW! How can I not stop and praise God? 

Just knowing that the pantry is full, and the storage unit is full, and the trucks are waiting to unload......that is just a small amount of the unending and powerful mercy and love my God wants to give me. 

To create a positive day, I only need to open the pantry door and see it overflowing with God’s mercy and loving-kindness. 

Heaped up in Happiness

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 thirteenth of each month, I'm studying Psalm 146. Here's what Treasure I found today.

Blessed are those who receive help from the God of Jacob. Their hope rests on the Lord their God. Psalm 146:5 (GW)

Happy (blessed, fortunate, enviable) is he who has the God of [special revelation to] Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God. Psalm 146:5 (AMP)

Blessed: be blessed, happy, how happy!

God: the Almighty, power, strong, God of thy fathers.

Jacob: a son of Isaac.

Help: Protect or aid.

Hope: expectation—hope, by implication (of watching) to expect (with hope and patience).

In: according to, after.

Lord: of deity Yahweh.

God: Elohim, supreme God, mighty God.

Think of what this verse is saying: The almighty God, the supreme God, the all-powerful God, is my protector and helper, my hope is secure in the one-true God and that fact creates an overflowing abundance of happiness and joy.  

"Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help." Heaped up is his happiness. He has happiness indeed: the true and the real delight is with him. He is happy in help for the present and in hope for the future, who has placed all his confidence in Jehovah, who is his God by a covenant of salt. Happy is he when others are despairing! Happiest shall he be in that very hour when others are discovering the depths of agony. We have here a statement which we have personally tried and proved: resting in the Lord, we know a happiness which is beyond description, beyond comparison, beyond conception. O how blessed a thing it is to know that God is our present help, and our eternal hope. Full assurance is more than heaven in the bud, the flower has begun to open. We would not exchange with Caesar; his sceptre is a bauble, but our bliss is true treasure. The Treasury of David

I like that phrase, “heaped up in His happiness”. Happiness piled so high.... well there is no end. Reminds me of a pile of leaves... as you run and jump in and the leaves fly everywhere, and anyone nearby enjoys a deep belly laugh. That’s one thing about being “heaped up in his happiness”— those around you want to enjoy the happiness too!

But unlike that pile leaves, the source of true happiness is God, and He is eternal, so our happiness doesn’t depend upon the Season, or upon ourselves. Rather, our happiness and joy is from the Almighty, Eternal, Supreme God!  

O for a heart full of joyful gratitude, that we may run, and leap, and glorify God. The Treasury of David

When my heart is full of joyful gratitude, when I’m heaped up in happiness, that creates a positive day indeed!