Thanks Living: Totally Engaged

As I was searching for verses for for my "Thanks Living" devotions this morning, I read Psalm 138:1—"I will praise You with my whole heart; Before the gods I will sing praises to You."

As I was mediating on the verse, I thought I had studied this verse before, so I checked my blog. This is a repost from January 12, 2013, but it fits perfectly with "Thanks Living". 

Repost from January 12, 2013. 

Totally Engaged

Throughout this year (2013), 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 Twelfth of each Month, I'm studying Psalm 138. Here's what Treasure I found today (January 12, 2013).

I will give thanks to you

with all my heart.

I will make music

to praise you

in front of

the false gods.

Psalm 138:1 (GW)

This is a personal Psalm. David is speaking directly to God, with reverence, but also with familiarity, as seen by the word “you” or in some translations “thee”. 

I will give thanks to you. That is praise and honor as in casting down before God in worship.  

With all. Whole. Complete. Entirety. Nothing left out. “All In”

My heart. The inner man, indefinite, soul, comprehending mind, affections and will. Thoughts and emotions. He was “totally engaged”.

I will make music to praise you. The music is praise to God in and of itself. 

In front of.  Not only was David giving thanks and praise God, he was doing it for all to see. The word for “in front of” or “before”  means conspicuous; easily seen or noticed; readily visible or observable; noticeable; prominent; striking; noteworthy. David was not hiding his praise and worship to God. His praise was "out there for ALL to see". But he was not doing it for show—remember he was "totally engaged" in worship to God. David just didn't care who saw him praising God.

The false gods. David lived in an area where the surrounding nations had idols erected to false gods. David was not intimidated by the false gods. He knew that God, Jehovah, was the only true God who was worthy of worship. 

My translation:

“God, I am exceeding grateful to You. I honor and praise You with all of me—I am totally engaged in singing your goodness and mercy, and I don’t care who hears me! I am not ashamed of You, for You and You alone are God Almighty.” 

To create a positive day I cannot be ashamed of my God—I should be totally engaged in praising Him! 

Proverbs 4:5-7: All-out Effort

Get wisdom! Get understanding! Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth. Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you; love her, and she will keep you. Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom. and in all your getting, get understanding. Proverbs 4:5-7

Get: by implication to own -- attain 

Wisdom: ethical and religious

Understanding: the faculty (an ability, natural or acquired, for a particular kind of action)

Do not forget: cause to forget, to be oblivious of

Turn away: to bend away (including moral deflection)

Forsake: be remote, absent, depart

Perserve: keep, watch, guard, protect

Love: beloved like, friend, to have affection for

Keep: guard from dangers, preserve

Principal: absolute chief, the first, in place, time, order or rank

Understanding: discernment

As I read these verses, I couldn't help but picture a football game. The intense desire of the teams to "get the ball" to "get the touchdown". Offense and Defense want that ball — and all the effort is directed to getting it! Offense has the ball, and what they do with it, is key if they want to keep it and score. Defense is in an all-out effort to get that ball either by causing a fumble, interception, or taking over on downs. All-out effort is put forth in "getting". 

Do I put forth the same effort in getting Wisdom? Do I get an all-out effort to get the treasure of Wisdom? 

And once I get wisdom, what do I do with it? Do I use it, or do I hide in the locker room? Having wisdom is one thing, but using the understanding of wisdom is a different level of play. It's using wisdom to direct my life. Wisdom should be a good friend, whom I want to have beside me throughout life. No matter what comes, wisdom will be there to direct and guard me.

Wisdom should be the first and foremost thing which I desire and strive to get, and it should have first place in my life. Wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord and that begins with a heart permeated with a deep sense of reverence for God (Acts 9:31MSG). 

All-out effort. First and foremost. Get Wisdom. It will change your life! 

Totally Engaged

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 Twelfth of each Month, I'm studying Psalm 138. Here's what Treasure I found today.

I will give thanks to you

with all my heart.

I will make music

to praise you

in front of

the false gods.

Psalm 138:1 (GW)

This is a personal Psalm. David is speaking directly to God, with reverence, but also with familiarity, as seen by the word “you” or in some translations “thee”. 

I will give thanks to you. That is praise and honor as in casting down before God in worship.  

With all. Whole. Complete. Entirety. Nothing left out. “All In”

My heart. The inner man, indefinite, soul, comprehending mind, affections and will. Thoughts and emotions. He was “totally engaged”.

I will make music to praise you. The music is praise to God in and of itself. 

In front of.  Not only was David giving thanks and praise God, he was doing it for all to see. The word for “in front of” or “before”  means conspicuous; easily seen or noticed; readily visible or observable; noticeable; prominent; striking; noteworthy. David was not hiding his praise and worship to God. His praise was "out there for ALL to see". But he was not doing it for show—remember he was "totally engaged" in worship to God. David just didn't care who saw him praising God.

The false gods. David lived in an area where the surrounding nations had idols erected to false gods. David was not intimidated by the false gods. He knew that God, Jehovah, was the only true God who was worthy of worship. 

My translation:

“God, I am exceeding grateful to You. I honor and praise You with all of me—I am totally engaged in singing your goodness and mercy, and I don’t care who hears me! I am not ashamed of You, for You and You alone are God Almighty.” 

To create a positive day I cannot be ashamed of my God—I should be totally engaged in praising Him! 

All In

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 Tenth of each Month, I'm studying Psalm 111. Here's what Treasure I found today.

Hallelujah! I will celebrate Jehovah

with my whole heart, in the council of the upright, and in the assembly.

Psalm 111:1 (DBT)

Praise Yah! I will give thanks to Yahweh

with my whole heart,

in the council of the upright,

and in the congregation.

Psalm 111:1 (WE)

Halleluyah: Halal "Praise" Lu "You" Yah “YHWH” (Yahweh)

Halal: to be clear, in sound or color, to shine, make a show, to rave, to celebrate.

Lu: “O That”. Stating a case which has not been realized, “what if”

Yah: the name of the Heavenly Elohiym is Yah from YHWH meaning the self existing one.

Halal-Lu-Yah means; if you celebrate Yah then all the questions that you have concerning "if, what, why, etc" will be fulfilled. “Halleluyah” is calling on the Name of the heavenly Father.

This Psalm starts by directing my attention to “Yahweh”- God Himself. And as I direct my attention to God, all doubts, what ifs, fears, etc fade. Because in the presence of God I am overwhelmed with His glory and power. I realized that He is all that matters. In the presence of God’s greatness, my questions disappear knowing that God is greater than any fear, doubt, question I may have.

“With my whole heart”

Whole: all, entire, every little bit, 

Heart: mind, will, purpose, intelligence, being, wholehearted

put your heart (and soul) into something: to do something with all of your energy and interest; to put all of one's sincere efforts into something.

I’m to be “ALL IN” as I praise God. My attention is to be fully focused on God. No distractions, no “mind wandering”, no “rabbit trails”. My one and only focus is to be God.  Why? First and foremost because of WHO He is. He is God Almighty. Secondly, because He is worthy of praise and honor. And lastly, because as I praise and honor God it puts my life into perspective. 

Hallelujah! I give thanks to God

with everything I’ve got.

Psalm 111:1a (MSG)

To honestly create a positive day, I need to shout Hallelujah to God... with everything I’ve got—with all my heart, soul, —I need to be “ALL IN” as I praise and honor God.