God is my refuge and strength!

 With my voice I cry out to the Lord; with my voice I plead for mercy to the Lord. I pour out my complaint before him; I tell my trouble before him. When my spirit faints within me, you know my way! In the path where I walk they have hidden a trap for me. Look to the right and see: there is none who takes notice of me; no refuge remains to me; no one cares for my soul. I cry to you, O Lord; I say, "You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living."

Psalm 142:1-5 (ESV)
 
The Godless will always be unreliable, for they have no one but themselves to whom to answer. People's spirits can faint, friends fail, and family fall apart, but God remains reliable.
 
What I believe has changed and will change through the years, but God will never change. I am in a constant discovery mode with Him, and I need to approach Him each day with the idea of discovery in mind.
 
God is my refuge and strength. Without Him, I cannot succeed.

Quiet Confidence

 O Lord, I call upon you; hasten to me! Give ear to my voice when I call to you! Let my prayer be counted as incense before you, and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice! Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips! Do not let my heart incline to any evil, to busy myself with wicked deeds in company with men who work iniquity, and let me not eat of their delicacies! Let a righteous man strike me—it is a kindness; let him rebuke me—it is oil for my head; let my head not refuse it. Yet my prayer is continually against their evil deeds.

Psalm 141:1-5 (ESV)
 
A desire to listen to God comes from understanding that listening to man without God is futile.
 
In quietness and confidence comes our strength, not in rhetoric or argument. Man needs to learn to be quiet and value those around them who will "strike" them when they begin to falter to keep them from evil.
 
"For thus said the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, ‘In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.’ But you were unwilling…." Isaiah 30:15
 

The Danger of Deception

 Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!

Psalm 139:23-24 (ESV)
 
I cannot honestly search my heart, for I am often more prone to deception than honesty. God alone is truth and is always honest, regardless of shenanigans. If I am to live in the truth, I need to position myself to hear God, and if I listen to Him, I need to be ready and willing to change how and what I am thinking according to what He reveals to me.
 
I would not want to lie to another person intentionally; if I did, I would be overcome with guilt. However, I have learned to lie to myself quite well, often without remorse. This makes my self-talk most dangerous because a lie repeatedly heard becomes one's "truth."
 
Being deceived is most dangerous because we do not know we are being deceived; therefore, we have no way out unless there is some intervention.

Foolishness

 For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you.

Psalm 139:13-18 (ESV)
 
To deny God's role in the creation of any living thing is foolishness, and therefore, those who believe such nonsense are fools. It only takes casual observation to conclude that there must be a God. Since science is based on observation, it should lead us to God instead of driving us away from Him.
 

History…Adjusted!

 O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether. You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it. Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence?

Psalm 139:1-7 (ESV)

The tension between God's sovereignty and my choice is evident. God knows everything I will say and do before I ever say and do it, and I have a real option to say and do what I will, if He allows it.

The real issue is that God knows what is to come and has adjusted history to ensure that He wins in the end. For me, a mere man, it is difficult to comprehend what it must be like to know the future and to have already adjusted the events of history.
 

We were not meant to make our own gods.

 The idols of the nations are silver and gold, the work of human hands. They have mouths, but do not speak; they have eyes, but do not see; they have ears, but do not hear, nor is there any breath in their mouths. Those who make them become like them, so do all who trust in them.

Psalm 135:15-18 (ESV)
 
The worthless trust in worthless things. As politically incorrect as it may be, the Bible makes it clear that those who do not live life as intended have wasted their lives, or live worthless lives. The children of Israel, who decided to follow their fears and not enter the promised land, ended up wandering in circles for 40 years. They lived a meaningless existence, and they died in a meaningless place.
 
Today, the objects of our worship have changed, but the problem remains the same. Giving control to anything other than God will cause a loss of purpose that will be impossible to regain without repentance.
 
We were not meant to make our own gods; we were meant to love the only God. Any other arrangement is futile.

Unity comes from submission!

 Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes! It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion! For there the Lord has commanded the blessing, life forevermore.

Psalm 133 (ESV)
 
Unity throughout the Scriptures refers to unity with God and each other, not just unity with each other. Unity with each other can be contrived or manipulated, whereas the unity of the Spirit is wholesome and evident.
 
Ephesians 4:4 (ESV) tells us this: "There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call."
 
Understanding that we are one means understanding that we are one with God and His leading, His purposes, His provisions, and more.
 
