Thank you for your promise that you bless the righteous man. Also for the FACT that your surround him with FAVOR as with a shield. I need this assurance constantly that I am not alone. I am waiting for you to bless me Oh Lord. Grant me the patience to wait on you and not miss the process of living while I'm waiting. This is a real challenge. Can Premal Patel enjoy life waiting on the fullfillment of my business goals while I wait on the future result?
Knowing that you will bless me eventually and knowing that in the meantime you will be on my side teaching me every step of the way is highly motiviational for me.
Yesterday I learned that everyday my attitude is to "order" my prayer to you and then "eagerly" watch for results. I understand what this means. I should not pray passively and wonder what you will do. I should be praying actively and realizing that things are set in motion and be actively engaged in obtaining a response - favorable or not.
This morning, my prayer is for your to teach me new and exciting things so I may be 1% smarter in my business. Give to me supreme confidence and courage as this is what it will take for me to think and behave like a superstar. I am glad that I have no ordinary business goals. My goals involve super star-dome but in your prescribed way, not my own.
I can do it because I have been called to do it. May the Lord keep me from all distractions and temptations to give up and move to lesser goals. I praise your from my office.
Friday, December 17, 2010
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Psalm 4 - I am set apart by God for Himself - Quite a Reservation!
I am inspired that "God has set apart the godly man for Himself". This means that God believes I am special enough to separate out from the rest of humanity. In this privileged position, I get to pray to Him and mediate on His Word. I get to do the right thing at all times to please Him. I get to trust Him. The things I formerly viewed as acts of service or worse rules and burdens are in FACT, privileges for me because God has set me apart for His special purpose.
What are the results for me when viewing life correctly through God's eyes and the way it was intended before sin? Well, I get to be at peace deep within knowing that everything is going to be all right. I have joy inside of me that is less and less tied to my outward circumstances. I get to sleep in peace and wake up in sleep. And the best of all, I get to look forward to my future, including old age, with excitement instead of the routine to finish off like or as a thing to be endured.
What are the results for me when viewing life correctly through God's eyes and the way it was intended before sin? Well, I get to be at peace deep within knowing that everything is going to be all right. I have joy inside of me that is less and less tied to my outward circumstances. I get to sleep in peace and wake up in sleep. And the best of all, I get to look forward to my future, including old age, with excitement instead of the routine to finish off like or as a thing to be endured.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Psalm 3
I am in a situation where it's easy for others to say that this time the problems are overwhelming. Perhaps God has pulled me through in the past, but this time around it's too great and he should go under. There's no way out and God has finally failed me.
Then I remember how in the past, I have felt this way time and time again and you have always came through for me. My testimony that I am still here proves this. The truth of Your word is that I will never go down by being overwhelmed unless I choose to reject You and Your word. My time will come when you call me home to be with you but this will not be in negative circumstances. This Psalm reminds of the specific ways in which you help me in tough times so I KNOW with great confidence that I will come out of it and this time will not be an exception.
1. You are a shield surrounding me. No situation or health concern will ever reach me unless it first goes by you and you approve it. There are no surprises in life for You, just for me. As a filter to what will eventully effect me, you are a shield from the really bad stuff that will take me out forever and your filter only lets in things that you know I need to work out for me to be a better person. As such, it is a controlled experiment and I can deal with that.
2. You are the one who LIFT my head. My own pride will not be what allows me to lift my head high above everyone when I overcome my present trial. However, the humility that you have given to me will allow me to claim victory that lasts and cannot be taken away. I already have my complete dignity. Whatever I perceived as lost, you will give back to me.
3. You sustain me. I am only able to persevere through my circumstance because of my long term habit I have cultivated of trusting you and depending on you. Otherwise, I would have given up a long time ago. This kind of faith and conviction is priceless. The knowledge that you will eventually deliver me gives me the motivation to keep going regardess of how slow I think the deliverance is.
4. I will not be afraid. I have read that there is really one one primary fear - the fear of dying or not existing any more. All other fears directly or indirectly stem for this one primary fear. If this is the case, then my greatest fear is already taken care of. I am saved and will "never" die. I will live with You forever and ever. With this fear gone, what can I really be afraid of? Everything else is a fear that I can actually do something about, if I choose, since it would not be beyond overcoming. Also, if I think about the time you have delivered me in the past and how I have always come out "better" in the end as a result of trials, I again come to the conclusion that I don't have to be afaid, unless I choose to. Well I choose not to. Life is too short and I only have one shot of life. I want my life to count in a meaning way for God. I want to say that I did the work God set before me in a successfuly way and I brough as many people as I could to the light. Living itself is a risk moment by moment and day by day, so I really should be afraid of taking risks like starting my own business becasue the return is greater than the potential loss. In a very real way, I will not be afraid because I CHOOSE to believe this from God's word.
