Do You Yadah?

It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
to sing praises to your name, O Most High Psalm 92:1 (ESV)

The other day I came across a note in a book that the word to give thanks in Hebrew was yadah. It made me think of the slang term we use when we are talking about repetitive things. You know, you are telling a story and instead of going on and on you say yada, yada, yada.

What if we used yadah instead of yada in life?

For example, when your boss comes in to tell you that the project you turned in bombed you respond with yadah, yadah, yadah? Or when your neighbor starts complaining about another neighbor. Your response? Yadah, yadah, yadah. Or you are in a fender bender and the person you tapped is yelling at you; yadah, yadah, yadah.

As I thought about this, it made me laugh. And truly, it may be a little silly but the Bible tells us to give thanks in all things. There are days when remembering to do that is challenging. Adding a little humor to it may help.

Where are you going to yadah yadah today?

Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NLT)

A Minute In It - Time To Praise!

A minute in Gods' word will change your life. There are days when all we need to do is PRAISE God! Read through the Bible verses below and use it to remember all the things you are thankful for.

1-6 I love God because he listened to me,
    listened as I begged for mercy.
He listened so intently
    as I laid out my case before him.
Death stared me in the face,
    hell was hard on my heels.
Up against it, I didn’t know which way to turn;
    then I called out to God for help:
“Please, God!” I cried out.
    “Save my life!”
God is gracious—it is he who makes things right,
    our most compassionate God.
God takes the side of the helpless;
    when I was at the end of my rope, he saved me.

7-8 I said to myself, “Relax and rest.
    God has showered you with blessings.
    Soul, you’ve been rescued from death;
    Eye, you’ve been rescued from tears;
    And you, Foot, were kept from stumbling.”

9-11 I’m striding in the presence of God,
    alive in the land of the living!
I stayed faithful, though bedeviled,
    and despite a ton of bad luck,
Despite giving up on the human race,
    saying, “They’re all liars and cheats.”

12-19 What can I give back to God
    for the blessings he’s poured out on me?
I’ll lift high the cup of salvation—a toast to God!
    I’ll pray in the name of God;
I’ll complete what I promised God I’d do,
    and I’ll do it together with his people.
When they arrive at the gates of death,
    God welcomes those who love him.
Oh, God, here I am, your servant,
    your faithful servant: set me free for your service!
I’m ready to offer the thanksgiving sacrifice
    and pray in the name of God.
I’ll complete what I promised God I’d do,
    and I’ll do it in company with his people,
In the place of worship, in God’s house,
    in Jerusalem, God’s city.
Hallelujah!
Psalm 116 (MSG)

A Minute In It - Praising God!

A minute in Gods' word will change your life.  Read through the Bible text and notice all the reasons there are to PRAISE God!

1  I will praise the Lord at all times.
    I will constantly speak his praises.
2 I will boast only in the Lord;
    let all who are helpless take heart.
3 Come, let us tell of the Lord’s greatness;
    let us exalt his name together.

4 I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me.
    He freed me from all my fears.
5 Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy;
    no shadow of shame will darken their faces.
6 In my desperation I prayed, and the Lord listened;
    he saved me from all my troubles.
7 For the angel of the Lord is a guard;
    he surrounds and defends all who fear him.

8 Taste and see that the Lord is good.
    Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!
9 Fear the Lord, you his godly people,
    for those who fear him will have all they need.
10 Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry,
    but those who trust in the Lord will lack no good thing.

11 Come, my children, and listen to me,
    and I will teach you to fear the Lord.
12 Does anyone want to live a life
    that is long and prosperous?
13 Then keep your tongue from speaking evil
    and your lips from telling lies!
14 Turn away from evil and do good.
    Search for peace, and work to maintain it.

15 The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right;
    his ears are open to their cries for help.
16 But the Lord turns his face against those who do evil;
    he will erase their memory from the earth.
17 The Lord hears his people when they call to him for help.
    He rescues them from all their troubles.
18 The Lord is close to the brokenhearted;
    he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.

19 The righteous person faces many troubles,
    but the Lord comes to the rescue each time.
20 For the Lord protects the bones of the righteous;
    not one of them is broken!

21 Calamity will surely destroy the wicked,
    and those who hate the righteous will be punished.
22 But the Lord will redeem those who serve him.
    No one who takes refuge in him will be condemned.
Psalm 34 (NLT)

Psalm 19

1 The heavens proclaim the glory of God.
    The skies display his craftsmanship.
2 Day after day they continue to speak;
    night after night they make him known.
3 They speak without a sound or word;
    their voice is never heard.[a]
4 Yet their message has gone throughout the earth,
    and their words to all the world.

God has made a home in the heavens for the sun.
5 It bursts forth like a radiant bridegroom after his wedding.
    It rejoices like a great athlete eager to run the race.
6 The sun rises at one end of the heavens
    and follows its course to the other end.
    Nothing can hide from its heat.