Unity comes from submission, not agreement, and submission is only valid when we submit to one who truly loves us. God alone is worthy of complete submission, and through our submission to Him, we submit to those in leadership who submit to Him, and we all stand as one.

Blessing

 

Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in his ways! You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands; you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you. Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table. Behold, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the Lord. The Lord bless you from Zion! May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life! May you see your children's children! Peace be upon Israel! Psalm 128 (ESV)   Blessed in this Psalm is equivalent to the phrase "how happy." How happy is everyone who fears the Lord and obeys the Lord. That would be a simple summary of what makes someone successful. The rich, the poor, the healthy, the sick, the tall, and the short can all choose to fear and obey God. If they decide to do this, they are choosing to be blessed.   Blessing does not have to do with being rich, poor, healthy, sick, tall, or short, so pursuing those things will leave one empty.

Wasted Time

 Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep. Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.

Psalm 127 (ESV)
 
Doing something that wastes time is, well, a waste of time. Perhaps there is no feeling like the one that overtakes one who has invested much and gained little. Those who decided to work at making sense of this life without God, and work at having something or someone to trust other than God, will someday have that sinking feeling that their work was in vain, because it is/was.

God alone is worthy of our trust.

 I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.

Psalm 121 (ESV)
 
Our help does not come from money, friends, family, or the government. If it did, it would be dysfunctional help. The only "functional" help comes from the Lord.
 
Often, God uses a lifetime of lessons to teach us that He is the only one worth trusting. It starts with an understanding of who is responsible for all things created, which puts our focus on that for which we are accountable.
 
God alone is worthy of our trust. Those who trust Him will never be ashamed.
 

Fulfillment

 Keep steady my steps according to your promise, and let no iniquity get dominion over me. Redeem me from man's oppression, that I may keep your precepts. Make your face shine upon your servant, and teach me your statutes. My eyes shed streams of tears, because people do not keep your law.

Psalm 119:133-136 (ESV)
 
When was the last time I shed streams of tears because the people around me did not listen to God? Perhaps my indifference to the sin around me is limiting my impact on the sinners around me. Those who live in sin without God have no hope, no way of having a purposeful life, and no way of honestly loving others. They have no way of enjoying life apart from using others.
 
Those who love and obey God need not use anyone to find fulfillment. Instead, they can give to others, love others, and be obsessed with making others successful. Those who give will be taken advantage of by those who take. However, in the end, the givers will get, and the users will be losers.

A Clear Message

 Righteous are you, O Lord, and right are your rules. You have appointed your testimonies in righteousness and in all faithfulness. My zeal consumes me, because my foes forget your words. Your promise is well tried, and your servant loves it. I am small and despised, yet I do not forget your precepts. Your righteousness is righteous forever, and your law is true. Trouble and anguish have found me out, but your commandments are my delight. Your testimonies are righteous forever; give me understanding that I may live.

Psalm 119:137-144 (ESV)
 
Throughout Psalm 119, we keep seeing the importance of God's Word to the Psalmist. Status, money, and power pale in comparison. We are not sure who wrote this chapter, but most believe it was King David, to teach Solomon the alphabet, Ezra, or Daniel.
 
No matter who the author is, the message is clear. Our reliance needs to be on God and His precious Word. All of the suspected authors are gone, but God's Word remains and will remain throughout eternity. I know where I need to put my hope.

His tears are not for himself…

 Turn to me and be gracious to me, as is your way with those who love your name. Keep steady my steps according to your promise, and let no iniquity get dominion over me. Redeem me from man's oppression, that I may keep your precepts. Make your face shine upon your servant, and teach me your statutes. My eyes shed streams of tears, because people do not keep your law. Psalm 119:132-136 (ESV)

 
This passage allows us to enter the heart and mind of the Psalmist. We see that those who love God dialogue with Him. The Psalmist would like God to treat him like He would treat anyone who loves Him. He desires to know that God is directing His paths and has no problem talking to God about protecting him from the sins that can so easily destroy him.
 
The Psalmist is concerned that those to whom he ministers will oppress him, and throughout this oppression, he wants to make sure he keeps God's precepts. His main desire is that all that happens to him allows him to understand God's ways, and his tears are not for himself but for those who don't get it.

God's Word is always illuminating!

 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

Psalm 119:105 (ESV)
 
Throughout the Bible, light and darkness are contrasted. Darkness has no power over light. Light exposes; darkness hides. Light guides; darkness confuses.
 
