Psalm - Psalm 2

I'm choosing one verse from each Psalm to focus and meditate on each day.  

Psalm 2:11Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling.

Serve: to work
Fear: morally, reverence
Rejoice: root word - under the influence of emotion; be glad, joy, be joyful
Trembling: a shudder 

There are two actions in this verse - SERVE and REJOICE. Both are done with emotions based upon who the Lord (Yahweh) is. If my motivation to serve is based on the knowledge of WHO God is - then it will be done with rejoicing! 

Psalm 2

SERVE & REJOICE - because I know

who God is! 

Study of Psalm 119. Psalm 119:14

This continues the study of Psalm 119.  (Start the series here: http://createapositiveday.blogspot.com/2017/09/study-of-psalm-119-psalm-1191.html)

God Provides (by Rhonda Sawtelle)
Psalm 119: God's Word....

vs. 14: Provides Treasure

I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies, as much as in all riches. Psalm 119:14

Rejoiced: Cheerful, be glad

In the way: a course of life or mode of action

Your Testimonies: the code of law

As much as: according to

All: every one

Riches: wealth; by implication—enough 

What makes me happy? What is it the puts a smile on my face? What value to I put on things? What is worth a lot to me? 

The things that we enjoy and that we value highly, we make sure it fits our schedule. We will rearrange our schedules so that we can attend an event. We really do make time for what matters to us. 

Do I value God and His Word more than wealth? Does obeying God make me happy? The answer to both those questions should be "YES!" — and it should be evident in my actions, attitude, thoughts, and words. 

Be happy! 

Thanks Living: It is Good!

92 

It is good to give thanks to the Lord, and to sing praises to Your name, O Most High; to declare Your lovingkindness in the morning, and Your faithfulness every night, on an instrument of ten strings, on the lute, and on the harp, with harmonious sound. For You, Lord, have made me glad through Your work; I will triumph in the works of Your hands. Psalm 92:1-4

Good: beautiful, best, better, cheerful, glad, graciously, joyful, kindly, kindness, loving, merry, pleasure, precious, sweet

Give thanks: literally, to use (i.e. hold out) the hand; physically, especially to revere or worship (with extended hands—the open one—indicating power, means, direction, etc.)

Declare: publish declare, proclaim, especially of proclaiming wisdom, power, loving-kindness, etc.,

Lovingkindness: divine attributes, kindness and fidelity

Faithfulness: divine mercy

Made me glad: cause to, make to rejoice, to brighten up

Work: deed of, especially in deliverance and in judgment

Triumph: be joyful greatly, make to rejoice, cause to shout for joy

Want to change your perspective? Want to change your mood? Want to get out of... how did we say it?... the funk? Feeling overwhelmed, grumpy and discouraged? 

The key is to stop and GIVE THANKS to the Lord. It is GOOD. It is joyful, sweet, cheerful to give thanks. When you stop and start giving thanks, your attitude changes. You realize who God is and all that He does. You realize that God is great and that God is good. You begin to see life from His perspective. You begin to see that God is working in and through you and your situation. You begin to see that circumstances will change, but God will not. 

It is Good! Thanks Living will make the heart glad! 

Many Reasons to Rejoice!

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 thirty-first of each month, I'm studying Psalm 126. Here's what Treasure I found today.

The Lord has done great things for us, and we ·are very glad [rejoice]. Psalm 126:3 (EXB)

We shook our heads. All of us were stunned—the Eternal has done remarkable things for us. We were beyond happy, beyond joyful. Psalm 126:3 (VOICE)

Jehovah did great things with us, We have been joyful. Psalm 126:3 (YLT)

Psalm 126:3 is a great verse for today, Resurrection (Easter) Sunday. For God has done GREAT things for us and we have many reasons to rejoice!

Christ himself suffered for sins ·once [or once for all; [only his suffering has the power to redeem others]. ·He was not guilty, but he suffered for those who are guilty [the righteous for the unrighteous] to bring you to God. ·His body was killed [He was put to death in the flesh/body], but he was made alive in the ·spirit [or Spirit; at his resurrection in a glorified body]. 1 Peter 3:18 (EXB) 

[For] The love of Christ ·controls [compels; drives] us, because we ·know [are convinced; have concluded] that One died for all, so all have died [we died spiritually with Christ, the penalty for our sins]. Christ died for all so that those who live would ·not continue to [no longer] live for themselves, but for him who died for them and was raised from the dead.

[So; As a result] From ·this time [now] on we do not think of anyone ·as the world does [or from a merely human perspective; [according to the flesh]. [Although] In the past we thought of Christ ·as the world thinks [or as nothing more than a man; according to the flesh], but we no longer think of him in that way. If anyone belongs to Christ, ·there is a new creation [the new creation has arrived; or that person has become a new creation]. The old things have gone; [look; behold] ·everything is made new [the new has come]! All this is from God, who through Christ ·made peace between us and [reconciled us to] himself, and gave us the ·work of telling everyone about the peace we can have with him [ministry/service of reconciliation]. 2 Corinthians 5:14-18 (EXB)

Christ suffered and endured the death on the cross as payment for my sin (and your sin). Only a holy, sacrifice would pay the penalty for sin in full, and Jesus Christ paid our debt. But because God has power over sin and death, Jesus Christ now lives and I too can enjoy eternal life! 

