Today we continue our series entitled, “Back to the Bible,” with Part 52. We have been looking at Psalm 119. Let’s continue to walk through this amazing psalm.
David said:
The Passion Bible Translation
(v.171) I offer you my joyous praise for all that you’ve taught me.
So what does this mean to you today? Today I will teach you the importance of giving God praise for what He has taught you.
- Don’t forget to give God praise for what He has taught you. When many people think of giving God praise, they think about all the things God has DONE for them. You look back over your life, you think about what God has done for you, and you begin to give God praise. But David highlighted something we should praise God for that I believe most Christians forget. David offered God joyous praise for what He had taught him. That’s a great point. We ought to praise God continually for taking the time to teach us His ways. Without God’s teaching, we would not change the way we think. Without changing the way we think, we would never become the man/woman we are called to be. So take a moment, right now, to think about the mindset you had when you first came to Christ. Now think about how much you have grown over the years. This is enough to GIVE GOD PRAISE for! Praise Him for investing in the transformation of your mind, because once God helped you change the way you think, you were in position to experience all the other change you were destined to experience. It started in your mind!
- You can (and should) thank God for sending Jesus to die in your place. You can (and should) thank God for all He has given you and done for you. But don’t forget to praise God for the investment He has made in teaching you. God gave you His Holy Word so you can know His ways. He then gave you His Holy Spirit so you can understand both what it written and what He speaks to you. God has invested time, energy and effort in your mindset. He has done this because you ARE the way you think. If you can’t SEE it, you will never BE it.
- God invests heavily in helping you develop a divine perspective. God gave you His Holy Word and His Holy Spirit to help shape your perspective (or your world view). Your perspective is the mindset with which you engage (respond to) and interpret (process) what happens to you, in you and around you. God goes to great lengths to shape your perspective to be one that lines us with His, because perspective (how one sees) determines perception (what one sees). You don’t see with your eyes. You actually see through your eyes and into your mind. You mind sees, not your eyes. Your mind processes what your eyes ingested. This is why two people can see the same event, but they do not see it the same way. This occurs because you don’t see things as THEY ARE. You see things as YOU ARE. So God invests in shaping your perspective, because your perspective will dictate your perception, and your perception will influence your reception. Said another way, you will never RECEIVE what you cannot PERCEIVE.
- God goes to great lengths to change the way you think, because your thinking ultimately impacts everything you get to do experience in this world. There are things you may think you are waiting on God to do — things He has promised to do or give you — that God cannot do until you change the way you think. If God gives you what He promised BEFORE your perspective is ready to process it adequately, what was meant to be a blessing can wind up being a curse. A blessing can destroy someone if it comes before they are ready to receive it. This is why so many people win the lottery and then wind up ruining their lives. God will not release what He promised until you are able to handle the weight of the blessing. This is why God takes so much time to prepare you for what He called you to do. So do two things: 1) trust the process and embrace it, and 2) give God praise for the investment He is making in helping you develop the right mindset.
- Think back to the way you used to think. Back then there were many things you sincerely wanted and you genuinely pursued. But sincerity does not correlate to accuracy. You can be sincere and sincerely wrong. It was not until God helped you to change the way you think that you realized that you were pursuing the wrong things. So thank God for the investment He has made in your mindset. Open your heart and mind to His continual teaching. Remain humble, available and teachable. Be quick to change when God teaches you something new. And live your life dedicated to continually becoming the man/woman God called you to be.
Closing Confession:
Father, this is a season of expectation for me. I expect to receive on another level, because my thinking is on another level. You are helping me to align my perspective with Yours. I am learning to see things the way You do. My perspective (how I see) is now impacting my perception (what I see). And my perception (what I see) is impacting my reception (what I receive). I can receive it, because I can finally SEE IT. I thank You Father for the investment You have made in helping me change the way I think. I now think, perceive and act like You. As Jesus is, so am I, in this world! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
This is Today’s Word. Apply it and prosper!
