Bible 2019

by

Psalm 136:1 Give Thanks To God

Give Thanks

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever. Psalm 136:1

Children are often taught to be polite when they are given something. They are expected to say ‘thank you’ for the gift. Often they are expected to say the response even when they really don’t like the gift.

While parents teach this concept of being grateful for every gift, even the ones not liked, many do not follow their own rules. It is common to hear of adults complaining about what they are given, rather than accepting it and being thankful.

Things are accepted and thanked for when it is in line with what one wants and expects. If it is not really in line with one’s own expectations, there is seldom any gratefulness.

The writer of this psalm starts out with telling the people to give thanks to the Lord. He immediately gives two reason: He is good and His love is everlasting.

People are often upset with God for what He did or did not give them. If life is not going perfectly smooth, people feel that God does not love them and is not giving them a good life.

Over the years there have been many people who have walked away from God because He did not answer some certain prayer that they requested. It is common to hear of this with healing someone.

As they do this, they have forgotten how good God really is and how great His love is. God only gives what is best for the individual. This good is for eternal good, not just some temporary pleasure.

No matter what God gives or allows in the life of a person, it is not meant to harm or destroy a person. It is meant to build him up and draw him closer to Him. Thus a person should give thanks to God for everything.

Think of all the good things God has already given you, life, breath, food, clothing, forgiveness of sins, salvation and much more. There are a million more good things that you may be able to think of that God has given you out of His great love for you.

God is a good God and will only give you the best for you. Trust that God knows what He is doing. Trust in His great love for you.

Now take a moment to give thanks to God for what He has given and is giving you today.

I pray today that you will know God’s great love for you; that you will know what God has given you; that you will trust God’s love for you; and that you will see that God is good all the time.

by

Psalm 131:1 Over Thinking

Monkey thinking

My heart is not proud, Lord, my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me. Psalm 131:1 

During football season there is a group of people that rise up that feel they know what is best. They are called the ‘arm chair coaches’. They watch a game and see the plays, but feel that they could have made a better call on the game or used a player better.

This type of thinking is common among people. It can be seen in the workplace, neighborhood, cities, churches, governments and more. People feel as if they know how to do things better than what someone else does. This often occurs in fields that people have no experience in or any training in.

David tells God that he is not proud and will not concern himself with something too much for him. He has a good understanding of his position and his abilities.

One area that many people feel that they know what is best in is with how God runs things. People go through a difficult situation and seek God to help out in it. God leads in one way, but the person feels it should be another direction.

Many people have become very angry with God, and some have rejected Him, because they did not agree with how God dealt with a situation in their lives.

This anger comes because they are concerning themselves with something to great for them to understand. God sees the bigger, eternal picture of life, not just the here and now of one individual. As God works out situations in the life of someone, He is looking at how it impacts the individual and everyone else at the same time.

This is a job too big for any person. It destroys all pride.

Going through life you will come up against situations that are greater than you. You may know some things about the situation, but you will not know everything.

Instead of trying to control it all, let it go and allow God to deal with it in His way and time. Concern yourself with things that you can control–how you live for God. Do not worry about things you cannot control.

Do not allow yourself to be filled with pride, thinking you know what is best. God is greater than you and does know what is best. Do not overthink the situation, but let God be in control.

I pray today that you will know God’s love for you; that you will know that God is in control; that you will trust God’s wisdom; and that you will release your control to God’s control. 

by

Psalm 130:4 Forgiven To Serve

Hands to serve

But with you there is forgiveness, so that we can, with reverence, serve you. Psalm 130:4 

The world does not like to forgive. Vengeance is the desire of many throughout the world. People want someone to pay for what was done wrong.

Feuds often continue for years because neither side wants to forgive the other. It is all about self and not loving the other person enough to forgive. People are self-serving and will hold a grudge against someone for years.

Often they are passing one what was given to them. One is not forgiven, so he will not forgiven anyone else. Only pain and trouble will continue with this type of life of self-service.

The writer of this psalm knows that God forgives. The purpose of forgiveness is so that he can serve God.

There have been many who have made bad decisions in the past and feel as if those bad decisions hold them back. They feel as though they can no longer really serve God, because of past sins.

People know that if there is sin in their lives, they cannot serve God. Satan fills them with the facts about past sins and holds them back, forgetting that it is because of sin that Jesus came to this earth. He came to forgive, not condemn.

Jesus knew that with sin in a person’s life, he cannot come before God to serve Him. Jesus is willing to forgive and remove all of those sins in order that the person may come before God and serve Him.

Where there is forgiveness there is peace and love. Since God has done a great thing in forgiving a person, he can now serve God with a pure heart of reverence. Jesus did a great thing in forgiving a person, it was a selfless act of service. The believer can now return that act and pass it on to others.

You may be holding back from serving God because of some past sin that you have done. Know that Jesus is standing there ready to forgive you and help you move on.

You have been forgiven of your sins, so that you may stand pure before God. You may enter His house to serve Him in any way He needs. Do not allow yourself to believe that you are worthless and not worthy of serving God. Jesus made the way for you to do so. Serve God out of love for what He did for you.

I pray today that you will know the forgiveness Jesus provides you; that you will serve God with love and reverence; that you will have peace with God; and that you will serve others out of love for God.