Wow - that's the way to be!

I was with a group of ladies from church this Saturday whom I have come to sincerely love and appreciate deeply!! We meet each month for our Heart 2 Heart group where we are able to pour our hearts out to each other in an environment filled with love, respect, compassion, understanding and in confidence!! Ahh... the ability to vent with complete peace of mind, knowing your dirty laundry will not be pinned up on a clothes line for all to see!

The second Saturday of the month is quickly becoming one of my favorite days, and I look forward to it immensely!!

This month, Psalm 139 was mentioned and as we read it, the words really penetrated my heart and I felt God teach me something almost immediately! (which is quite a feet being as thick headed as I can be!!)

Psalm 139 is a beautifully written song by David (though 100% holy inspired by The Lord).

It begins with David offering praise to God for being all knowing - being of full knowledge of every aspect of David's being, thoughts, actions - that He knows it all before time existed. He so aptly writes: vs. 6 'Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.'

Boy oh boy, I feel that way many times as I study the Bible or as I am no my knees in prayer. As truths about the Lord and His ways start to sink in.. as I start to think I'm getting a grip on things, I become completely overwhelmed (in a good way!!) by how BIG God is!! how mighty!! how Loving!! how forgiving, gracious,..... I am left just marveling 'God, you are just amazing!!'

There's a verse that may be very familiar to many, vs. 14, 'I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.'

When we look at our children, I think we find this verse so easy to believe, don't we? But what about when you think of it in terms of yourself? Speaking for myself, it can be very hard for me to take in. Poor self-esteem? Am I too 'humble' to allow myself see me in these terms?.. maybe... But here's the key: Simply think on the fact (not just think - no - really meditate on it and prayerfully ask that our hearts be able to accept this truth) that God's word says 'your works are wonderful'! Because if we in fact do believe in the latter part of the verse 'I know that full well', then how dare we have 'low self esteem'? We are part of His work, are we not? Therefore, are we not wonderful in His eyes? And if we are wonderful in our makers eyes, the maker of the whole universe, who are we to think lowly of His creation?... (there's something to chew on... I'm still chomping away)

But here's what really got me about this Psalm; there are 24 verses in this song of David's. The first 18 verses praise God so beautifully!! The next 3 deals with David's enemy's. The last 2 he asks God to search his heart for anxious thoughts and any offensive ways that God may lead him in the correct way.

75% of this Psalm praise God!!

12.5% are petitions to deal with his enemies who speak out against God!

8.33% are petitions asking God to put him on the right track!

That's the way to be isn't it?!!

What if we were to spend 75% of our life praising!! Joyous hearts in song, or uplifting thoughts. Praising our heavenly father! Could we be down, self loathing, lazy, grumpy when we are consumed with praise for another - for God?!!

What if we were to only dedicate 8% of our life talking about ourselves?...

Then, give what we can't control to God knowing He is fully capable of handling any situation.

I think the vast majority of the time when my spirit is down, I can chalk it up to 'self'. How I choose to see things, how I look at things... I am going to make the choice to spend the majority of my days praising!!

Here's a challenge for us all:

Take vs. 14 and insert your name!

'I will praise you Lord for Diane is fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, Diane knows that full well.'

This is not blasphemy - it's just a matter of taking scripture and making it personal to help us take it in as fully as we can.

Go ahead - give it a try.

Start spending 75% of your days praising Him, and remember that you are part of His wonderful work!!