7 The instructions of the Lord are perfect,
    reviving the soul.
The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy,
    making wise the simple.
8 The commandments of the Lord are right,
    bringing joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are clear,
    giving insight for living.
9 Reverence for the Lord is pure,
    lasting forever.
The laws of the Lord are true;
    each one is fair.
10 They are more desirable than gold,
    even the finest gold.
They are sweeter than honey,
    even honey dripping from the comb.
11 They are a warning to your servant,
    a great reward for those who obey them.

12 How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart?
    Cleanse me from these hidden faults.
13 Keep your servant from deliberate sins!
    Don’t let them control me.
Then I will be free of guilt
    and innocent of great sin.

14 May the words of my mouth
    and the meditation of my heart
be pleasing to you,
    O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. (NLT)

A Minute In It - Bring On The Prasie!

A minute in Gods' word will change your life.  Read through the Bible text and finish the thoughts at the bottom of the post.

1 O Lord, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth!
    Your glory is higher than the heavens.
2 You have taught children and infants
    to tell of your strength,
silencing your enemies
    and all who oppose you.

3 When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers—
    the moon and the stars you set in place—
4 what are mere mortals that you should think about them,
    human beings that you should care for them?
5 Yet you made them only a little lower than God
    and crowned them with glory and honor.
6 You gave them charge of everything you made,
    putting all things under their authority—
7 the flocks and the herds
    and all the wild animals,
8 the birds in the sky, the fish in the sea,
    and everything that swims the ocean currents.

9 O Lord, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth!
Psalm 8 (NLT)

O Lord, our Lord, how ______________ is your name!
When I look at ______________________________, I praise you!
I wonder at the _______________________________ that you have put in my life.
You have given me _____________________________ that brings me great pleasure!
I want to praise you for ____________________________________________.
O Lord, my Lord, how I _____________________________ your name.

A Minute In It - From Troubles To Praise

A minute in God's word will change your life. Take a minute to read the passage below. Then, ask yourself the questions at the bottom of the post.

 Be good to me, God—and now!
    I’ve run to you for dear life.
I’m hiding out under your wings
    until the hurricane blows over.
I call out to High God,
    the God who holds me together.
He sends orders from heaven and saves me,
    he humiliates those who kick me around.
God delivers generous love,
    he makes good on his word.

I find myself in a pride of lions
    who are wild for a taste of human flesh;
Their teeth are lances and arrows,
    their tongues are sharp daggers.

Soar high in the skies, O God!
    Cover the whole earth with your glory!

They booby-trapped my path;
    I thought I was dead and done for.
They dug a mantrap to catch me,
    and fell in headlong themselves.

I’m ready, God, so ready,
    ready from head to toe,
Ready to sing, ready to raise a tune:
    “Wake up, soul!
Wake up, harp! wake up, lute!
    Wake up, you sleepyhead sun!”

I’m thanking you, God, out loud in the streets,
    singing your praises in town and country.
The deeper your love, the higher it goes;
    every cloud is a flag to your faithfulness.

Soar high in the skies, O God!
    Cover the whole earth with your glory!
Psalm 57 (MSG)

What was David's focus when he started writing? What was his focus at the end of the Psalm? What changed his focus? How about you? What are you focusing on today?

Not Your Ordinary Fortress

I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust. Psalm 91:21 (NIV)

Ever have one of those problems that seems to get stuck in your brain. No matter how hard you try to push it out, the problem keeps snapping back into the forefront of your thoughts. It's like the song you can't get out of your head. It plays over and over and over again.

It is especially bothersome if there is nothing you can do about it and you know there is nothing you can do about it. Very frustrating.

I have one of those problems right now. I think about it, realize there is nothing I can do to fix it so I pray about it, ask God to take it and try to move on. Next thing I know, there is is again. What do you do?

I started imagining what it would be like to actually make God my fortress. A place I could go into to be safe or at least be at peace. How do you do that?

The dictionary says that a fortress is "a fortified place :stronghold; especially :a large and permanent fortification." It also says "a person or thing not susceptible to outside influence or disturbance." Then I wondered, how do you fortify something and one of the answerd to that question came up as "strengthening or improvement, as by addition of or intensification with another ingredient."

Humor me for a minute. If I want to get rid of something that is harassing me and I want to fortify myself, all I have to do is add another ingredient that will strengthen or improve my situation. Right?

How about an intense focus on Jesus using prayer, music and the Bible. If I am being intensely harassed, wouldn't it make sense to intensely counter with something soothing and peaceful? I am going to try it. Going forward every time I think about the thing that I can't do anything about, I am going to pray, sing and read my Bible. 

How about you?  What methods do you use to get your head on straight when it's being led down the wrong path?