Thanks Living: You can hear me, now! (repost)

Thanks Living: Remembering. 

I've been reading some of my old posts. So thankful that God knows me and what is a happening in my life. The topic of this post is just as true as it was in 2013, and will remain true forever. God never changes! 

You can hear me, now!

This year (2013), I'm sharing my "Treasures" of my study of my "Ponder the Morsels" book. I've picked 31 Psalms to study throughout 2013. Today (April 5, 2013) I studied Psalm 29. Here is what I learned.

The voice of the Lord rolls over the water. The God of glory thunders. The Lord shouts over raging water. Psalm 29:3 (GW)

The Lord’s voice [thunder] is heard over the ·sea [waters; a symbol of chaos]. The glorious God thunders; the Lord thunders over the ·ocean [many/mighty waters]. Psalm 29:3 (EXB)

"The voice of the Lord is upon the waters." The thunder is not only poetically but instructively called "the voice of God," since it peals from on high; it surpasses all other sounds, it inspires awe, it is entirely independent of man, and has been used on some occasions as the grand accompaniment of God's speech to Adam's sons. There is peculiar terror in a tempest at sea, when deep calleth unto deep, and the raging sea echoes to the angry sky. No sight more alarming than the flash of lightning around the mast of the ship; and no sound more calculated to inspire a reverent awe than the roar of the storm. 

"The Lord is upon many waters." Still the Psalmist's ear hears no voice but that of Jehovah, resounding from the multitudinous and dark waters of the upper ocean of clouds, and echoing from the innumerable billows of the storm-tossed sea below. The waters above and beneath the firmament are astonished at the eternal voice. When the holy Spirit makes the divine promise to be heard above the many waters of our soul's trouble, then is God as glorious in the spiritual world as in the universe of matter. Above us and beneath us all is the peace of God when he gives us quiet. The Treasury of David

Chaos. Noise. Confusion. Anarchy. Pandemonium. Tumult. Turmoil. 

It’s amazing how chaos can rob me of the peace that God has given me. My chaos can be caused by focusing on the “what ifs”, or focusing me how I’ll fix things, instead of trusting God to take care of things. Man-made chaos creates noise, confusion, restlessness, and disharmony. The longer I remain in a state of chaos, the more overwhelmed and depressed I become. 

Thankfully, God’s love and peace is “louder” than any noise my chaos can produce. God “thunders” through my created mess, and assures me of His presence, and that He hasn’t gone anywhere, and had no plans to leave me or abandon me. 

“Be relaxed with what you have. Since God assured us, “I’ll never let you down, never walk off and leave you.” Hebrews 13:5 (MSG)

No matter how loud the noise of my chaos is around me, I know I’ll have a positive day, when I hear, “You can hear me, now!” spoken by my Almighty, loving God.

Thanks Living: Thundering Noise

That I may proclaim with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all Your wondrous works. Psalm 26:7

Proclaim: to hear, understand intelligently, make proclamation to

Voice: call aloud, thundering, noise, yell

Thanksgiving: in songs of liturgical worship, adoration; specifically, a choir of worshippers — sacrifice of praise

Tell: to score with a mark as a tally or record, to enumerate; intensively, to recount

Wondrous works: wonderful acts of— in judgment and redemption; to be surpassing or extraordinary

Thundering noise. 

We shout loud for our Teams and even louder in the last few moments of a close game. They even have "thunder sticks" so that we can make even MORE noise. Those around us KNOW who we are cheering for by the sounds we make. And those teams don't even do anything really great—they just play a game. 

Since we are willing to make a thundering noise for a group of people (who we really don't even know), shouldn't we be willing to make that much noise about our great God? 

Thundering noise.

A noise of thanksgiving. Think for a moment of some of the extraordinary things God does. The sunrise—spectacular colors intermingled with different cloud formations. The way He keeps the Earth tilted at just the precise angle so that everything works in harmony; the tides, the weather, sunrise, sunset, the moon. And keeping a record of the extraordinary things God does creates an intelligent understanding that produces a proclamation—loud and proud—of worship to God! 

Thundering noise. 

A life of Thanks Living is to produce a desire to YELL, make a thundering noise of thanksgiving to God! The thanksgiving is to be accompanied with a tally of the extraordinary things God does—and that should make the thundering noise even louder! 

The Noisy Storm

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.