The apostle Paul said this in Ephesians 5:7-11: "Therefore do not become partners with them; for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them."
 
Looking for a way through the dark is impossible. To know where you are going, you need, at least, a sliver of light. Those trying to make their way through life without God's Word will stumble; they have no choice, for they cannot see.
 
God's Word is always illuminating. You will see and understand the good and evil and be able to make wise decisions as you abide by His principles.

If we value Him, we value His law.

 Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day. Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies, for it is ever with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers, for your testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the aged, for I keep your precepts. I hold back my feet from every evil way, in order to keep your word. I do not turn aside from your rules, for you have taught me. How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! Through your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way.

Psalm 119:97-104 (ESV)
 
How would I honestly fill in the blank of the phrase: "Oh, how I love ________?" Would I honestly blurt out "Oh, how I love your law?" What would it take for me to have that on my mind when I think of something pleasant? I could see myself blurting out, "Oh, how I love pizza, comfort, or money," but "your law?"
 
We have a relationship with God and His law allows that relationship to flourish. If we value Him, we value His law.

God brings stability to life.

 Let your steadfast love come to me, O Lord, your salvation according to your promise; then shall I have an answer for him who taunts me, for I trust in your word. And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth, for my hope is in your rules. I will keep your law continually, forever and ever, and I shall walk in a wide place, for I have sought your precepts. I will also speak of your testimonies before kings and shall not be put to shame, for I find my delight in your commandments, which I love.

Psalm 119:41-47 (ESV)
 
God brings stability to life. Without Him, nothing makes sense.
 
Stephen Hawking claimed to believe only in science and firmly believed that there was no God. He died; God remains. Stephen Hawking was constantly trying to discover the final cause, the meaning of it all, and never found it.
 
Smart people start with God and end exalting Him. Stephen Hawking exalted his mind. His life was tough, and his death was tragic, for his opportunities to respond to God were over.

Perhaps we are looking in the wrong pile.

 Teach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes; and I will keep it to the end. Give me understanding, that I may keep your law and observe it with my whole heart. Lead me in the path of your commandments, for I delight in it. Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain! Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things, and give me life in your ways.

Psalm 119:33-37 (ESV)
 
Those who are successful in this life desire to be taught by God with the idea of obeying Him. With this obedience comes understanding. With the understanding comes the valuable guidance that we all want.
 
The obstacle to this is selfishness, and fuel for self is the consumption of insignificant things. We have a culture that indulges in the worthless, hoping to find worth. We look for treasure where there is only waste, and then wonder why we are never satisfied.
 
Perhaps we are looking in the wrong pile. Maybe we need to absorb things of value, God's Word, meditate on them, and see where that takes us.

Saying it Aloud.

 Deal bountifully with your servant, that I may live and keep your word. Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law. I am a sojourner on the earth; hide not your commandments from me! My soul is consumed with longing for your rules at all times. You rebuke the insolent, accursed ones, who wander from your commandments. Take away from me scorn and contempt, for I have kept your testimonies. Even though princes sit plotting against me, your servant will meditate on your statutes. Your testimonies are my delight; they are my counselors.

Psalm 119:17-24 (ESV)

When was the last time you longed for God's Word? I often hear the anticipation of going on a vacation, to a nice restaurant, or the excitement of the latest movie release. However, I seldom hear someone talk excitedly about spending time in God's Word.

Perhaps we have become so warped that a fine vacation, food, or movie is more satisfying to us than God and His Word. Of course, we would not say this aloud, but by our actions, we have said that aloud.

Purity happens by choice.

 How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments! I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. Blessed are you, O Lord; teach me your statutes! With my lips I declare all the rules of your mouth. In the way of your testimonies I delight as much as in all riches. I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways. I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word.

Psalm 119:9-16 (ESV)

Purity happens by choice, not by chance. We guard our ways by allowing God's Word to guide us. Those who let God's Word guide them have God's Word guard them.

We live in a time where there is plenty of fodder for evil. Godless attempts to organize life will end like the tower of Babel ended, in confusion and division.

Without God, only evil exists, just as without light, only darkness exists.

Tomorrow never seems to come.

 Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord! Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart, who also do no wrong, but walk in his ways! You have commanded your precepts to be kept diligently. Oh that my ways may be steadfast in keeping your statutes!

Psalm 119:1-5 (ESV)

Those who walk according to the truth are blameless. They are listening to God. Therefore, God is to blame for all they do.

