Always on Duty

My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth. Psalm 121:2 (AMP)

The Eternal Creator of heaven and earth and these mountains will send the help I need. Psalm 121:2 (VOICE)

Help. Sometimes I know the help I need and other times, I don’t realize that I need help. 

I like to plan and prepare. However, I continue to learn that sometimes things happen for which you cannot prepare. On Nov 4, I was at a restaurant watching the Bears football game. I passed out. (Exciting Monday Night!)
Thankfully, those around me caught me so that I did not fall to the floor. The EMTs were called and I spent the night in the hospital for tests. Everything is fine and the doctors contributed the fainting to a combination of medications and the pain level itself. 

Some are now asking, were was God help that night. God provided LOTS of help! First and foremost that I was not driving when I passed out. Secondly, God caught the attention of those around me so that they could catch me, so that I did not hit the floor. The restaurant staff and customers were awesome. The EMTs that arrived and transported me to the hospital were helpful and very kind. And lastly, the hospital was able to attend to me quickly and took great care in making sure I was OK. God was there helping me each step of the way. I’m thankful that God provided all the help I needed—this time using strangers. 

Another example of God’s help happened this week. I went to take my pain medication and the bottle was almost empty. No problem, I have a larger bottle in the cupboard... OK, so I don’t, I had already emptied that bottle. Now what? Trying to get in to see my Dr. the week of Thanksgiving is almost impossible. That’s when God prompted me to check my pharmacy online... I did and I had one more refill before next week! So I was able to order the refill and have it before I ran out of medication. I was very thankful that God was way ahead of me on this one! He helped make sure I had the medications I needed, when I wasn’t paying attention. 

Help. I’m thankful that God is there to help, even when I don’t realize I need it. He’s such an awesome Heavenly Father! To create a positive day, I only have to rest the assurance that God is my help and He’s always on duty. 

“I” Needs to Get Out of the Way!

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.

I will lift up my eyes to the hills [around Jerusalem, to sacred Mount Zion and Mount Moriah]—From whence shall my help come? Psalm 121:1 (AMP)

The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore. Psalm 121:8 (AMP)

As I read Psalm 121 this morning, I noticed that the Psalm begins with “I” yet the focus soon changes to “The Lord”. The Lord is the source of light, strength, safety..... He is the source for everything that I need. 

So often I get stuck on the “I”, thinking that I can do it alone. Yet, when I try, I fall short, and miss so many of the wonderful blessings God has for me. “I” gets me in lots of trouble. 

As I continue to reflect on the past 13 years since my back injury.... all I can say is "Wow, what a great and awesome God I have!"  Although I'd like the pain to be GONE! I have to agree with Paul…. 

"…... I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations. Satan’s angel did his best to get me down; what he in fact did was push me to my knees. No danger then of walking around high and mighty! At first I didn’t think of it as a gift, and begged God to remove it. Three times I did that, and then he told me,

My grace is enough; it’s all you need.

My strength comes into its own in your weakness.

Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ’s strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size—abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become." 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 (MSG) 

There are days when I don't see my pain as a gift… but when I stop and consider all the opportunities for me to share His great love, because of my pain, and I stop and realize that my pain is small in comparison to all Jesus Christ suffered for me—then I can say…. that God's grace and strength is all I need. My prayers is that "I just let Christ take over!" each and every day.

To create a positive day, “I” needs to get out of the way and allow “Christ to take over!” 

Protective Shadow

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.

The Eternal keeps you safe, so close to Him that His shadow is a cooling shade to you. Psalm 121:5 (VOICE)

The Lord himself watches over you! The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade. Psalm 121:5 (NLT)

Protective Shade. Shadow. As I thought about a shadow... you need light for a shadow to appear. The Lord Himself is the LIGHT and I can take comfort that He is close enough so that His shadow protects me. 

Another thing about a shadow.. is that if the light is strong enough the shadow can be HUGE! That’s a great reminder that not only is God the source of Light—so the light is extremely strong— but He is larger than any problem or trouble I may have! His protection covers me in ways I could never imagine. 

To create a positive day, I only need to look for God’s protective shadow and realize that God is right beside me! 

My Personal ‘Need-Meeter’

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.

My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth. Psalm 121:2 (AMP)

The Eternal Creator of heaven and earth and these mountains will send the help I need. Psalm 121:2 (VOICE)

My help. I’ve mentioned it before... I tend to have a “do-it-myself” mentality. I’m self-sufficient. I’m strong. However, in reality..... I can’t do it myself. 

My help. My personal aid, supporter, advocate, interceder...... my ‘need-meeter’! God not only supplies any and all help I need.... He IS my help! My personal help! 

I like that word, “MY”. My own personal, exactly what I need, designed especially for me.... Help! 

All I have to do is say.... ‘help’. I need to accept God’s help. I need to realize that I don’t HAVE to do it on my own. I don’t need to struggle and fight..... I only need to accept God’s personally designed help. 

