Study of Psalm 119. Psalm 119:25

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. 25: Provides Revival & Rejuvenation

My soul clings to the dust; revive me according to Your word. Psalm 119:25

Revive: himself with fulness of life in his favor

According to your word: advice, answer, promise

“Quicken thou me according to thy word. By thy providence put life into my affairs, by thy grace put life into my affections; cure me of my spiritual deadness and make me lively in my devotion.” Note, When we find ourselves dull we must go to God and beg of him to quicken us; he has an eye to God's word as a means of quickening (for the words which God speaks, they are spirit and they are life to those that receive them), and as an encouragement to hope that God would quicken him, having promised grace and comfort to all the saints, and to David in particular. God's word must be our guide and plea in every prayer. (Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary on the Bible)

Find yourself discouraged? We find joy, peace, and comfort in God and His Word. 

Want to be happy? (James)

Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. James 1:12

Blessed: happy (In congratulations, the reason why one is to be pronounced blessed is expressed by a noun or by a participle taking the place of the subject)

Endureth: to endure, bear bravely and calmly

Temptation: specifically, the trial of man's fidelity, integrity, virtue, constancy

When he is: become, come about, happen

Tried: properly, accepted, approved

Shall receive: to gain, get, obtain absolutely

Crown: the eternal blessedness which will be given as a prize to the genuine servants of God and Christ

Life: real and genuine

Promised: to announce that one is about to do or to furnish something

Love: love to a master, God or Christ, the word involves the idea of affectionate reverence, prompt obedience, grateful recognition of benefits received

Want to be happy? Start loving God — with reverence, prompt obedience and grateful recognition of all God gives. Following Christ doesn't come with a promise of "easy street". There will be hardships along the way. But through it all, God remains faithful! 

Blessed—happy because no matter what happens, I choose to love God and obey Him with a thankful heart. 

Chronological: Promises

Promises. 

What does the word promise mean? One dictionary defines as such: an express assurance on which expectation is to be based.

As we look at the life of Abraham beginning in Genesis 12, we see something that is no unique to Abraham nor the time in which he lived— his actions did not always reflect the belief that God keeps His promises. 

God is always faithful. God is truthful. God keeps His promises. Abraham's actions are often inconsistent with the characteristics of God. 

Genesis 12 begins with a command. "Get out of this place — (go) to another place. That command is followed by the following promises.

I will show you the land. 

I will make you a great nation. 

I will bless you.

I will make your name great—and you will be a blessing.

I will bless those that bless you.

I will curse those that curse you.

Looking at the list of promises, it covers everything. And then we look at Abraham's actions. Sadly, his actions do not convey faith or obedience in God's promises. 

Genesis 12:10-20

Abraham lied. 

Abraham was scared. He thought he'd be killed because his wife Sarai was beautiful and the Egyptians would want her. So, he said Sarai, was is sister not his wife. Due to that lie, the Egyptians were cursed and Abraham and Sarai were  commanded to leave. 

Look at which promises that Abraham forgot at he entered Egypt. Yes, all of them. That's not a good start to Abraham's journey. 

God's Word is full of promises. Do I act as I believe those promises? 

Sadly, too often I am like Abraham, thinking that God doesn't really mean what He says. Or I think that maybe I know better than God. Or that God needs my help. That's just plain wrong thinking—period! That's when I need to stop and remember WHO God is! For when I have a correct thinking and understanding of WHO God is—my actions will then be such that reveal that I do trust God and I want to obey Him. 

Promises. When the promises are made by God Almighty—you can be assured He will keep them! 

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: God is good. Period

Praise the Lord! Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. Psalm 106:1

Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. Psalm 107:1

Give thanks to the Lord... why? 
Because He is good. 
That's it. 
Simply, because God is good. 
Not because of the benefits that He gives because He is good. 
Simply because of the fact that God is good. 

If God is so good why does He allow bad things to happen? That's an age old question. The only answer I have is that no matter the circumstances, no matter the situation, God remains good. He cannot change. He is good. Period. 