5. God will take care of my enemies/obstacles. There are always people waiting for my faith to fail, my health to fail and my finances to fail. Instead of wishing ill on them, I choose to view that as a opportunity to believe that God will ultimately prevent their bad intents, thoughts and actions from ruining His plans for me. I also hope that as a result of what people see in my life that some of those will actually turn to God themselves and join in on the joy of living - the "fun" or "high" of life that many are seeking and don't seem to find. I too was a seeker and now I'm a believer. For the doubting, it works! For the intelligent, the truth is hidden in plain sight. There is no need to look too hard for the secret of happiness and eternal life. Use your instinct and intuition and you will realize that joy in life is one thought away.
Furthermore, all around me will look and behold
Then I remember how in the past, I have felt this way time and time again and you have always came through for me. My testimony that I am still here proves this. The truth of Your word is that I will never go down by being overwhelmed unless I choose to reject You and Your word. My time will come when you call me home to be with you but this will not be in negative circumstances. This Psalm reminds of the specific ways in which you help me in tough times so I KNOW with great confidence that I will come out of it and this time will not be an exception.
1. You are a shield surrounding me. No situation or health concern will ever reach me unless it first goes by you and you approve it. There are no surprises in life for You, just for me. As a filter to what will eventully effect me, you are a shield from the really bad stuff that will take me out forever and your filter only lets in things that you know I need to work out for me to be a better person. As such, it is a controlled experiment and I can deal with that.
2. You are the one who LIFT my head. My own pride will not be what allows me to lift my head high above everyone when I overcome my present trial. However, the humility that you have given to me will allow me to claim victory that lasts and cannot be taken away. I already have my complete dignity. Whatever I perceived as lost, you will give back to me.
3. You sustain me. I am only able to persevere through my circumstance because of my long term habit I have cultivated of trusting you and depending on you. Otherwise, I would have given up a long time ago. This kind of faith and conviction is priceless. The knowledge that you will eventually deliver me gives me the motivation to keep going regardess of how slow I think the deliverance is.
4. I will not be afraid. I have read that there is really one one primary fear - the fear of dying or not existing any more. All other fears directly or indirectly stem for this one primary fear. If this is the case, then my greatest fear is already taken care of. I am saved and will "never" die. I will live with You forever and ever. With this fear gone, what can I really be afraid of? Everything else is a fear that I can actually do something about, if I choose, since it would not be beyond overcoming. Also, if I think about the time you have delivered me in the past and how I have always come out "better" in the end as a result of trials, I again come to the conclusion that I don't have to be afaid, unless I choose to. Well I choose not to. Life is too short and I only have one shot of life. I want my life to count in a meaning way for God. I want to say that I did the work God set before me in a successfuly way and I brough as many people as I could to the light. Living itself is a risk moment by moment and day by day, so I really should be afraid of taking risks like starting my own business becasue the return is greater than the potential loss. In a very real way, I will not be afraid because I CHOOSE to believe this from God's word.
5. God will take care of my enemies/obstacles. There are always people waiting for my faith to fail, my health to fail and my finances to fail. Instead of wishing ill on them, I choose to view that as a opportunity to believe that God will ultimately prevent their bad intents, thoughts and actions from ruining His plans for me. I also hope that as a result of what people see in my life that some of those will actually turn to God themselves and join in on the joy of living - the "fun" or "high" of life that many are seeking and don't seem to find. I too was a seeker and now I'm a believer. For the doubting, it works! For the intelligent, the truth is hidden in plain sight. There is no need to look too hard for the secret of happiness and eternal life. Use your instinct and intuition and you will realize that joy in life is one thought away.
Furthermore, all around me will look and behold
Friday, December 3, 2010
Psalm 2
David is puzzled by the fact that the rulers and people of the world oppose God and dosen't understand why. In fact, the people oppose God specifically to get rid of what they believe is a set of rules on them they feel are too harsh or impossible to follow and they feel chained up in handcuffs by Gods laws. The desire to be "rid" of God's watchful eye and the "exercution" of our rights to be individuals is universal among all of us and is a part of our sin makeup. I can see why David was puzzled. After I became a Christian, I stopped thinking as I once did and now realize that I was foolish to side with the losing team. God has nothing but the best planned for me and he made me for a specific purpose. How can or why would he at the same time withold things or shackle me down with frustrating rules? From a logical sense, with clear thinking, this does not and cannot make any sense.
