Thanks Living: The heart of Thanks Living

He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God. Romans 4:20

Easter Sunday, I read Matthew 26 through 28. As I read Matthew 28:6 "He is not here; for He is risen, as He said"; those last three words stood out to me. "As He said." 

So, I started reading some of the promises in Scripture. 

Today, I read Romans 4. I stopped at Romans 4:20........"He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God." 

This verse is about Abraham regarding the promise of an heir which seemed impossible at the time of the promise. 

Waver: hesitate, doubt

Promise: an announcement for information, assent or pledge; especially a divine assurance of good

Unbelief: faithlessness, disbelief

Strengthened: to make strong, endue with strength

Giving glory: good opinion concerning one, and as resulting from that, praise, honor, glory by not distrusting God's promises

God: the Creator and owner of all things

He did not waver at the promise of God.

Thanks Living is acknowledging and believing who God is, and knowing with all certainty that God keeps His promises, and giving praise and glory to God—because God can be trusted! 

Thanks Living—He did not waver at the promise of God—but giving glory to God. That is the heart of Thanks Living. 

Thanks Living: Actively grateful!

For all things are for your sakes, that grace, having spread through the many, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God.  2 Corinthians 4:15

Grace:  "the merciful kindness by which God, exerting his holy influence upon souls, turns them to Christ, keeps, strengthens, increases them in Christian faith, knowledge, affection, and kindles them to the exercise of the Christian virtues"

Thanksgiving: gratitude; actively, grateful language (to God, as an act of worship)

Abound: to make abundant or excellent, to cause one to excel

Glory: good opinion concerning one, and as resulting from that, praise, honor

Actively grateful language to God! Thanksgiving isn't just a simple word, it's to become an ACTION!   And what produces the true action of thanksgiving? Realizing the grace of God and sharing His grace to others. The more God's grace is made known and the more people accept God's grace then the ultimate reaction is thanksgiving and worship to God giving God the honor and glory! 

Actively grateful! Thanks Living is not something that is hidden or just saying "thanks" now and then. It's to be an ongoing ACTION of worship and praise to God!

Proverbs 4:8,9: Mug Shot

Exalt her, and she will promote you; she will bring you honor, when you embrace her. She will place on your head an ornament of grace; a crown of glory she will deliver to you. Proverbs 4:8, 9

Exalt: esteem highly, prize

Promote: lift up

Honor: make honorable, glorify

When: enunciating the conditions under which a future action is conceived as possible

Embrace: to clasp

Place: give, put

Ornament: wreath 

Grace: favor, elegance

Crown of glory: of rank

Deliver: give, to hand safely over

In Proverbs 4:5-7 we learned that we were to put forth an "all-out effort" to get wisdom. And as we realize the true value of wisdom, wisdom "treats us right". Wisdom is the one that promotes us, and honors us, and gives us the rank of grace and glory. 

How often do we search for recognition and in searching do stupid stuff, thinking that we will be recognized. Sadly, we are given the attention—but all for the wrong reasons. It reminded me of the "Wall of Shame" posted by law enforcement agencies. Every month mug shots are posted of those caught shop lifting. And as you look at those images, you see the toll that sin has taken on the individuals. For no one looks good in mug shots, no glory, no honor, no grace. 

What does my "mug shot" look like to those around me? And more importantly what does it look like to God? Am I embracing wisdom and holding wisdom to the place of value she has? If so, my life should reflect that—my "mug shot" would be one showing glory and honor.

For my "mug shot" to reflect wisdom, my heart must be permeated with a deep sense of reverence for God (Acts 9:31 MSG). For when I fear God, I'll want to highly esteem His wisdom and embrace it tightly. 

What does your "mug shot" reflect? 

For Him

"For it was in Him that all things were created, in heaven and on earth, things seen and things unseen, whether thrones, dominions, rulers, or authorities; all things were created and exist through Him [by His service, intervention] and in and for Him." Colossians 1:16 (AMP)

FOR HIM. all things were created and exist... FOR HIM. 

All things were made according to his pleasure, and for His praise and glory. 

All things.......for Him.... for His glory and honor. 

Am I as a creation of God, and HIS child, living a life that is bringing glory and honor to God? 

In order to live a life that is pleasing to Him, I must be permeated with a deep sense of reverence for God (Acts 9:31; MSG).

Motivation is Meritorious

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 15. Here is what I learned.

They do not charge interest on money they lend and do not take ·money [a bribe] to hurt innocent people. 