In order to walk in the law of the Lord, one needs to know the law of the Lord. Knowing God does not happen by accident, but through intentionality. Intentionality is always a part of healthy relationships.

Those waiting for the time to be right to start doing right will wait forever, because Satan is good at getting us in a position that makes it look like getting our lives together tomorrow will work better than today.

Yet, for many, tomorrow never seems to come. The pressures of this day keep us from what we could be, and the hope that we will change seems to be our only hope.

The Only Place Of Peace

 It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes.

Psalm 118:8-9 (ESV)

This statement connotes that there will be times when we must choose between taking refuge in the Lord or trusting ourselves, our plans, or our people. It suggests that there are times when we are tempted to trust in our national leaders rather than God, or perhaps our armies or strategic alliances.

Obeying God and trusting Him is the only place of peace and stability. Our many ways of developing things other than God to trust will prove futile.

There are many who have gone before us to give us an example in this life. Some have done it right, and some have been excellent examples of what fools look like. Those who have done it right have one thing in common. They loved and listened to God. Those who love and listen to God will participate with Him in the ultimate victories in life. Those who do not love and listen to God will be used of God to no benefit of their own.

Life Needs Context

 Praise the Lord, all nations! Extol him, all peoples! For great is his steadfast love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord!

Psalm 117 (ESV)
This is a wonderful and encouraging passage, except for the Godless nations. God is the only constant in the universe. He is the only one who can put our lives into the context of the universe. Life and death matter in God's context; they are confusing without Him.

When people enjoy God, they enjoy life and are not devastated by death.

Those who want to exclude God from their lives do so at their peril—removing God from life places all the meaning, context, and purpose for life on our shoulders. It makes us the center of the universe, and that causes tremendous confusion.

Instead of seeking the truth, we often seek to substantiate what we believe about the lies we have told ourselves. The more we try to make the lie a truth, the more "Satanic" we become, for his specialty is turning lies into "new truth" that is more believable and understandable.

However…

 Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.

Psalm 116:15 (ESV)

We do all we can to avoid death, something that is precious to God when it happens to one of His saints. To God, the death of a saint is a good thing, and He knows about what He speaks.
Death to us is separation. It seems more like an ending point than a beginning, a loss rather than a gain, a tragedy more than a triumph. Yet, for those who love God, it is a moment of joy, freedom, and the realization of all that could, on this earth, only be imagined.

Psalms 72:14 says this: "From oppression and violence he redeems their life, and precious is their blood in his sight." [1] Our removal from a Godless world is not considered a tragedy in God's sight.

Certainly, death is hard to deal with because it represents a temporary separation from those we love. However, for those who are in God's family, in a twinkling of an eye, we, too, will be transported to see our Savior and those who also loved Him who went before us.

Godlessness is costly, devastating, and easily corrected.

 Praise the Lord! Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in his commandments! His offspring will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed.

Psalm 112:1-2 (ESV)
Once again, we are told that the blessed man is the man who fears the Lord. Therefore, as discussed in the previous thought, one who does not fear the Lord (the atheist) cannot be blessed.

This does not mean they cannot be rich, famous, or influential, but it does mean that their riches will not satisfy them, and will one day rot, their fame will be fleeting, and their influence self-serving and manipulative, for the only God they know is themselves.

One who does not fear the Lord cannot delight in His commands, which breathe life into our lives. Those without God are deprived, and their depravity will affect the next generation and the generation after that.

Godlessness is costly, devastating, and easily corrected.

The future generations will curse the Godless, not bless them. For now, the choice is ours.

How many leaders in our nation lead without wisdom?

 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!

Psalm 111:10 (ESV)
The beginning of wisdom is a reverence for God. Those who do not acknowledge God cannot be wise. Atheists can never be wise.

There is no way to be wise without putting life, death, and all of nature into their proper context, and without God, there is no context.

Therefore, a Godless nation is a foolish nation. A Godless family is a foolish family. A Godless person is a fool.

This would be debatable if it were just me saying it, but God tells us that the fear of Him is the beginning, not the end, but the beginning of wisdom.

How many leaders in our nation lead without wisdom? How many churches are being directed with no understanding? Is it any wonder that many give up and cannot endure in this life?
Those who fear the Lord are positioned correctly, can lead with wisdom and authority, and will be proven wise one day.

Uncomfortable At Times

 Help me, O Lord my God! Save me according to your steadfast love! Let them know that this is your hand; you, O Lord, have done it! Let them curse, but you will bless! They arise and are put to shame, but your servant will be glad! May my accusers be clothed with dishonor; may they be wrapped in their own shame as in a cloak!