As I have been thinking about Psalm 106:1 and 107:1, and that God is good, I continued to think of God's goodness in relation what I get because of God's goodness. That is NOT what these verses are saying to do. We are to give thanks, simply because God is good—period. Just thanking God that He is good. It's who God is. A characteristic that cannot change. 

The fact that God can be nothing less than who He is reminded me of a post I had written several years ago: (http://createapositiveday.blogspot.com/2011/01/god-is-faithful.html)

God is Faithful

by Rhonda Sawtelle

God, my Confidant, my Savior,
Faithful is His code of behavior.
Steadfast, unchangeable, unshakable.
Being something different—He’s just unable.
I Am can be nothing other than who He is.

True blue, never slow, never wavering.
Rock-solid; forever unchanging.
In the past, He has proven Himself true.
In the present and future, He’ll simply continue.
I Am can be nothing other than who He is.

Promises kept, loyal, reliable, sure.
Awesome faithfulness—without measure.
No role in God’s faithfulness, has human frailty.
Unfaithfulness to God’s Being is contrary.
I Am can be nothing other than who He is.

Unfathomable, incomprehensible,
It is simply and utterly impossible—
Unfaithfulness is not even a choice.
In God’s faithfulness—with assurance—rejoice.
I Am can be nothing other than Who He Is.

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“When God wanted to guarantee his promises, he gave his word, a rock-solid guarantee—God can’t break his word. And because his word cannot change, the promise is likewise unchangeable. We who have run for our very lives to God have every reason to grab the promised hope with both hands and never let go. It’s an unbreakable spiritual lifeline, reaching past all appearances right to the very presence of God where Jesus, running on ahead of us, has taken up his permanent post as high priest for us, in the order of Melchizedek.”  Hebrews 6:17-19 (The Message)

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Give thanks..... for God is good. Period. Thanks Living is based on the fact that God is good. Not on things I receive because God is good. Give thanks—for God is good. Period. 

Trust: Accomplish His Plan

Trust

As I continue on my desire to have a heart permeated with a deep sense of reverence for God, I thought I'd study "Trust" throughout the Bible. What is trust? In whom do I place my trust? Who is trustworthy? Am I trustworthy? What are the results of trusting God? How do you continue to trust God with things don't go as I planned? 

I'm looking forward to learning about Trust, hope you will enjoy reading what I learn as I study God's Word. 

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And he [Abram] believed in (trusted in, relied on, remained steadfast to) the Lord, and He counted it to him as righteousness (right standing with God). Genesis 15:6

The command to go to the land which the Lord would show him, accompanied with the promise to make of him a great nation, had awakened in him a certain expectation; which, however, waited for some performance to ripen it into faith. But waiting in a state of suspense is not faith, but doubt; and faith after performance is not faith, but sight. 

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

What was there now, then, to call forth Abram‘s faith more than at the first promise? There was the reiteration of the promise. There was the withholding of the performance, leaving room for the exercise of pure faith. There was time to train the mind to this unaccustomed idea and determination. And, lastly, there was the sublime assurance conveyed in the sentence, “I am thy shield, thy exceeding great reward,” transcending all the limits of time and place, comprehending alike the present and the eternal, the earthly and the heavenly. This, coupled with all the recorded and unrecorded dealings of the Lord, leads him to conceive the nobler feeling of faith in the Promiser, antecedent to any part of the execution, any unfolding of the plan, or any removal of the obvious difficulty.

Thus, faith springs solely from the seed of promise. And from that moment there stands up and grows within the breast of man the right frame of mind toward the God of mercy - the germ of a mutual good understanding between God and man which will spread its roots and branches through the whole soul, to the exclusion of every noxious plant, and blossom forth unto the blessed fruit of all holy feelings and doings.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

Abram trusted in the Lord even when it seemed impossible, because God had fulfilled other promises. Although Abram couldn't understand or even begin to see how God would accomplish His promise, Abram trusted. 

Abram trusted in God. And God saw that Abram was willing to trust God to make the seemingly impossible happen. When we place our trust in God and WAIT on Him to accomplish HIS plan in HIS time, we have a peace and joy that overflows when God acts. However, when we try to do things on our own, then we cause trouble for ourselves and others! Consequence of trust in God lead to promises fulfilled and joy! Consequence of trust in oneself or others, often leads to misery and heartache. 