God's response is to scoff and infuriate them even more but stating point blank that I too have a King - the Christ - that I will have to rule from Jerusalem, which in turn angers them even more.
I think that God is setting down the law here by stating either change the way you think about me or perish with the enemy. The problem is not God but in my own thinking about what I personally believe and think about God. When I think like this, it doesn't match the reality of the world as God created it. Since I am creating my own reality in my mind and trying to following this personal reality to its own conclusion, it would make sense to break free of God's rule. But this can never happend. I must cleanse my thinking and relook at like to see if my belief about this is accurate and works in the real world. Well with my experience, I definately didn't get anywhere thinking of God as a freedom restrictor and supplier of trials to wear me down. Other than not being true, this thinking has nothing to offer me other than frustration, depression and ultimately a life that is useless to receive God's blessing.
Finally, David intercedes and asks all rulers and judges to be discerning, realize that their attitute is wrong, not God's ways, and to jon God's side, the winning side, by paying homage to Jesus. In doing this they will be blessed and protected from the day of disaster to come. The reason this is right and works is that now my thinking will be aligned with the reality of how the world works, how God works and His plan for salvation. Knowing this, I am less and less tempted to think that God has it in for me on certain days.
God's response is to scoff and infuriate them even more but stating point blank that I too have a King - the Christ - that I will have to rule from Jerusalem, which in turn angers them even more.
I think that God is setting down the law here by stating either change the way you think about me or perish with the enemy. The problem is not God but in my own thinking about what I personally believe and think about God. When I think like this, it doesn't match the reality of the world as God created it. Since I am creating my own reality in my mind and trying to following this personal reality to its own conclusion, it would make sense to break free of God's rule. But this can never happend. I must cleanse my thinking and relook at like to see if my belief about this is accurate and works in the real world. Well with my experience, I definately didn't get anywhere thinking of God as a freedom restrictor and supplier of trials to wear me down. Other than not being true, this thinking has nothing to offer me other than frustration, depression and ultimately a life that is useless to receive God's blessing.
Finally, David intercedes and asks all rulers and judges to be discerning, realize that their attitute is wrong, not God's ways, and to jon God's side, the winning side, by paying homage to Jesus. In doing this they will be blessed and protected from the day of disaster to come. The reason this is right and works is that now my thinking will be aligned with the reality of how the world works, how God works and His plan for salvation. Knowing this, I am less and less tempted to think that God has it in for me on certain days.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Psalm 1 Reflections
As I read this, I realized that I must at all times know the answer to the question "who is Premal Patel"? I should always be able to identify myself and describe myself without mentioning what I do or what my role is my life situation. Unless I can do this, I am forever tied to something outside myself for my joy. So who am I in light of this new definition - the only one that matters?
I am a precious child of God.
I am destsined for greatness.
I am loved and acceped by God.
I am driven to discover the plan I know God has for my life.
God is well-pleased with me in all aspects of my life.
God likes Premal Patel as a person.
God approves of Premal Patel as a person.
I have great value to God my Father.
I will stand before Kings.
In addition to this, I discovered in Psalm 1 that I am also:
Blessed - becasuse I don't hang around the wicked and don't mock Christians who are passionate about their faith.
Delighted - because I love God and his prescribed methods to be accepted.
I do love to meditate on God day and night. He is my constant companion in my thoughts.
I am like a firmly planted tree which will stand.
I will yield my fruit in the proper season. I take this to mean God will reveal his plan for the next phase of my life and give me success to accomplish His will.
God deeply and intimately "knows" me in every way a person can be known.
I am a precious child of God.
I am destsined for greatness.
I am loved and acceped by God.
I am driven to discover the plan I know God has for my life.
God is well-pleased with me in all aspects of my life.
God likes Premal Patel as a person.
God approves of Premal Patel as a person.
I have great value to God my Father.
I will stand before Kings.
In addition to this, I discovered in Psalm 1 that I am also:
Blessed - becasuse I don't hang around the wicked and don't mock Christians who are passionate about their faith.
Delighted - because I love God and his prescribed methods to be accepted.
I do love to meditate on God day and night. He is my constant companion in my thoughts.
I am like a firmly planted tree which will stand.
I will yield my fruit in the proper season. I take this to mean God will reveal his plan for the next phase of my life and give me success to accomplish His will.
God deeply and intimately "knows" me in every way a person can be known.
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