Psalm 109:26-29 (ESV)

When you aim to show the world who God is, all circumstances that are not sinful are good. God's hand can be seen in the "good" of life, but it is often unmistakable during the rough times. David facing Goliath, Elijah on Mt. Carmel, and Daniel and the boys were all put in uncomfortable situations. Yet, they found themselves in the privileged position of showing the world who God was.

There is no greater honor in the universe than to be a vessel to show who God is and how He works. Those who complain about such opportunities, or pray that they would end, may have lost focus, and will lose hope.
 

Victory In This Life?

 

With God we shall do valiantly; it is he who will tread down our foes. Psalm 108:13 (ESV) This is a simple statement and applicable to all. Those who are with God shall do valiantly. No enemy can stand toe-to-toe with God. Nothing or no one can challenge God's authority and win. Victory in this life comes to those who walk with God, love God, and obey Him. Those who feel defeated today have their eyes fixed on the wrong solution, for God can't be defeated, and those who submit to Him cannot be defeated. Therefore, defeat is an idea whose time will never come to the submissive child. " I like even the talk of the old Gascon who said, when they asked him, "Can you and your troops get into that fortress? It is impregnable." "Can the sun enter in?" said he. "Yes." "Well, where the sun can go we will enter." Whatever is possible, or whatever is impossible, Christians can do at God's command, for God is with us." (C. H. Spurgeon)

Who Is Wise?

 Whoever is wise, let him attend to these things; let them consider the steadfast love of the Lord. Psalm 107:43 (ESV)

We are told here to observe. We can do that. However, observation takes effort. Observation is not something that usually happens by accident.

Keeping oneself too busy and too scheduled does not allow one to spend time observing or meditating. Meditation is not the emptying of the mind, but the filling of the mind with thoughts of God, His love, His mercy, His power, His grace, and more.

The wise spend time observing God, meditating on God, and enjoying God. The foolish are consumed with their agendas, plans, purposes, and timelines.

If we feel distant from God, we have not considered or observed Him. If we think we know God and have followed Him, yet feel abandoned, perhaps we have not known Him, and have been observing someone or something else who is not God.

The word "fool" only applies to man, is well-deserved, and is easily changed by those considering God. For now, the choice is yours.

They forgot God!

 They made a calf in Horeb and worshiped a metal image. They exchanged the glory of God for the image of an ox that eats grass. They forgot God, their Savior, who had done great things in Egypt, wondrous works in the land of Ham, and awesome deeds by the Red Sea. Therefore he said he would destroy them— had not Moses, his chosen one, stood in the breach before him, to turn away his wrath from destroying them. Then they despised the pleasant land, having no faith in his promise.

Psalm 106:19-24 (ESV)

Exchanging the glory of God for anything is not a good idea. The picture painted here is rather humorous. Not only are we told that man exchanged the glory of God for an ox, but that the ox eats grass. Man could do no better than to make a statue of a grass-eating animal to worship.
The key statement is this: "They forgot God, their Savior…." When we forget God, we create new gods or purposes, life loses its meaning, and we look foolish.
 

Consider God

 Our fathers, when they were in Egypt, did not consider your wondrous works; they did not remember the abundance of your steadfast love, but rebelled by the sea, at the Red Sea. Yet he saved them for his name's sake, that he might make known his mighty power. He rebuked the Red Sea, and it became dry, and he led them through the deep as through a desert. So he saved them from the hand of the foe and redeemed them from the power of the enemy. And the waters covered their adversaries; not one of them was left. Then they believed his words; they sang his praise. But they soon forgot his works; they did not wait for his counsel.

Psalm 106:7-13 (ESV)

Those who do not take time to consider God's masterful work lose the joy of life and live in discord.

Considering God or thinking of Him and His work, faithfulness, love, mercy, grace, and more allows me to have hope in my frailty. What I think about is my choice.

The standard is set!

 Praise the Lord! Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! Who can utter the mighty deeds of the Lord, or declare all his praise? Blessed are they who observe justice, who do righteousness at all times!

Psalm 106:1-3 (ESV)

"Those who do righteousness at all times!" That is a very exclusive group. Can anybody really do that?