For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not die but have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to be its judge, but to be its savior. Those who believe in the Son are not judged; but those who do not believe have already been judged, because they have not believed in God's only Son. John 3:16-18 (GNT)

To create a positive day, I need to remember the sacrifice Jesus Christ paid on my behalf, and enjoy the benefits of God’s gift of salvation! It’s Resurrection Sunday—the Lord has done GREAT things for us, and we have many reasons to rejoice! 

Why the “Therefore” is There For

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 first of each month, I'm studying Psalm 16. Here's what Treasure I found today.

Therefore my heart is glad and my glory [my inner self] rejoices; my body too shall rest and confidently dwell in safety. Psalm 16:9 (AMP)

Therefore: according to such conditions, that being so.

Heart: seat of the emotions and passions of joy and gladness.

Glad: cheer up, be make glad, have, make joyful, be make merry, cause to, make to rejoice.

Glory: my honour, seat of honour in the inner man, the noblest part of man.

Rejoices: be glad, joy, be joyful, to spin round under the influence of any violent emotion—rejoice!

Body: flesh, person.

Also: especially as introducing emphatically a new thought.

Rest (dwell): not to be removed, especially at rest, peace, in security.

Safety (hope): assurance, boldly, without care, confidence, hope, safely secure, surely.

Psalm 16:9 begins with “Therefore”. So, we must first learn why the “therefore” is there for. Looking back at Psalm 16:8, we learn that “the Lord is always with me”. According to the condition—the Lord is always with me..... the following are available to me: gladness, rejoicing, rest, confidence of hope!

Notice also that the gladness, rejoicing, rest and confidence of hope all come from WITHIN me! They are not based on outward situations, outward physical traits, outward circumstances. Each one is from within... based on the solid fact that the Lord is always with me. 

Since October 2000, I’ve lived with chronic pain. It’s always present. I’m often asked, “How can you smile, when you are in pain?”  This verse explains it. The joy and gladness that I have is from within and based on the “therefore”—the Lord is always with me. 

Gladness, rejoicing, rest, confidence of hope—are all present, it’s up to be to let them shine forth.  No matter my pain, no matter my circumstances, no matter what is happening around me..... the Lord is always with me, THEREFORE, gladness, rejoicing, rest, confidence of hope are mine! 

To create a positive day, I only have to remember why the “therefore” is there for— the Lord is always with me—and gladness, rejoicing, rest, confidence of hope are mine!

Gushing out of me, Causing me to SCREAM!

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 90. Here is what I learned.

·Fill [Satisfy] us with your ·love [loyalty] every morning. Then we will sing and rejoice all our ·lives [days]. Psalm 90:14 (EXB)

Surprise us with love at daybreak; then we’ll skip and dance all the day long. Psalm 90:14 (MSG)

Satisfy: Fill to satisfaction (literally or figuratively) -- have enough, fill (full, self, with), be (to the) full (of), have plenty of, be satiate, satisfy (with), saturate.

Morning: figurative of bright joy after night of distress.

Your lovingkindness: favor, good deed, kindly, mercy in redemption from enemies and troubles.

Sing: o shout (usually for joy) -- aloud for joy, cry out, be joyful (greatly, make to) rejoice, (cause to) shout (for joy), (cause to) sing (aloud, for joy, out), triumph. 

Rejoice (be glad): cheer up, be make glad, have, make joyful, be make merry, cause to, make to rejoice, to brighten up.

All: enough, every one, as many as, whole.

Days: age, always, continually, daily, birth, each, today, season

I like that word “satisfy”. To be saturated So soaked, that I’m “dripping” with God’s lovingkindness. God has given me—in such abundance—lovingkindness, mercy, graciousness that I can’t contain it—it oozes out from me, and not just in a little trickle, it gushes out! 

The past few weeks, my pain has been “gushing” out of me. Between slipping on the ice and twisting my back to the surgery for the spinal stimulator trial, the pain level has been severe. No matter what I do I’m saturated in pain. 

Even afflictions are welcome when we see them to be his, though the way that he would choose, and the way that this prayer entreats, be only mercy, "Satisfy us early with thy mercy." - John Donne.

Yet, greater than my pain, is God’s lovingkindness and goodness. Knowing that God is fully aware, and has allowed the pain to fulfill His purpose allows me to shout...no make that SCREAM with triumphant joy. Understanding that God is loving and gracious, I know that He only allows what is necessary  to fulfil His will and draw me into a closer and deeper relationship with Him. 

So soaked in God’s lovingkindness that I’m “dripping”! When God’s mercy and grace are gushing out of me, causing me to SCREAM with Triumphant Joy, now that creates a positive day!