Whoever does all these things will never be ·destroyed [moved]. Psalm 15:5 (EXB)

The one who does not collect interest on a loan or take a bribe against an innocent person. Whoever does these things will never be shaken. Psalm 15:5 (GW)

Motivation. I find that word interesting. Why does a person do what they do? What is their motivation? Is there a hidden agenda? What is the incentive? 

Motivation can be a good thing... it can create a desire to go above and beyond the ordinary to help another. Motivation can also encourage us to do better than we thought we could do. 

Yet, the wrong motivation can create a discontentments and frustration if we expect something in return. 

Making sure my motivation is meritorious (noble, honorable) is major in maintaining a meaningful relationship with God. God knows why I do what what I do. He knows my heart. 

How do I keep my motivation in check? By making sure that I’m doing what I’m doing to honor God, and not please a person or make myself look good. I’ve written before about “making my Boss, look good.” And “my Boss” is God. I’m to do ALL things to give Him glory and honor. 

Well, I’ll tell you why. It is because you must do everything for the glory of God, even your eating and drinking. 1 Corinthians 10:31 (TLB)

To create a positive day, I need to make sure my motivation is meritorious and giving glory to God. 

True Success

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.

And let the beauty and delightfulness and favor of the Lord our God be upon us; confirm and establish the work of our hands—yes, the work of our hands, confirm and establish it. Psalm 90:17 (AMP)

And then let the beauty and grace of the Lord—our God—rest upon us and bring success to all we do;  yes, bring success to all we do! Psalm 90:17 (VOICE)

"And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us." Even upon us who must not see thy glory in the land of Canaan; it shall suffice us if in our characters the holiness of God is reflected, and if over all our camp the lovely excellences of our God shall cast a sacred beauty. Sanctification should be the daily object of our petitions. The Treasury of David

There are many books available that teach the way to success. And since we all want to be successful, those books sell. But what is true success? Is it having money? Is it having reached a certain level at a company? How do you measure success? 

If success is based on money, than I’m not successful. If success is based on promotions at work, than I am not successful. If success is based on owning a house, or having certain possessions, than I am not successful. 

Thankfully, true success is not based on material things. Rather true success is based on fulfilling the work God has planned for me. If I reflect God’s glory and allow God’s mercy to shine through me, that is success! 

On April 9, 2013, I wrote “Make My Boss Look Good!”.

My responsibility is to first and foremost give God the glory due Him. Secondly, share His love with those around me. And lastly, make sure that I’m willing to do any job that God assigns me—whether or not I “like it”. 

Each and every job that God assigns me has a specific purpose to accomplish His will and plan. I need to remember that I can’t pick and choose which jobs I want to do and which ones to ignore. Some are more pleasant than others, but each task is required to assure that God’s plan is fulfilled in it’s entirety.

The key to true success is making sure that I am reflecting God each day in all that I do, for only when I’m reflecting God, can I create a positive and successful day! 

Words and Music

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 47. Here is what I learned.

For God is the King of all the earth; sing praises in a skillful psalm and with understanding. Psalm 47:7 (AMP)

For God is the King of all the earth. Sing praises with a well written song. Psalm 47:7 (NLV)

He’s Lord over earth, so sing your best songs to God. Psalm 47:7 (MSG)

Let your hearts and heads go with your voices. Understand what you sing; and feel what you understand; and let the song be what will give instruction in righteousness to them that hear it. Sing wisely  Anglo-Saxon. Multitudes sing foolishly. Clarke's Commentary on the Bible 

Sound doctrine praises God. Even under the economy of types and ceremonies, it is clear that the Lord had regard to the spirituality of worship, and would be praised thoughtfully, intelligently, and with deep appreciation of the reason for song, It is to be feared from the slovenly way in which some make a noise in singing, that they fancy any sound will do. On the other hand, from the great attention paid by some to the mere music, we feel sadly sure that the sense has no effect upon them. The Treasury of David

Often tunes get stuck in my head. The other day I woke up with “Jingle Bells” on my mind... guess I was thinking of Christmas in July. Just because a tune is catchy or has words that sound good, doesn’t mean that it is a good song. 

When I sing praises to God, I need to first make sure that the words and meanings are doctrinally correct. Secondly, I need to make sure that the words are honor God, and not me or mankind. And lastly, I need to make sure that as I sing the song, I’m not bring attention to myself, rather should be giving glory to God. 

To create a positive day, the words and music of my songs need to be true praise and worship to God. 

Broadcast

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 96. Here is what I learned.