My eye looks upon those who lie in wait for me; my ears hear the evildoers that rise up against me. Psalm 92:11 (AMP)

When ·I [my eyes] looked, I saw my enemies; I heard the cries of those who ·are against me [rose against me with evil; [he sees and hears the defeat of his enemies]. Psalm 92:11 (EXB)

Where is my focus? Where am I looking? To what am I listening? What I focus on will have a direct impact on my thoughts, actions, attitude. Am I focusing on my enemies and what is happening to them and what they are trying to do to me? Am I listening to their banter and allowing what I hear to impact my faith and trust in God? 

As I read this verse I thought of Peter when the Lord invited him to walk on the water. Peter did fine...until he took his eyes off the Lord and listened to the storm. 

Peter said, “Lord, if it is really you, then ·command [tell] me to come to you on the water.”Jesus said, “Come.” And Peter left the boat and walked on the water ·to [and came toward] Jesus.  But when Peter saw the wind, he became ·afraid [terrified] and began to sink. He shouted, “Lord, save me!” Matthew 14:28-30 (EXB)

Just because there are those who would like to see me fail and have me doubt God, doesn’t mean I have to listen to them—let alone allow them to change my focus to from God to the noisy storm. Focus. Where am I directing my focus? Do I allow the noisy storm raging around me to distract me from God and His purpose? 

To create a positive day I must not be distracted by the noisy storm that my enemies create, rather, I need to remain focused on God and what He is doing! 

Quiet the Noise

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 27. Here is what I learned.

You have said, Seek My face [inquire for and require My presence as your vital need]. My heart says to You, Your face (Your presence), Lord, will I seek, inquire for, and require [of necessity and on the authority of Your Word]. Psalm 27:8 (AMP)

The prodding of my heart leads me to chase after You. I am seeking You, Eternal One—don’t retreat from me. Psalm 27:8 (VOICE)

My heart said of you, “Go, ·worship him [seek his face].” So I ·come to worship you [seek your face], Lord. Psalm 27:8 (EXB)

In this verse we are taught that if we would have the Lord hear our voice, we must be careful to respond to his voice. The true heart should echo the will of God as the rocks among the Alps repeat in sweetest music the notes of the peasant's horn. Observe, that the command was in the plural, to all the saints, Seek ye; but the man of God turned it into the singular by a personal application, Thy face, Lord, will I seek. The voice of the Lord is very effectual where all other voices fail. When thou saidst, then my heart, my inmost nature was moved to an obedient reply. Note the promptness of the response -- no sooner said than done; as soon as God said "seek," the heart said, "I will seek." Oh, for more of this holy readiness! Would to God that we were more plastic to the divine hand, more sensitive of the touch of God's Spirit. The Treasury of David

Is my heart open to hearing God? Am I listening? Or is it too noisy with my wants, wishes, worries, frustrations, or my will? 

To create a positive day, I need to quiet the noise I create, so that I can hear God and respond to His words. 

God Approved

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 19. Here is what I learned.

·I hope my ·words [The words of my mouth] and ·thoughts [meditations of my heart] ·please [be before] you. Lord, you are my Rock, ·the one who saves me [and my redeemer]. Psalm 19:14 (EXB)

May the words that come out of my mouth and the musings of my heart meet with Your gracious approval, O Eternal, my Rock, O Eternal, my Redeemer. Psalm 19:14 (VOICE)

"Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my Redeemer." A sweet prayer, and so spiritual that it is almost as commonly used in Christian worship as the apostolic benediction.

Words of the mouth are mockery if the heart does not meditate; the shell is nothing without the kernel; but both together are useless unless accepted; and even if accepted by man, it is all vanity if not acceptable in the sight of God.

We must in prayer view Jehovah as our strength enabling, and our Redeemer saving, or we shall not pray aright, and it is well to feel our personal interest so as to use the word my, or our prayers will be hindered. Blessed Kinsman, give us now to meditate acceptably upon thy most sweet love and tenderness. The Treasury of David

Today as I was thinking over this verse, I had a good example of how my thoughts don’t always reflect God and His Word. 

I heard one of my neighbor’s kids crying and screaming in the hallway and stairwell. That happens often, when they are told “no”. I immediately thought.. again! But then I heard the ambulance pull up with the fire truck and police cars. I then learned that one of the kids had fallen out of the second story window. 

I had to stop and realize that my original thoughts were not only based on a wrong assumption, but they were not godly either. I should have compassion and understanding. I should show love and kindness to my neighbors... no matter how loud their kids are. I talked with my neighbor tonight and the little boy is ok; just a bump on the head and sore. 

My thoughts and words need to  pass through God’s sieve, so to speak. My thoughts and words are to be acceptable to God. My attitude, actions, and what I articulate, need to be God approved! 

To create a positive day, I must meditate on God’s Word so that my thoughts and words will be God approved. 

Louder and Louder

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.