If I want to learn to trust God and wait on Him to accomplish His plan for me and through me, then my heart must be permeated with a deep sense of reverence for God (Acts 9:31 MSG). For only when I have a deep reverence and respect for God, will I be willing to wait on Him and TRUST that He will, in His time and in accordance with His will, accomplish His plan. 

Promises of Grace

For it has pleased [the Father] that all the divine fullness (the sum total of the divine perfection, powers, and attributes) should dwell in Him permanently. Colossians 1:19 (AMP) 

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Though all the perfections of God are in Christ, as eternity, omnipotence, omniscience, omnipresence, immutability, independence, and necessary existence, and every other, or he would not be equal with God;" 

"There is a fulness of grace in him, out of which saints receive, and grace for grace, or a large abundance of it; the fulness of the spirit of grace, and of all the graces and gifts of the Spirit is in him; and of all the blessings of grace, as a justifying righteousness, pardon of sin, adoption, sanctification, even of all that grace that is implanted in regeneration, that is necessary to carry on and finish the good work upon the soul; there is a fulness of all light and life, of wisdom, and strength, of peace, joy, and comfort, and of all the promises of grace, both with respect to this world and that which is to come;"

John Gill's Exposition of the Bible; Colossians 1:19.

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"There is a fulness of all light and life, of wisdom, and strength, of peace, joy, and comfort, and of all the promises of grace.." 

Because Jesus Christ is God, I have the promise of wisdom, strength, peace, joy and comfort—all because of God's grace given to me through His Son, Jesus Christ. 

To fully enjoy all that God and His Son has to offer me, I must be permeated with a deep sense of reverence for God (Acts 9:31; MSG) 

Keeping All Promises, No Matter the Cost

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.

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)

The one who loathes the loathsome, honors those who fear the Eternal, And keeps all promises no matter the cost. Psalm 15:4 (VOICE)

Keeps all promises no matter the cost. Often we hear of litigation because someone didn’t fulfill a contract, and the reason was it would cost more to complete a project than originally thought. Costs increase and contractors, etc, want more money to complete a job. When we make promises, we must never do so lightly, for we are to keep the promises we make, no matter what it will cost us... the includes, time, talent, money, etc. Am I true to my word? Do I do as I promise? When I say I’ll do something, do I do it? 

There are phrases we say often without thinking. For example, “I’ll pray for you.” Often, the is a automatic response when we hear of someone in trouble or sick. But do we actually, PRAY? 

The next area we sometimes make promises is in the area of accountability. If we say we will hold someone accountable to either do something, or not do something, do we follow through? Or are we too shy and timid to check in to see if the person is doing ok? Perhaps we don’t want to “check in” because we are ashamed of our actions. But Psalm 15:4, says “keeps all promises, no matter the cost.” 

He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not - Who has made a promise, or entered into a contract, that is likely to turn out contrary to his expectations, to his own disadvantage; but who still adheres to his engagement. If the thing itself is wrong; if he has made a promise, or pledged himself to do a wicked thing, he cannot be under obligation to execute it; he should at once abandon it (compare the notes at Matthew 14:9); but he is not at liberty to violate an agreement simply because it will be a loss to him, or because he ascertains that it will not be, as he supposed, to his advantage. Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Can people believe what I say? Honesty. Integrity. True to my word. I’m very thankful that God is a promise keeper! He fulfills all His promises. That is an awesome comfort! 

To create a positive day, I need to be a person of honesty and integrity, keeping all promises, no matter the cost. 

Promise-keeping God!

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 111. Here is what I learned.

