Trust Based on Sight

And Israel saw that great work which the Lord did against the Egyptians, and the people [reverently] feared the Lord and trusted in (relied on, remained steadfast to) the Lord and to His servant Moses. Exodus 14:31 (AMP)

The Israelites had just been led out of Egypt and WALKED across the dry land of the Red Sea. God had miraculously delivered them from the hand of the Egyptians. Exodus 14:31 is the response as they looked back at the Red Sea, and the dead Egyptians. They were now delivered. 

They SAW the GREAT WORK the did. And their response was REVERENT fear and TRUST in the Lord. 

There is something being said for SEEING and then trusting. That can be good as recognizing what God has done is very appropriate and it should be seen, recognized, and remembered. However, if trust is BASED on sight, then trust can be short lived. 

We see that with the Israelites. For in Chapter 15, three days into their wilderness journey, they could not find water, so the murmuring and complaining  started and DISTRUST set in among the Israelites. 3 Days into their journey..... (Exodus 15:22).... and they forgot what GREAT WORK the Lord had done. 

Trust based on sight is short-lived for as the scenery changes often the trust is misplaced as well. Trust is not to be based on WHAT as been done, but rather WHO is involved in the doing. Trust based on sight, is too often blurred by our doubts, our anxiety, our circumstances. Trust based IN God Almighty is steadfast, for He does NOT CHANGE! He is not only worthy of trust, He has proven Himself faithful for generations, and He is the One who knows what the future holds. 

Trust based on sight is not true trust. Rather it is short-sighted trust, based on ME and what I can see or have seen. And since my sight is limited to only what effects me, or the present, I do not get the big picture of what God is doing. 

Seeing what God has done and giving Him honor for it, is the respectable thing to do. Recognizing all that God has done is part of having a heart permeated with a deep sense of reverence for God (Acts 9:31 MSG). However, if I truly have a deep sense of reverence for God, then my trust will NOT be based on sight, rather my trust will be PLACED in GOD—period.  When my heart is permeated with a deep sense of reverence for God, my trust will not be short-sighted. 

Approved by 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 33. Here is what I learned.

He Who fashions the hearts of them all, Who considers all their doings. Psalm 33:15 (AMP)

He made the hearts of them all. And He understands whatever they do. Psalm 33:15 (KJV)

He has formed every human heart, breathing life into every human spirit; He knows the deeds of each person, inside and out. Psalm 33:15 (VOICE)

Their works - Both outward and inward, all the workings of their minds and actions, and all their endeavours and actions. Wesley's Explanatory Notes

Thinking about doing something is NOT the same and actually doing it. 

And doing something for the wrong reason or with the wrong attitude is NOT the same as doing something with your whole heart. 

Not every thought turns into action. And not every action is because of a good thought. The key is to turn those good thoughts into the proper action. 

God knows the whys and whats of my actions. He knows the thought, or lack of thought, that went into doing doing something. Why did I do it? Was it out of care and concern? Was it out of love? Or was it out of spite? Or was it done for attention? If the action was done with a proper motive, was it done well? 

I need to first get my thoughts to be approved by God. Then I need to turn those thoughts into the proper actions that will accomplish God’s will and bring glory to Him. 

To create a positive day, I need to make sure that both my thoughts and actions are approved by God. 

BUT

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 Lord ·controls [is enthroned over] the flood [controls chaos]. The Lord ·will be [is enthroned as] King forever. Psalm 29:10 (EXB)

The Lord sat as King over the deluge; the Lord [still] sits as King [and] forever! Psalm 29:10 (AMP)

"The Lord sitteth upon the flood." Flood follows tempest, but Jehovah is ready for the emergency. No deluge can undermine the foundation of his throne. He is calm and unmoved, however much the deep may roar and be troubled: his government rules the most unstable and boisterous of created things. Far out on the wild waste of waters, Jehovah "plants his footsteps in the sea, and rides upon the storm," "Yea, the Lord sitteth King for ever." Jesus has the government upon his shoulders eternally: our interests in the most stormy times are safe in his hands. Satan is not king, but Jehovah Jesus is; therefore let us worship him, and rejoice evermore. The Treasury of David

Ever feel like you are drowning or being suffocated by the chaos of circumstances? Ever feel like you’ve been left out in the storm and the flood waters are rising? 

I have. In fact the past few weeks, I’ve felt the flood waters rising—the deluge of frustration, the unknown, the lack of my control. Since my surgery on April 29, 2013, I have had a “new pain”, and quite severe in my back. First and foremost, I don’t like pain.... especially ‘new pain’. And secondly, I don’t like not knowing the cause of the pain. 

My doctors are trying to figure out the what and whys of the pain.... but even if they figure out the cause, there might not be anything they can do to relieve it. That fact alone causes the flood waters to rise even higher. 