Declare His glory among the nations, His marvelous works among all the peoples. Psalm 96:3 (AMP)

Tell the nations of his glory [his manifest presence]; tell all peoples the ·miracles [wonderful acts] he does. Psalm 96:3 (EXB)

In order to “declare” or tell something, I first must KNOW it myself. That means that if I want to declare God’s glory and marvelous works to others, I first must realize and recognize them! 

What exactly is a “marvelous work” of God? First there are the “simple” things which I often overlook, like a beautiful sunrise or sunset, a rainbow, a bird singing, a beautiful cloud formation. Then there are the blessings that God provides, including friendships, encouraging words from others, a reason to smile, and unexpected surprises such as a contest win. And lastly, the eternal works, such as God’s never-ending love, care and support. 

I’m to declare, tell, show God’s marvelous works to each and every one with whom I have contact. And in order to do that, I have to be alert so that I don’t miss the amazing things God does. It’s a conscious effort to be aware of what God is doing. And when I recognize a marvelous work of God, I take the time to first, thank God, then broadcast it LOUD and often to those around me. 

How do I broadcast God’s glory and marvelous works? On Fridays I wear RED to Remember Everyone Deployed. I broadcast my support for our Military Heroes by wearing RED each Friday. It’s easy for others to see my support. Yet, I don’t have a “Marvelous Works” shirt to wear, so how do I broadcast what God is doing? 

First, I broadcast is, by the honoring God with my actions. Hopefully, as others watch me, they will see God through my actions and reactions to everyday life. 

Secondly, I broadcast by honoring God with my words (tweets, posts, etc). What I say needs to be honoring to God and reflect what God is doing in my life.

Thirdly, I broadcast by honoring God with my attitude. How do I respond when things don’t go my way? How do I respond when others “do me wrong”. How do I respond when someone says something unkind? How do I respond...... is my response God honoring? 

Lastly, I broadcast by honoring God when faced with unknowns. When I don’t understand what or why something happened or is happening, I need to continue to trust God. When life isn’t working out the way “I planned” I need to acknowledge that God’s plan has a greater purpose and trust that God in His loving kindness is working out His will.

To create a positive day, I need to broadcast God’s glory and marvelous works—first to myself, than to the world around me.

Great Privileges

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.

Praise God, everybody! Applaud God, all people! His love has taken over our lives; God’s faithful ways are eternal. Hallelujah! Psalm 117 (MSG)

The privilege of these servants: that, as to the Jews, so also to the Gentiles, who know and serve God the Saviour, eternal life and blessedness are brought, assured in this life, and prepared in heaven. Mollerus

I can’t even fathom the great goodness of God. How do I begin to understand Who God is and what He has done and has planned for me? 

Perhaps you are thinking, “But wait, you live in chronic pain... how can you say that God is good?” Because God’s goodness isn’t based on me, or my life on earth. Rather His goodness is based on Him and His plan of eternity. 

If I look at things from my perspective of only wanting to feel good and do things I enjoy... well that’s not even reality. There are things we must do each and every day that we don’t necessarily enjoy. Maybe you don’t like vacuuming, or dusting. Or maybe going to work each day is drudgery. But you still do those things, knowing that it is all necessary. There are times when God allows “bad things” to happen in our lives so that His ultimate will and purpose can be accomplished. But from God’s perspective, they are not “bad things” rather they are only necessary to bring glory and honor to Him, and share His news of salvation. 

Sometimes, God allows things in our lives so that we first of all will recognize God for Who He is–God Almighty. Then we will realize that we are not in control of things, rather He is. And lastly, realize that His purpose and plan is based on eternal outcomes, not just “feeling good” right now. 

Privilege of knowing God.

Privilege of experiencing God’s blessings.

Privilege of serving God.

Privilege of spending eternity with God.

Each of those privileges in and of itself should produce praise to God. And if I consider them altogether, I should be bursting with praise for God Almighty. 

To create a positive day, it’s all about realizing the great privileges that are mine because of God Almighty’s love. 

No Excuses

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 92. Here is what I learned.

