Psalms 149:1 Praise ye the Lord. Sing unto the Lord a new song, and his praise in the congregation of saints.
Psalms 150:6 Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord.
In every circumstance, we should praise the Lord. There is always something for which to be grateful.
How should He be praised? With our hearts, mouths, and every instrument (Psalm 95:1; Ephesians 5:19; Psalm 71:23; Psalm 33:2).
When should He be praised? Continually (Psalm 34:1). We should praise the Lord in all circumstances not just on Sunday morning.
Where should He be praise? Everywhere (Psalm 150)
Why should He be praised? For His excellent greatness and mighty power (Deut. 3:24)
Who should praise Him? Everyone that breathes (Psalms 100:1; 150:6).
Praising the Lord helps us to re-center our thoughts and minds onto God. It helps us to set aside the worries and cares of this life. It helps remind us of what God has done for us. It helps to strengthen our faith.
Philippians 4:7-8 – And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
Let’s begin with verse 7…
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7
The Peace of God is a quiet rest that dwells in our soul. This peace keeps our hearts and minds focused on Christ. It is that peace that causes no anxiety or excessive care about things of this world when we commit wholly to the Lord.
Verse 8 gives us a list of things we are to keep our minds and hearts focused upon.
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Philippians 4:8
The first one is – TRUE.
The King James Dictionary defines TRUE as being in accordance with the actual state of things; conformable to fact; as a true relation or narration; a true history; genuine; pure; real; not counterfeit.
We can only have an effective personal relationship with Christ as a believer if we focus our eyes upon Christ. We do this through prayer, meditating on Scripture, and submitting our thoughts and imaginations to Christ. We are encouraged to yield every thought to Christ (Romans 6:13, 2 Corinthians 10:5). Let our minds dwell on Christ and not allow our hearts to control us.
Righteous living depends on keeping our minds on Christ.
When anxious thoughts begin to flood our minds, we should immediately STOP what we are doing, THINK “Is this pleasing Christ?”, and PRAY asking for God’s help. Yet too often we allow the anxious and fretful thoughts to take over and bog us down.
Let’s choose to focus our minds on things that are true. Forsake the lies of the devil and allow the Lord to control our thoughts.
Luke 19:1-5 And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich. And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature. And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house.
Zacchaeus was a tax collector. The Roman Empire had imposed steep taxes on everyone. Tax collectors were some of the most unfavorable people in Israel.
Jews who chose to work for the Romans were considered turncoats. This made Zacchaeus a very unliked man. In every society, there are people who are unloved or deemed untouchable because of their behavior or lifestyle.
In spite of his disposition, Jesus loved Zacchaeus. Jesus loves you. Jesus loved the whole world enough to give His life that we may be able to go to heaven with Him one day.
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him so not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16
Zacchaeus heard that Jesus was coming through Jericho. He wanted to see what the fuss was all about. But because of his short stature, he had to climb a tree to see above the crowds.
Little did he know that he would not only meet Jesus, but Jesus would also be coming to his house. What a difference it made in his life the day he met the Saviour!
Have you met the Saviour? If so, has your faith caused a change? If not, what changes do you need to make?
I will ever be grateful for the day that Jesus entered my life and changed it forever. Thankful for His redeeming grace.
Webster defines RENEW as to make like new; restore to freshness, vigor, or perfection; to make new spiritually: regenerate
KJV Dictionary defines RENEW as to renovate; to restore to a former state, or to a good state, after decay or depravation; to rebuild, to repair to make new
Romans 12:1-2 says “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
A person can be pulled at from many directions during the week making it tough to be successful negotiating all the demands from life in general.
Whether you must work to help provide for the family, deal with bosses and coworkers, juggle housework, pay bills, keep up with doctor appointments, raise children, do laundry, cook, clean, do home repairs, complete car maintenance, participate in social engagements, endure physical ailments, etc., these things can get you bogged down with unrealistic expectations of what you can handle with the resources you have.
You often find yourself emotionally and physically exhausted. Then, you find yourself resisting making commitments and fearful of the choices you make.
