The Psalmist’s To-Do List

Have you ever wished you could wake up in the morning, check out your planner and have your day all mapped out? Wouldn’t that be easier than stressing out over priorities, schedules and what needs to get done today? You could just check things off your list and not worry about the planning part. Sound good?

Well, since that’s not going to happen (sorry), let’s look at the same concept in our Christian life. So often we want a check list of what we need to do today to be a good follower of Jesus Christ. Don’t make me read or study or anything that requires effort - just tell me what I need to do and I’ll do it.

As terrible as this sounds, we’ve actually been given several of those lists in the Bible, and God would love for us to use them.

What rules to follow: Exodus 20:1-17
What to think on: Philippians 4:8
What is required of us: Micah 6:8
What the Lord’s greatest commandments are: Matthew 22:35-40

Look at that - lists! Not lists to check off as we’ve accomplished things, but lists to refer to, learn and live by.

Today’s psalm, Psalm 105, has another great list for our everyday lives. In the first five verses, we are given five to-do items that will add joy to our day and change our life in the process.

105:1 Give thanks to the Lord.
105:2 Sing to the Lord.
105:3 Rejoice in the Lord.
105:4 Seek the Lord.
105:5 Remember all the Lord has done.

Read those again. How many of the five instructions have anything to do with us? We’re doing them, yes, but they’re not about getting something done, making ourselves look better or seeing a completed list at the end of the day. What would make us feel better, but definitely not as good as taking the focus off ourselves.

Every one of the items on the psalmist’s list is centered around God, the only One worthy of thanks, song, joy, seeking and remembering. And once we work our way through the list first thing in the morning, it doesn’t stop there. We repeat them over and over again until they’re ingrained on our hearts and mind. Then they become habit and we do them because we want to, not because we want a pretty check mark next to them.

I pray that this week we’ll use Psalm 105 as a road map for praising God and changing our lives for good - our good and His glory.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Holland Creme - That Amazing White Stuff In Donuts

Image
I remember going to the grocery store every Saturday morning when I was growing up, and my favorite place in the entire store was the donut case. All the glazed, powdered and filled baked goods drew me like a magnet. My favorites, far and away, were the ones filled with that beautiful white, fluffy creme. At the time I didn't know it was called Holland Creme - I just knew it was the most amazing concoction ever. Ever. Here is my version of this sweet treat. You can make your own fried donuts and fill them, or like I did here, you can cut a crevice into store-bought donuts with a knife and fill them with creme in a piping bag. Either way, you're going to love it. Ingredients: 1 cup sugar 1/2 cup water 1 cup vegetable oil 1 cup shortening 1 cup butter 1 Tbsp vanilla 7 cups powdered sugar 1. Make a simple syrup by combining sugar and water in a sauce pan over medium heat until boiling, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and allow to cool complet...
Read more

Recovering An Old Card Table And Making It Usable Again

Image
This card table recover project has been on my to-do list for months. I've been using it as my workspace in the craft room for quite some time, and it sees a lot of abuse. Here it is now, with a neutral cover on it so I can take better pictures for my tutorials. There were dents and dings in the old blue covering from metal tools. And yes, I've used my embossing heat tool on it several times, leaving pretty good scars. The padding underneath the blue cover also made it difficult to keep paper crafts flat when adhering them together, so it was time for something new. That's where a simple vinyl tablecloth comes in handy. The process to recover the table is pretty simple, but I learned a couple of lessons the hard way. I share them with you now. First, don't do this on any surface but a carpet. I tried it on the deck int he sunshine to get better pictures, but all it did was tear up the cover. Second, get a second pair of hands to help you kee...
Read more

Crafts For Teen Girls To Make

Image
In our teen girls Bible study, we're studying our way through the Proverbs 31 woman and it's been such a blessing to me, as I hope it's been to them. Every month we spend an afternoon or an evening together studying Scripture, making something amazing in the kitchen and creating something that corresponds to the verse we're in. Choosing the crafts each time can be a challenge for several reasons. It needs to be something they can completely finish (or do most of) because once they leave they're probably not going to work on it themselves - that's just the nature of teenagers. Remember? It also needs to be a project that keeps they're attention, is age-appropriate and is cool enough that they'll want to keep it or give it to someone special. But hey, no pressure on the Bible study leader, right? Here are just a few of the projects we've done together in the year we've been meeting. * This month's craft will be the adorable cross stit...
Read more