To create a positive day, I need to turn to my personal ‘need-meeter’, and accept Him and His personally designed help!

Down Time

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.

The sun shall not smite you by day, nor the moon by night. Psalm 121:6 (AMP)

The sun will not hurt you during the day, nor the moon during the night. Psalm 121:6 (GNT)

"The sun shall not smite thee by day," etc. A promise made with allusion unto, and application of that care which God had over his people, when he brought them out of Egypt through the wilderness, when he guarded them from the heat of the sun by a cloud by day, and from the cold and moistness of the night and moon by a pillar of fire by night. David Dickson

Whether the sun is shining or the moon is out, God’s protection doesn’t stop. God doesn’t quit working when the sun goes down—there’s no “down time” for God. Rather God provides true 24/7 protection. 

As I read Psalm 121:6, I thought how can the moon hurt me? But then I read this: 

"Nor the moon by night." In the cloudless skies of the East, where the moon shines with such exceeding clearness, its effects upon the human frame have been found most injurious. The inhabitants of these countries are most careful in taking precautionary measures before exposing themselves to its influence. Sleeping much in the open air, they are careful to cover well their heads and faces. It has been proved beyond a doubt that the moon smites as well as the sun, causing blindness for a time, and even distortion of the features. C. W., in "The Biblical Treasury"

24/7 protection from God. God cares for His people in ways that we don’t understand or comprehend. No matter what happens, God is fully aware and allows only what will accomplish His purpose. 

To create a positive day, it is about knowing that God’s protection is 24/7 without any “down time”

Complete Protection

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.

The Lord will ·guard [watch] you as you come and go, both now and forever. Psalm 121:8 (EXB)

He guards you when you leave and when you return, he guards you now, he guards you always. Psalm 121:8 (MSG)

The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore. Psalm 121:8 (AMP)

“Thy going out and thy coming in," marks the completeness of the protection, extending to all that the man is and that he does. J. J. Stewart Perowne

Many insurance companies use phrases such as ”like a good neighbor.. is there” or “you’re in goo hands” to signify that they will be there when you need them. However, if you’ve had to deal with insurance companies, often you are “put on hold” or they don’t seem to there when you do need them. 

However, God provides COMPLETE PROTECTION. God is really there 24/7. He never leaves and is  EVER-PRESENT. 

Think about that concept... COMPLETE PROTECTION. That is a very assuring concept. That doesn’t mean that “bad things won’t happen” rather, that God only allows things to happen to further His gospel and He is right there to provide the support and whatever help we need. Nothing that happens to us surprises God... He knows all. 

To create a positive day, I only have to rest in the Complete Protection that God provides and realize that when things seem to be going wrong, remember that God is at work and that God has a perfect plan. 

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! 

God is on Watch!

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.

Behold, He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. Psalm 121:4 (AMP)

Not on your life! Israel’s Guardian will never doze or sleep. Psalm 121:4 (MSG)

The sense then is, that as God never slumbers even in the smallest degree, we need not be afraid of any harm befalling us while he is asleep. John Calvin 

God is never exhausted, is never weary, is never inattentive. He never closes his eyes on the condition of his people, on the wants of the world. Albert Barnes

Sleepy: asleep,  comatose, dopey, dozy, draggy, drowsy, heavy, hypnotic, inactive, lethargic, listless, out of it, quiet, sleeping, sleepyhead, slow, sluggish, slumberous, slumbersome, snoozy, yawning.

I don’t sleep as much as I’d like. Pain usually wakes me up several times throughout the night, and often I can’t fall back alseep.  When I get none or very little sleep, it causes me to be very sleepy and slow moving the next day. 

God doesn’t sleep. He doesn’t even close His eyes to ‘rest a moment’. Yet, He is also never tried, or sleep deprived. He’s not inactive. He’s not sluggish. He’s always vigilant and diligent. 

As a human, I can’t comprehend that God never sleeps, dozes, or rests His eyes for a moment. But He is God Almighty and is greater than I could ever imagine. 

I find it a great comfort to know that God is alert and watching over me 24/7. To create a positive day, I only need to rest in peace, knowing that God is on watch!

My Knight in Shining Armor

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 twenty-fifth of each month, I'm studying Psalm 121. Here's what Treasure I found today.

The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand [the side not carrying a shield]. Psalm 121:5 (AMP)

The Lord is your guardian. The Lord is the shade over your right hand. Psalm 121:5 (GW)

The Lord ·guards [watches] you. The Lord is the shade ·that protects you from the sun [at your hand, your right hand]. Psalm 121:5 (EXB)

Keeper: A primitive root; properly, to hedge about (as with thorns), i.e. Guard; generally, to protect, attend to, etc. -- beward, be circumspect, take heed (to self), keep(-er, self), mark, look narrowly, observe, preserve, regard, reserve, save (self), sure, (that lay) wait (for), watch(-man). 

God is my keeper, my protector, my guard! He’s my rescuing knight! 