The “renewing” in verse two in the Greek language means renovation: renewing. In order to renew our minds, we need to determine to spend much needed time with the Lord on a daily basis. We must pursue Christ asking Him to reveal the truth we need for the day, and pray that He will provide the wisdom and knowledge (James 1:5) and strength (Isaiah 40:31) that we need for each day.
But now, O Lord, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand. Isaiah 64:8
“I will serve Thee because I love Thee
You have given life to me.
I was nothing before You found me,
You have given life to me.
Chorus:
Heartaches, broken pieces,
Ruined lives are why You died on Calvary.
Your touch was what I longed for,
You have given life to me.”
It’s amazing to think that God has the power to put back together the broken pieces of our lives. We are the clay and He is the Potter. Clay when placed in the Potter’s hand can be formed into something wonderful and new.
Our heartaches don’t have to mean the end of hope. We just need to place our trust in Him and allow Him to work in and through our lives. He will take our broken pieces and form them into something beautiful in His time.
Webster defines graces as… unmerited divine assistance given to humans for their regeneration or sanctification
KJV Dictionary defines grace as… Favor; good will; kindness; disposition to oblige another; Appropriately, the free unmerited love and favor of God, the spring and source of all the benefits men receive from him.
Therefore, as ye abound in every thing, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also. 2 Corinthians 8:7
Grace is the love of God shown to all men regardless of status, race, size, or appearance. It’s the peace of God that calms even the most anxious soul. It’s the undeserved favor of God.
It’s not getting what we deserve. We deserve eternal damnation in the pits of hell. Yet, God, who is rich in mercy, loved us enough to sacrifice His only begotten Son (Ephesians 2:4). He gave us the eternal Hope of salvation.
God’s grace sought us out even though we have nothing in return to give. His love is unconditional. Grace can turn a life around from hopelessness to one full of hope & vitality.
Additional Scripture: Ephesians 2:8-9, 2 Timothy 1:9, John 1:14, 2 Corinthians 12:8-9, Hebrews 4:16, James 4:6, Psalm 103:8, Titus 2:11-12, 2 Peter 3:18
Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, I may not know how everything works, but please help me to trust You more. Without You nothing else makes sense. Thank you that Your grace is sufficient in times of need. I ask that you help my family and I to grow in grace and in the knowledge of You. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.
Hymns of Praise: 1. Amazing Grace 2. Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing 3. ‘Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus 4. Grace Greater Than Our Sin 5. To God Be the Glory
John 4:13-14 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
Praise God that He can take a seemingly impossible situation and turn it around for His glory! Look at John 4 the Samaritan woman who believed and led her town to Christ. Or Saul who persecuted the Christians became a convert on the road to Damascus and later became Paul the missionary (Acts 9). Or John Newton who was a vile sinner whom accepted Christ and eventually wrote one of the most loved hymns “Amazing Grace”. Don’t give up hope on witnessing to and praying for your friends, families, and neighbors.
🎶”But God can do what seems impossible; {YES, HE CAN!!!} God controls eternity. My mind can never comprehend it, But God in heaven cares for me {and He cares for you!}🎶
Lord, may my life be a reflection of You so that my family, friends, and neighbors have no doubt about Your existence, Your power, Your mercy, love, and grace. Give me a vision of the lost as You see them. Give me the courage to touch them with Your saving grace. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Webster defines purity as the quality or state of being pure
Av1611.com defines purity as freedom from guilt or the defilement of sin; innocence; as purity of heart or life.
1 Timothy 4:12 Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.
Purity is holiness in action. It is setting yourself apart for God’s use. Purity is a life that reflects a heart washed clean by God. Purity is a life that is wholly devoted to Christ.
Additional Scripture: 1 Timothy 5:2, Psalm 19:8, Acts 20:26, Psalm 24:4, Philippians 4:8. Proverbs 20:9, 1 Timothy 1:5, Proverbs 20:11, Matthew 5:8, Proverbs 21:8, 1 Timothy 3:9, Titus 1:15, James 1:28, James 3:17
Prayer: Dear Lord, search my heart and cleanse it from every sin. Help me to seek righteousness and not follow after the things of this world. Help me to be an example that others may see Christ.
“I will serve Thee because I love Thee 