For great is the Lord and greatly to be praised; He is to be reverently feared and worshiped above all [so-called] gods. Psalm 96:4 (AMP)

For the Eternal is great indeed and praiseworthy; feared and reverenced above all gods, the True God shall be. Psalm 96:4 (VOICE) 

“For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised." He is no petty deity, presiding, as the heathen imagined their gods to do, over some one nation, or one department of nature. Jehovah is great in power and dominion, great in mind and act; nothing mean or narrow can be found in him or his acts, in all things he is infinite. Praise should be proportionate to its object, therefore let it be infinite when rendered unto the Lord. We cannot praise him too much, too often, too zealously, too carefully, too joyfully. 

He deserves that nothing in his worship should be little, but all the honour rendered unto him should be given in largeness of heart, with the utmost zeal for his glory. "He is to be feared above all gods." Other gods have been worshipped at great cost, and with much fervor, by their blinded votaries, but Jehovah should be adored with far greater reverence. Even if the graven images had been gods they could not have borne comparison for an instant with the God of Israel, and therefore his worship should be far more zealous than any which has been rendered to them. He is to be feared, for there is cause to fear. Dread of other gods is mere superstition, awe of the Lord is pure religion. Holy fear is the beginning of the graces, and yet it is the accompaniment of their highest range. Fear of God is the blush upon the face of holiness enhancing its beauty. The Treasury of David

Greatly: louder and louder

Not only is God, GREAT, exceedingly higher than anything, our praise to God is to get LOUDER and LOUDER! 

Think for moment as the roar of a crowd begins to realize they won.... the roar grows as reality sets in and the joy of the moment overwhelms the fans. That’s how my praise should be to God. As I continue to grasp the greatness, the exceedingly abundance of God, my praise to Him will grow louder and louder! 

To create a positive day, my praise to God Almighty needs to grow louder and louder as I learn and grasp the greatness of God!

Shut Up!

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 62. Here is what I learned.

My soul, wait only upon God and silently submit to Him; for my hope and expectation are from Him. Psalm 62:5 (AMP)

God, the one and only— I’ll wait as long as he says. Everything I hope for comes from him, so why not? Psalm 62:5 (MSG)

I ·find rest [wait quietly] in God; ·only he gives me hope [for my hope is in him]. Psalm 62:5 (EXB)

Wait: be still (opposed to both speech and motion); be silent, hold peace, quiet self, rest, keep (put to) silence.

Wait, to put it in one term, “Shut Up!” 

Be still silent, O my soul! submit thyself completely, trust immovably, wait patiently. Let none of thy enemies' imaginings, consultings, flatteries, or maledictions cause thee to break the King's peace. Unmingled faith is undismayed. The Treasury of David

One definition of “wait” is to be available or in readiness. If I’m in a constant state of motion and noise (talking), than I am not available or in readiness. For, if I’m talking, I can’t hear the instructions from God! 

I’ve never really enjoyed silence. I like to have the radio on, or CDs playing, or the TV on... just for noise. Yet, in the silence I hear subtle sounds which I miss amidst the noise. If I really want to know what God wants me to do.... I need to “shut up” and listen! 

I’ve noticed that often when I’m nervous, I tend to talk, often faster and louder. Yet, God wants to give me peace, and that comes as I WAIT... yes, “shut up” just be still. 

Only when I “Shut Up”, will I be able to find peace and know what God wants me to do next. Trust in God, and what He is doing and stop making noises that are just jibber-jabber. 

To create a positive day, I need to “shut up” and listen to God, for then and only then will I enjoy the peace that calms my soul. 

You can hear me, now!

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 29. Here is what I learned.

The voice of the Lord rolls over the water. The God of glory thunders. The Lord shouts over raging water. Psalm 29:3 (GW)

The Lord’s voice [thunder] is heard over the ·sea [waters; a symbol of chaos]. The glorious God thunders; the Lord thunders over the ·ocean [many/mighty waters]. Psalm 29:3 (EXB)

"The voice of the Lord is upon the waters." The thunder is not only poetically but instructively called "the voice of God," since it peals from on high; it surpasses all other sounds, it inspires awe, it is entirely independent of man, and has been used on some occasions as the grand accompaniment of God's speech to Adam's sons. There is peculiar terror in a tempest at sea, when deep calleth unto deep, and the raging sea echoes to the angry sky. No sight more alarming than the flash of lightning around the mast of the ship; and no sound more calculated to inspire a reverent awe than the roar of the storm. 