God is bedrock under my feet, the castle in which I live, my rescuing knight. 2 Samuel 22:2, Psalm 18:2, Psalm 144:2 (MSG) 

Knight: champion, hero, supporter, paladin, savior, cavalier, champion, chevalier, companion, gallant.

I have a “knight in shining armor”—really something MUCH better—I have a GOD who guards me! The God who created all, the Almighty One, the all-knowing, all-powerful God is protecting me, watching over me, is guarding me. WOW! 

To create a positive day, I only need to realize that my “knight in shining armor,” my God, is standing guard! 

Standing Tall!

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 twenty-seventh of each month, I'm studying Psalm 121. Here's what Treasure I found today.

He will not let your foot slip--he who watches over you will not slumber; Psalm 121:3 (NIV)

He will not let ·you be defeated [your feet be moved/slip]. He who ·guards [watches] you never sleeps. Psalm 121:3 (EXB)

He won’t let you stumble, your Guardian God won’t fall asleep. Psalm 121:3 (MSG)

Not: nay, neither, never, no, nor, not, nothing.

Be moved: a shaking; tottering, wavering.

On February 25, 2013 my Ponder Morsel was “Mighty God One.” God is my sure foundation–Rock, cliff, mighty God one. Solid, sure, and strong. If I’m standing on that sure foundation, I will not be shaken!  When standing on God’s foundation, that is sure and steadfast, I can remain “standing tall”. 

There is an old gospel song, “Standing on the Promises”. 

When I’m “standing on the promises” I will not be shaken, no matter what is happening around me. Satan can be creating earthquakes of fear, doubt, and disappointments, but if I remain standing on God’s rock-solid foundation—I won’t even shake! I will remain standing tall. 

I use crutches due to nerve damage in my left leg. The left leg doesn’t always support me. One thing I’ve learned about winter, is that crutches are not very reliable on ice. My sure footing, no matter how careful I am, disappears on a sheet of ice. Sometimes I fall down, other times, I catch myself and often twist my back... yes ouch. On a sheet of ice, I don’t remain standing tall, my footing is shaken, and I find myself tottering, and even falling. 

Each day, I have a choice on where I’ll stand; on God’s rock-solid foundation, or on the slippery slopes Satan provides... including fear, doubt, and disappointments. I’d much rather my feet be on the rock-solid foundation so that I’m not shaken! I want to be standing tall. 

To create a positive day, I must be trusting God and remain on His rock-solid foundation, so that I will not be shaken, but rather I’ll be standing tall! 

Look Beyond the Steadfast Mountain

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.

I look up to the mountains— does my help come from there? Psalm 121:1 (NLT)

Look up: be content, to lift, carry.

Mountains: to loom up hillside, massive mountain, unmovable hill.

Where: how, what, which way.

Help: the one who will give aid, assistance, one who helps.

Come: abide, associate with, bring near.

Often when in trouble, pain, or fearful, we look to the strongest and most steadfast person or object we can find. That’s what Psalm 121:1 is describing. 

I contently focus my attention to the looming strength and power of the unmovable mountain. Where is the one who will help me staying and abiding? 

My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth! Psalm 121:2 (NLT)

Help: the one who will give aid, assistance, one who helps.

From: accompanying, part of

Lord: of deity Yahweh.

Made: accomplish, fulfill, furnish.

Heavens: highest, horizon, sky.

Earth: land, countryside, world. 

God Himself is help, 

and consider the help He can provide 

considering He created and sustains

the far-reaching expanse of Heaven

and the World itself.

Looking to the things God created for help is futile. No matter how strong and powerful the person or object may be... God created it; therefore, God is the all-powerful One who is the true source of help. 

I must not put my hope in things around me or people, or the government for those will all fail. My hope and help is God Himself. I must contently focus my attention to God Almighty for He and He alone can give me the help I need.  

To create a positive day, I need to look beyond the steadfast mountain of earth, and focus my attention on God the only true source of help and hope. 

Personal Note: Thought I'd share an example of just how detailed God is at meeting my needs. Today's Ponder Morsel was so "on point" for me today. "Look beyond the steadfast mountain" Yesterday, the online news headlines were all about how Social Security Disability will run out before the next 4 years. (I'm on SS Disability due to a back injury that has resulted in permanent nerve/muscle damage in my lower back and left leg.) When I first read the reports yesterday, my head said, "My God shall supply all my needs", but since I continued to think about the "what ifs", I knew that I hadn't really given it over to God.
This morning as I read and studied Psalm 121 the truths surely hit home. Why was I looking to a mountain (government) to take care of me? God has USED it to provide so far—but as He has proven time and time again—God is NOT LIMITED by ANYTHING! God has resources and ways of meeting my needs that are BEYOND my comprehension.
So, I need to look beyond the steadfast mountain, and look to the true source of my help and hope—God Almighty Himself. Even today the example of supplying the TRUTH that I needed today to turn my focus back to HIM, show's a way God supplies all my needs! God is so good! Rhonda