BUT... I like that word... BUT God is in control of the deluge! God is in control of the flood waters! God is in control.... period! He KNOWS all the whats and whys. He KNOWS exactly why I have pain. He KNOWS and is controlling each and every aspect.

I don’t know WHY God is letting the flood waters rise around me right now. But (that word again) I was able to share some “Create a Positive Day” cards with some people when I had a CT scan done. (If you are one of those people, thanks for stopping by!)

The deluge may seem chaotic and overwhelming...BUT....to create a positive day, I only need to remember WHO is in control! 

What? Who? Where? Why? How?

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 Fourteenth of each Month, I'm studying Psalm 150. Here's what Treasure I found today.

What? Who? Where? Why? How? Five questions journalists include when writing a news report. What is happening? or What is about to happen? Or what should happen? Who is involved? Who is affected? Where does it take place? Why is it happening? Why should it happen? How does it happen? 

In Psalm 150 David, the Psalmist, answers the specific questions. 

What? The “what” is PRAISE. If you’ve been following the Ponder Morsel posts, the theme of many of them, have been Praise. 

Who? To Whom is our Praise directed? Psalm 150 begins “halelu-yah, praise ye Jehovah”. 

Praise God, or the strong God. Praise him who is Jehovah, the infinite and self-existent Being; and praise him who is God, El or Elohim, the great God in covenant with mankind, to bless and save them unto eternal life. Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Where? 

Praise the Lord! Praise God in his ·Temple [holy place; or holiness]; praise him in his ·mighty heaven [strong firmament; Gen. 1:7]. Psalm 150:1 (EXB)

God is to be praised locally, (in his Temple) and as far as the Heavens expand! Meaning  that everyone, and everything NEAR and FAR are to Praise God. The where, is literally “everywhere”. 

Why? 

First, for God’s “might acts of power”. The literal translation is “His mightinesses”. Just think of the strength and power used to create the world, and sustain it. On Jan 4, 2013 I wrote about the Ultimate Greatness of God. 

The fact the sun weighs Think about the Sun for a moment. Its diameter is about 860,000 miles. The sun weighs 4.4000000000000000000000000000000 pounds— that is 4.4 followed by 30 zeros pounds! And yet it “hangs” in space! (Ultimate Greatness, Jan 4, 2013.)

That one act alone displays God’s MIGHTINESSES! 

The second “Why?” is because of “magnificent greatness.”

"Praise him according to his excellent greatness," or, as the words may bear, "according to his muchness of greatness". "God is great," that is, he is greatest, he is greater than all; so great that all persons and all things are little, yea, nothing before him. The Treasury of David

What am I to do? Praise. Who? God. Where? Everywhere. Why? Because of Who God is. He the mightiest. He is the greatest.  Next month, I’ll look into the HOW do I Praise Him. 

When I take notice of the mightiness and greatness of God, and acknowledge Him in my life, that creates a positive day!

Person or the Job

The other day I said "I appreciate what you do" to someone. As I walked away, it got me thinking. Do I appreciate what they do? Or who they are? There is a difference.

Some people I don't know, so I do appreciate what they do.... but with other people...those whom I've gotten to know...I should appreciate THEM, not JUST what they do. 

If I just appreciate the actions, I can take the person for granted. "But it's their job." That doesn't mean I shouldn't appreciate the person. When I only see the job, the person becomes invisible. The more I try to get to know the people around me, the more I appreciate what they do and who they are. The more I get to know the people around me, my life is enriched. 

For example, I live in an apartment building, so there are many who keep the complex up and running. Living here 16 years, the owners have changed, and so has the staff. But as I get to know the individuals, I appreciate what they do, even more. By taking a few minutes to talk with the person, I learn about their vacations (that sure helps me not complain when something isn't done that week...they are gone!). I learn about the fun things they do, their struggles, and when they get hurt. As I talk with them, I learn to appreciate the person, not just when they complete their job.

If I am only grateful for what people do for me, I can become very selfish. I expect so and so to do "ABC" for me. Rather than thinking of the person doing the job, I think of only what's in it for me. That's not only just wrong... it's being very ungrateful. We all like it when people like our work, but we like it even more when people appreciate US.

I hope as I go about my life, I'll take a moment to SEE the people who do things around me, and get to KNOW each individual. Yes, I'll still appreciate what they do..... but even more WHO they are.

Each day, we meet a variety of people: a deliver person, the clerk at the coffee shop, a co-worker, a garage mechanic, doctors, the list continues. To honestly create a positive day, I must reach out to those people and share a smile and kind word.  At first, it may be about their work..but as I see that person every day, appreciating them....will make the day a very positive one—for both of us!