"The Lord is upon many waters." Still the Psalmist's ear hears no voice but that of Jehovah, resounding from the multitudinous and dark waters of the upper ocean of clouds, and echoing from the innumerable billows of the storm-tossed sea below. The waters above and beneath the firmament are astonished at the eternal voice. When the holy Spirit makes the divine promise to be heard above the many waters of our soul's trouble, then is God as glorious in the spiritual world as in the universe of matter. Above us and beneath us all is the peace of God when he gives us quiet. The Treasury of David

Chaos. Noise. Confusion. Anarchy. Pandemonium. Tumult. Turmoil. 

It’s amazing how chaos can rob me of the peace that God has given me. My chaos can be caused by focusing on the “what ifs”, or focusing me how I’ll fix things, instead of trusting God to take care of things. Man-made chaos creates noise, confusion, restlessness, and disharmony. The longer I remain in a state of chaos, the more overwhelmed and depressed I become. 

Thankfully, God’s love and peace is “louder” than any noise my chaos can produce. God “thunders” through my created mess, and assures me of His presence, and that He hasn’t gone anywhere, and had no plans to leave me or abandon me. 

“Be relaxed with what you have. Since God assured us, “I’ll never let you down, never walk off and leave you.” Hebrews 13:5 (MSG)

No matter how loud the noise of my chaos is around me, I know I’ll have a positive day, when I hear, “You can hear me, now!” spoken by my Almighty, loving God.

Positive Praise!

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.

Let’s hear it from Sky, With Earth joining in, And a huge round of applause from Sea. Psalm 96:11 (MSG)

The “it” in Psalm 96:11 is “praise to God”. This past weekend, I heard the most amazing thing... stars making music. And no, it was not a reaction to my pain medication. I learned that stars create a vibration, and literally make noise! And then I heard whales singing! Put just those two creations of God together and you have an amazing song of praise to God! 

Here is the video. Take a moment to watch and listen. 

Louie Giglio - Nature Singing to God

God creation praises Him. If the stars and whales can make music to God.... shouldn’t I also be praising God? 

I live in an apartment complex and my building has 6 floors. I hear a variety of noises. But I find it interesting that the noise that carries the loudest.... is the crying, yelling, screaming, fighting.... the “negative” sounds. Seldom do I hear the laughter or singing of joyful songs. 

What does God hear me saying, singing, and shouting most? Are my “noises” praising and honoring God? Or are my “noises” of disharmony and discord..... negative noise? 

My philosophy is “Create a Positive Day!”. Not only should I be seeing the awesome blessings God continues to send my way.... I need to makes sure that my “noise” throughout the day is positive praise to God. 

Create a positive day..... I need to not only live it... I need to make noise about why it’s a positive day—because God is God! To honestly create a positive day... it MUST include positive praise to my Almighty God! 

Very Noisy!

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 30. Here is what I learned.

To the end that my tongue and my heart and everything glorious within me may sing praise to You and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever. Psalm 30:12 (AMP)

I’m about to burst with song; I can’t keep quiet about you. God, my God, I can’t thank you enough. Psalm 30:12 (MSG)

I took time today to read back through my Ponder Morsels since January 1, 2013. As I read through the Psalms and what God taught me on each particular day, I was reminded of why I started the Ponder Morsels. (To read the previous Ponder Morsels, click on "Ponder Morsel" or "Ponder Book" in the labels at the end of this post.)

I ponder every morsel of wisdom from you. Psalm 119:15 (MSG)  

As I read that this morning, what came to mind is my own personal "GPS" from God. However, the GPS only works as good as you pay attention to the directions. And God's GPS ALWAYS has the right directions, unlike some GPS/Map Aps from companies. 

The overall idea of Psalm 119:15 is that first I realize the importance of God's Word in living day to day. Secondly, the goal is to "think about it, so that it has an effect on my life". God's Word should have an impact on my actions, attitude, and speech. And lastly, this doesn't "just happen" I have to make a conscious effort to ponder every morsel from God. 

http://createapositiveday.blogspot.com/2012/12/gods-gps.html

I found that each day, God provided examples or object lessons so that I would have a understanding of what God was teaching me. I’ve also noticed that having a truth about God to think about through the day, sure has been instrumental in helping me work through decisions. The Ponder Morsels have also been key to changing my attitude from “poor me” to “praise God” on these days of increased pain. 

I can’t keep quiet about you. God, my God, I can’t thank you enough. Psalm 30:12 (MSG). 

My God is amazing. And I hope that I am very noisy about God. And I hope that I remember to thank God often for His help, support, and for His patience in teaching me. 

To create a positive day, I need to be very noisy about God and take time to thank Him for Who He is and what He is doing in my life.