Thanks Living: Actively Giving the Finest

Of all your gifts you shall offer up every heave offering due to the Lord, from all the best of them, the consecrated part of them.’  Numbers 18:29 (NKJV) 

Out of all your gifts, you shall present every offering due to the Lord, from all the best of it, even the sacred part from them.’ Numbers 18:29 (AMP)

Offer up: to be high actively, give, present

Best: the richest or choice part, finest

I've been thinking about this verse: 

And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me; therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord. Psalm 27:6

And especially about the phrase, "offer sacrifices of joy". 

Joy: alarm, blowing of, the trumpets, joy, jubilee, loud noise, rejoicing, shouting

I am to be highly active in giving the very best toward giving thanks rejoicing to God. 

The very best, the finest. 

That would include all aspects. That means if I am complaining, worrying, anxious, mumbling, etc, my focus and energies are not being active in praising and thanking God. I am "using up" my time, energy, thoughts on the aspects I can see and focusing on what I think are 'good or bad' from my perspective. 

The very best, the finest. 

To be actively giving God the finest—then I really need to be thinking, and living a life of Thanks Living. I cannot use up my mind and thoughts on the selfish and what ifs. Rather, I must be actively giving God shouts of praise and thanksgiving. 

Just think, as my mindset changes to praising God, the what-ifs, the worrying, and the fears of the unknowns no longer get my attention. Rather, they are replaced with shouts of joy and praise, knowing that God Almighty is loving me, caring for me, and working all things out for His glory and honor. 

Thanks Living, actively giving God the finest and very best— sacrifices of joy! 

Keep Calm!

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 67. Here is what I learned.

Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! Psalm 67:1, 4 

There is are images that is spreading rapidly on the internet that all begin with “Keep Calm and.....” 

As I read Psalm 67 this morning, the phrase found in verses 1 and 4 reminded me of that “Keep calm” image. 

We are reminded twice in this Psalm to pause...stop what you are doing.... and calmly think about a specific truth of God. We are to literally STOP fretting, STOP worrying, STOP everything, and spend time in the peace and calmness of God’s security  and simply think, meditate on who God is and what He is doing. 

Keep calm and ...... ? How would I fill in that blank? Keep calm, I have it under control? As much as I think I do.... I don’t! So, that phrase won’t work. Keep calm, I can handle it? Well, again as much as I think I can handle any situation that arises, I often fall short. 

Keep calm and let God take care of it! Now that is a phrase that is packed with truth! 

To create a positive day, I need to stop, keep calm, knowing full well that God has it all under control!