He has sent salvation to his people. He has ordered that his promise should continue forever. His name is holy and terrifying. Psalm 111:9 (GW)

He ·sets his people free [sent redemption to his people]. He ·made his agreement everlasting [commanded his covenant/treaty forever]. ·He [His name] is holy and ·wonderful [awesome]. Psalm 111:9 (EXB)

He has paid a full ransom for his people. He has guaranteed his covenant with them forever. What a holy, awe-inspiring name he has! Psalm 111:9 (NLT)

"He hath commanded his covenant for ever." His divine decree has made the covenant of his grace a settled and eternal institution: redemption by blood proves that the covenant cannot be altered, for it ratifies and establishes it beyond all recall. This, too, is reason for the loudest praise. Redemption is a fit theme for the heartiest music, and when it is seen to be connected with gracious engagements from which the Lord's truth cannot swerve, it becomes a subject fitted to arouse the soul to an ecstasy of gratitude. The Treasury of David

Ever have someone promise you something, only to learn that they did not have the ability to fulfill that promise? It’s not only disappointing, but it causes distrust. 

However, God is able to not only promise an everlasting covenant with us, He is able to fulfill that promise. Because God, Himself, is eternal, everlasting, only He can promise an everlasting covenant. God also has a “proven record” on keeping His promises! He is trustworthy! 

So, when God promises me eternal life with Him, I know that He can and will keep that promise. And all He requires of me is to believe in Him. 

God loved the world this way: He gave his only Son so that everyone who believes in him will not die but will have eternal life. John 3:16 (GW)

No guessing. No wondering. A solid promise from an eternal everlasting, promise-keeping God! 

To create a positive day, I only have to take God at His Word, for He is the promise-keeping God!

Consider it Accomplished

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.

I will worship toward thy holy temple, And give thanks unto thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: For thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name. Psalm 138:2 (ASV)

"For thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name," the words may be thus read, and will better agree with the Hebrew; "thou hast magnified thy name above all things, in thy word," that is, in fulfilling thy word thou hast magnified thy name above all things, in that thou hast fulfilled thy word. What thou freely promisedst, thou hast faithfully performed; what thou hast spoken with thy mouth thou hast fulfilled with thy hand; for which thy name is wonderfully to be magnified. James Nalton, 1664.

What God says, He will do. No doubt. No ‘wiggle room’. Simply... if God said it, consider it accomplished.  God is to be trusted! That is a very comforting fact.

Consider it accomplished. 

All that God has said, I know that it is trustworthy because he is not only able to perform well, having a proven capacity to fulfil what He promises, but because of who God is... holy, just, faithful... He cannot go against His Word. He is faithful to do what He says. 

Consider it accomplished. Period. No ifs, ands, or buts. It’s done. 

To create a positive day, I only have to remember and act upon the fact that whatever God has said... consider it accomplished—period!

Praise-filled Day!

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. 

Psalm 117 is the shortest Psalm, but is filled with truth!

Psalm 117:1 is similar to Psalm 111:1. It begins with Praise to God.

(Read more about Psalm 111:1 here: All In!) 

Praise Yahweh, all you nations! Extol him, all you peoples! Psalm 117:1 (WE)

Psalm 117:2 begins to give reasons why God is to be praised. And these are not abstract reasons, rather they are ABSOLUTE reasons! 

For he loves us with unfailing love;

the LORD's faithfulness endures forever.

Praise the LORD!

Psalm 117:2 (NLT)

For his lovingkindness is great toward us;

And the truth of Jehovah endureth for ever.

Praise ye Jehovah.

Psalm 117:2 (ASV)

The word “great” means so much! It’s means “strong, powerful, but with blessing”. 

“Lovingkindness” means "kindness with favor and fidelity".  Think for a moment what fidelity means! 

fidelity 

        1. strict observance of promises, duties, etc.

        2. loyalty. 

        3. faithfulness.

        4. adherence to fact or detail.

        5. accuracy; exactness.

God’s great, strong and powerful 

filled-with-blessing love and kindness

is based on WHO God is!

He is loyal. He is faithful. He is VERY detailed. He is very accurate! God can be NOTHING else, because that is WHO He is—He cannot change! 

And the most amazing aspect of this strong, powerful blessing of love—it’s FOREVER!

This is an UNENDING supply of love

from a faithful, promise-keeping,

detailed, accurate, and eternal God.

That should make each of us SHOUT Hallelujah, Praise Yahwah.

Knowing that the faithful, promise-keeping, detailed, accurate, eternal God loves me creates not only a positive day, but a praise-filled day!