Ordinary, Everyday Blessings

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 138. Here is what I learned.

Yes, they shall sing of the ways of the Lord and joyfully celebrate His mighty acts, for great is the glory of the Lord. Psalm 138:5 (AMP)

They will sing about ·what the Lord has done [the way of the Lord],  because the Lord’s glory [his manifest presence] is great. Psalm 138:5 (EXB)

What does it take for me to notice God’s presence? Do I only acknowledge God when He’s doing mighty and powerful things? Or do I notice Him on a daily basis, when He’s doing “everyday” things? 

It’s easy to notice God when He does the unexpected and sends “big” blessings. But do I notice when He sends the “routine” blessings, such as a sunrise? Each and every day the sun rises. I can’t control it, but God does. Some mornings the sunrise is spectacular and I stop and notice, and may even take a picture or two. But do I stop and praise God, for the “ordinary” sunrises? Do I stop and realize that God continues to keep His promises—each and every day? 

While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease. Genesis 8:22 (AMP)

God deserves praise and honor and celebration for the “big things” He does, but He also deserves praise and honor and celebration for the “ordinary, everyday” blessings. For without God those ordinary, everyday blessings would cease. 

To create a positive day, I need to celebrate what God is doing — the big blessings and the ordinary, everyday blessings. 

What type of person will I be?

This year, I'm sharing my "Treasures" of my study of my "Ponder the Morsels" book. I've picked 11 Psalms to study throughout 2013. Today I studied Psalm 1. Here is what I learned.

Blessed is the person who does not follow the advice of wicked people, take the path of sinners,  or join the company of mockers. Psalm 1:1 (GW)

Blessed (happy, fortunate, prosperous, and enviable) is the man who walks and lives not in the counsel of the ungodly [following their advice, their plans and purposes], nor stands [submissive and inactive] in the path where sinners walk, nor sits down [to relax and rest] where the scornful [and the mockers] gather. Psalm 1:1 (AMP)

The person. The man. An ordinary individual. Someone just like you and me. 

There’s a lot of truth in the words—the person, or the man. First, that the truth of the Psalm, applies to all of us. Second, it removes the distinction that you must be some super-person, or a “saint’ or other high position. And lastly, it gives us hope that positive choices can be made—by each of us. 

The person. The man. Just your every day ordinary person. The choice of whom to follow is up to each of us. Peer pressure can’t make us decide. Oh, we can let it influence us, but the actual choice is ours to make. Each of us makes choices and we alone are responsible for those choices. 

The person. The man. Me. 

So often, we read or hear about a person who has a great attitude, or does something spectacular, and we think, ”that person is really special. I could never be like them.” I once sense that is true, we aren’t to be like “that other person”. We are to be the person God wants us to be. But on the other hand, we each have the ability to make choices—follow and obey God, or ignore God. It’s simple really... and any person can do it. 

To create a positive day, I need to ask myself, “What type of person will I be?” I need to make personal choices to follow and obey God.