Even when they are old, they still bear fruit. They are always healthy and fresh. Psalm 92:14 (GW)

They’ll grow tall in the presence of God, lithe and green, virile still in old age. Psalm 92:14 (MSG)

[Growing in grace] they shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be full of sap [of spiritual vitality] and [rich in the] verdure [of trust, love, and contentment]. Psalm 92:14 (AMP)

Constancy is an ingredient in the obedience Christ requires. His trees bring forth fruit in old age. Age makes other things decay, but makes a Christian flourish. Some are like hot horses, mettlesome at the beginning of a journey, and tired a long time before they come to their journey's end. A good disciple, as he would not have from God a temporary happiness, so he would not give to God a temporary obedience; as he would have his glory last as long as God lives, so he would have his obedience last as long as he lives. Stephen Charnock

Aged believers possess a ripe experience, and by their mellow tempers and sweet testimonies they feed many. Even if bedridden, they bear the fruit of patience; if poor and obscure, their lowly and contented spirit becomes the admiration of those who know how to appreciate modest worth. Grace does not leave the saint when the keepers of the house do tremble; the promise is still sure though the eyes can no longer read it; the bread of heaven is fed upon when the grinders fail; and the voice of the Spirit in the soul is still melodious when the daughters of music are brought low. Blessed be the Lord for this! Because even to hoar hairs he is the I AM, who made his people, he therefore bears and carries them. The Treasury of David

Never stops growing. Never stops producing. Never stops giving. No excuses for not producing fruit. 

Growing in grace and producing fruit should continue no matter my circumstance, my age, or situation. Producing fruit is NOT based on me! Rather the fruit is a product of God working in my life. 

As long as I allow God to work in my life and use to me to glorify Him, than there are no excuses—I should be producing fruit. 

To create a positive day—there can be no excuses—rather, I need to let God work, and then I’ll produce fruit that will bring Him glory and honor.

Lionize

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 15. Here is what I learned.

In whose eyes a vile person is despised, but he who honors those who fear the Lord (who revere and worship Him); who swears to his own hurt and does not change. Psalm 15:4 (AMP)

The one who despises those rejected by God but honors those who fear the Lord. The one who makes a promise and does not break it, even though he is hurt by it. Psalm 15:4 (GW)

But he honoreth them that fear the Lord - No matter in what rank or condition of life they may be found. Where there is true piety he honors it. He is willing to be known as one that honors it, and is willing to bear all the reproach that may be connected with such a deeply cherished respect, and with such an avowal. Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Honor: Respect: account, adoration, adulation, aggrandizement, attention, celebration, confidence, consideration, credit, dignity, distinction, elevation, esteem, exaltation, faith, fame, fealty, glorification, glory, greatness, high standing, homage, immortalization, laud, lionization, notice, obeisance, popularity, praise, prestige, rank, recognition, renown, reputation, reverence, tribute, trust, worship.

Lionize. Lionization: to treat a person as a celebrity; to pursue celebrities or seek their company; to visit or exhibit the objects of interest of.

I like that word, lionize. I’m to lionize those that fear God. I’m so very thankful that God has introduced me to some amazing people who fear and serve the Lord. Each of those individuals has helped me grow in my knowledge of God and have been key in “keeping me on track” in my life. 

Take a moment and think of the individuals in your life that make them worthy of lionization because of their fear of God. Now take another moment to thank them and let them know you appreciate their example of living a life obeying and loving God. 

To create a positive day, I first need to lionize those in my life who are fearing God, then I need to do some work in my own life, to make sure I’m honoring and fearing God. 

Make My Boss Look Good!

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 100. Here is what I learned.

Serve the Lord with joy; come before him with singing. Psalm 100:2 (EXB)

Serve: aid, help; supply; Synonyms: arrange, assist, attend to, be of assistance, be of use, care for, deal, deliver, dish up, distribute, do for, give, handle, minister to, nurse, oblige, present, provide, provision, set out, wait on, work for.

My work philosophy has always been, that it is my job to “make my boss look good”. Each aspect of the jobs I have had, would reflect on my boss. And I wanted to make sure that “my boss” always looked good. 

Since I am to do ALL things so that God received the glory, honor and praise, I should be making sure I am making my “Boss” look good! 

As a matter of fact, do everything that way, heartily and freely to God’s glory. 1 Corinthians 10:31 (MSG)

How do I make God “look good”? He really doesn’t NEED my help... but He allows me to work for Him and with Him to accomplish His will. My responsibility is to first and foremost give God the glory due Him. Secondly, share His love with those around me. And lastly, make sure that I’m willing to do any job that God assigns me—whether or not I “like it”. 

Each and every job that God assigns me has a specific purpose to accomplish His will and plan. I need to remember that I can’t pick and choose which jobs I want to do and which ones to ignore. Some are more pleasant than others, but each task is required to assure that God’s plan is fulfilled in it’s entirety. 

To create a positive day, I need to make sure that I am doing my best to “make my Boss look good”! That means doing each task God assigns me to the best of my ability and giving God the glory due Him.