Awe and Respect

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.

Let all the earth fear the Lord. Let all who live in the world stand in awe of him. Psalm 33:8 (GW)

All the earth should ·worship [fear; hold in awe] the Lord; ·the whole [all the inhabitants of the] world should ·fear him [hold him in awe]. Psalm 33:8 (EXB)

"Let all the earth fear the Lord." Not only Jews, but Gentiles. The Psalmist was not a man blinded by national prejudice, he did not desire to restrict the worship of Jehovah to the seed of Abraham. He looks for homage even to far-off nations. If they are not well enough instructed to be able to praise at least let them fear. There is an inferior kind of worship in the trembling which involuntarily admits the boundless power of the thundering God. A defiant blasphemer is out of place in a world covered with tokens of the divine power and Godhead; the whole earth cannot afford a spot congenial for the erection of a synagogue of Atheism, nor a man in whom it is becoming to profane the name of God. "Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him." Let them forsake their idols, and reverently regard the only living God. What is here placed as a wish may also be read as a prophecy: the adoration of God will yet be universal. The Treasury of David

Fear: stand in awe of.

Awe: admiration, apprehension, astonishment, consternation, dread, esteem, fear, fright, horror, regard, respect, reverence, shock, stupefaction, terror, veneration, wonder, wonderment, worship.

I was driving to my Chiropractor appointment, and heard a police siren. I looked in my rear-view mirror and saw that the Police car was a few car lengths behind me. As my heart beat increased, I automatically took my foot off the gas and looked at the speedometer. No, I wasn’t speeding... I pulled over to the far right, and watched as the police officer drove on past. I took a deep breath and continued on my way. 

Why was my reaction one of fear, when I heard the siren? I wasn’t doing anything wrong. Yet, the respect I have for the Police, filled me with fear... and dread because of what I might have done wrong, I was fearful of the consequences. 

As I thought about Psalm 33:8, I’m the fear the Lord, not necessarily because of the consequences of disobedience, but rather because of WHO He is. The fact the God is God Almighty, should instill a sense of awe and respect. And that awe and respect should motivate me into obey and honoring God in all I do and say. 

To create a positive day, I need to fear God and that awe and respect should motivate me into obey and honoring God in all I do and say. 

Kept 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 121. Here is what I learned.

God guards you from every evil, he guards your very life. Psalm 121:7 (MSG)

The Lord will ·protect [guard; watch] you from all ·dangers [trouble; evil]; he will ·guard [watch] your life. Psalm 121:7 (EXB)

"The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil," or keep thee from all evil. It is a great pity that our admirable translation did not keep to the word keep all through the Psalm, for all along it is one. God not only keeps his own in all evil times but from all evil influences and operations, yea, from evils themselves. This is a far-reaching word of covering: it includes everything and excludes nothing: the wings of Jehovah amply guard his own from evils great and small, temporary and eternal. There is a most delightful double personality in this verse, Jehovah keeps the believer, not by agent, but by g; and the person protected is definitely pointed out by the word thee, - it is not our estate or name which is shielded, but the proper personal man. 

To make this even more intensely real and personal another sentence is added, "The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul," - or Jehovah will keep thy soul. Soul-keeping is the soul of keeping. If the soul be kept all is kept. The preservation of the greater includes that of the less so far as it is essential to the main design: the kernel shall be preserved, and in order thereto the shell shall be preserved also. God is the sole keeper of the soul. Our soul is kept from the dominion of sin, the infection of error, the crush of despondency, the puffing up of pride; kept from the world, the flesh and the devil; kept for holier and greater things; kept in the love of God; kept unto the eternal kingdom and glory. What can harm a soul that is kept of the Lord? The Treasury of David

Jehovah keeps the believer, not by an agent, but by himself! God is the sole keeper of the soul.

Kept by God. Wow.... that truth creates a positive day... nothing more needed! 

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!

Knowledge and Experience!

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.

With God rests my salvation and my glory; He is my Rock of unyielding strength and impenetrable hardness, and my refuge is in God! Psalm 62:7 (AMP)

My salvation and my significance depend ultimately on God; the core of my strength, my shelter, is in the True God. Psalm 62:7 (VOICE)

My help and glory are in God—granite-strength and safe-harbor-God— Psalm 62:7 (MSG)

In God is my salvation and my glory. Wherein should we glory but in him who saves us? Our honour may well be left with him who secures our souls. To find all in God, and to glory that it is so, is one of the sure, marks of an enlightened soul. "The rock of my strength, and my refuge is in God." He multiplies titles, for he would render much honour to the Lord, whom he had tried, and proved to be a faithful God under so many aspects; Ignorance needs but few words, but when experience brings a wealth of knowledge, we need varied expressions to serve as coffers for our treasure. God who is our rock when we flee for shelter, is also our strong rock when we stand firm and defy the foe; he is to be praised under both characters. 

Observe how the Psalmist brands his own initials upon every name which he rejoicingly gives to his God - my expectation, my rock, my salvation, my glory, my strength, my refuge; he is not content to know that the Lord is all these things; he acts faith towards him, and lays claim to him under every character.  

If our experience has not yet enabled us to realize the Lord under any of these consoling titles, we must seek grace that we may yet be partakers of their sweetness. The bees in some way or other penetrate the flowers and collect their juices; it must be hard for them to enter the closed cups and mouthless bags of some of the favorites of the garden, yet the honey-gatherers find or make a passage; and in this they are our instructors, for into each delightful name, character, and office of our covenant God our persevering faith must find an entrance, and from each it must draw delight. The Treasury of David

There is a difference between knowledge and experience. Knowing a fact is a good place to start, but there is something said for experiencing something. Knowing that God CAN do something is a great assurance, but EXPERIENCING God DOING something on your behalf is a blessing that exceeds explanation. 

To create a positive day, I start with getting to KNOW God, then enjoy the experiences of God working in my life. When I have both the knowledge and experience, my life is filled with gratitude. 

No Miscommunication

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 61. Here is what I learned.

O God, you have heard my vows. You have given me the inheritance that belongs to those who fear your name. Psalm 61:5 (GW)

For You, O God, have heard my vows; You have given me the heritage of those who fear, revere, and honor Your name. Psalm 61:5 (AMP)

"For thou, O God, hast heard my vows." Proofs of divine faithfulness are to be had in remembrance, and to be mentioned to the Lord's honour. The prayer of Psalm 61:1 is certain of an answer because of the experience of Psalm 61:5, since we deal with an immutable God. "Vows" may rightly be joined with prayers when they are lawful, well-considered, and truly for God's glory. It is great mercy on God's part to take any notice of the vows and promises of such faithless and deceitful creatures as we are. What we promise him is his due already, and yet he deigns to accept our vows as if we were not so much his servants as his free suitors who could give or withhold at pleasure. The Treasury of David

Often I think I hear what someone is saying, but I don’t really hear them, because I’m thinking of my answer, or my mind as wandered elsewhere, or I’m distracted. 

The word, “heard” in Psalm 61:5 means “to hear intelligently”. God not only HEARS, He understands and grasps exactly what I’m saying. There is no miscommunication between what I say and what God hears. He is listening!

Since there is no miscommunication between me and God, I need to make sure that any vows I do make are such that I will fulfill them. Taking with God is a privilege and yet there is also responsibility in prayer. God graciously allows me to come before Him and talk about anything, that is a great comfort. I also need to remember that God is not just my Father, but He is God Almighty! He is loving and caring, but also Holy. God is listening... what exactly is it that I’m saying?  God is listening.... is what I’m saying worth His time? 

To create a positive day, I need to communicate with God, knowing that there will be no miscommunication.