The standard is set relatively high, and since it is set high, we need to aim high. We often make excuses about being unable to be perfect, so we cease trying. People are not perfect, and those who love and walk with God continually work on who they could be, rather than who they are.
We need to make the conscious choice to aim at being righteous all the time to be on the right side of history. God understands us and works with us. He knows our hearts, and my heart needs to desire Him and His ways. The rest of life's details will work out as I do that.

God is always at work.

 Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples. Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works! Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice! Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually! Remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he uttered, O offspring of Abraham, his servant, children of Jacob, his chosen ones!

Psalm 105:1-6 (ESV)

Healthy people thank God and make His name known to those with whom they come in contact. When was the last time you were awed by the works of God? If you need to think about it, you have not been paying attention.

God is always at work. Whether you see it or not, it does not and will not affect Him. When you do not see the works of God, you miss out on one of the greatest privileges afforded to mankind.
God does not need us, but He wants us to be included.

God is the creator and sustainer of all!

 He set the earth on its foundations, so that it should never be moved. You covered it with the deep as with a garment; the waters stood above the mountains. At your rebuke they fled; at the sound of your thunder they took to flight. The mountains rose, the valleys sank down to the place that you appointed for them. You set a boundary that they may not pass, so that they might not again cover the earth. You make springs gush forth in the valleys; they flow between the hills; they give drink to every beast of the field; the wild donkeys quench their thirst. Beside them the birds of the heavens dwell; they sing among the branches. From your lofty abode you water the mountains; the earth is satisfied with the fruit of your work. You cause the grass to grow for the livestock and plants for man to cultivate, that he may bring forth food from the earth and wine to gladden the heart of man, oil to make his face shine and bread to strengthen man's heart.

Psalm 104:5-15 (ESV)

God is the creator and sustainer of all. It is a gift to those he created and loves. We would be wise to acknowledge this often.

Flowers

 

As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field; for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more. But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children's children, to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments. The Lord has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all. Psalm 103:15-19 (ESV) Flowers are beautiful, a wonder of God's creation. In almost all plants, the flower has a specific function, and when that function is complete, it fades quickly and falls off to provide nutrients for the plants to come. Flowers are vital to the pollination process. They are colorful, fragrant, and attractive to attract someone or something to come and aid in that process. If seeds are not produced and placed in fertile soil, all the sunlight, nutrients, and carbon dioxide a plant absorbs are wasted. Likewise, my life is compared to a flower. I need to absorb that which will give me the ability to produce fruit and be attractive in many ways to reproduce spiritually. I need to think of ways that those who come behind me can have the best opportunity to absorb what is right so they, too, can reproduce spiritually.

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God Is Not Like Us

 He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him. For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust.

Psalm 103:10-14 (ESV)

There is a great distance between the east and the west. God is not like us, and when He forgives something, it is forgiven and forgotten, and it seems to be like it never happened. God is not a tyrannical God waiting for someone to step out of line so that He can zap them back into place. Rather, He is a loving God who knows us well, understands our frailty, and desires to help us, not harm us.

Those who see God as an angry God waiting to pounce on evil do not know God.
 

Don't forget to remember.

 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

Psalm 103:1-5 (ESV)

Sometimes, I forget from where all the good in my life comes. I tend to ignore the source when all is well, and blame God when all goes south. Sitting and pondering the many benefits of walking intimately with God is a good thing.

The Scriptures seem to remind us that we often need to be reminded of the most important things in life. We are to pray without ceasing, reminding us that we are always dependent upon God. We are to rejoice in the Lord, always, reminding us that circumstances are a part of life, but they do not control life. Baptism, communion, and the gathering of believers are all important reminders. Don't forget to remember.

Wearing it out is a sign that it was enjoyed.

 Of old you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you will remain; they will all wear out like a garment. You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away, but you are the same, and your years have no end. The children of your servants shall dwell secure; their offspring shall be established before you.

Psalm 102:25-28 (ESV)
God alone does not change. All other created things, which is all other things, will. The earth, as mentioned here, will wear out like a garment.

Those who want to worship the earth rather than care for it are silly. When I was a boy, I remember going into some homes where they had bought nice furniture. They wanted it to be cared for so much that they did not allow anyone to use it, they covered it with sealed plastic, and they put it in a room with curtains to block direct sunlight. I thought purchasing furniture you would not use was useless.

There have been times at camp when we purchased a new van to transport campers from place to place. After many years, the van wore out. I was thankful for the many years and the memories the van gave us, and realized that its being worn out was a sign of its value.
We are to use what God gave us, and it will wear out. Wearing it out is a sign that it was enjoyed.