Music: "10,000 Angels"

Meme: Trust God...

Wisdom Through Meditation

Psalm 119:145-152

I cry out with my whole heart;

Hear me, O Lord!

I will keep Your statutes.

I cry out to You;

Save me, and I will keep Your testimonies.

I rise before the dawning of the morning,

And cry for help;

I hope in Your word.

My eyes are awake through the night watches,

That I may meditate on Your word.

Hear my voice according to Your lovingkindness;

O Lord, revive me according to Your justice.

They draw near who follow after wickedness;

They are far from Your law.

You are near, O Lord,

And all Your commandments are truth.

Concerning Your testimonies,

I have known of old that You have founded them forever.

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Our receiving God's wisdom begins with prayer, but it does not end there. He has a method in His transformation process, and it requires our full cooperation. We are not passive recipients of His mind; we are active in our pursuit. He offers it, but we must want it. And there is more to wanting than just asking.

We can learn the Word of God through study. But it does not become a part of us until we meditate on it. Lacking that step, we become knowledgeable without becoming wise. There is a profound difference between knowing about God's will and His ways and actually knowing God's will and His ways. One leads to an illusion that we're spiritual when we're not. The other leads to life.

Churches are full of people who hear the Word of God preached on Sunday and then have forgotten it on Monday. There are many tools to incorporate God's truths into our lives, but the first, after prayer, is to meditate on it. What does that mean? It means to chew on it, think of what God does with it and why it came from His mouth, how we've failed it in our past, and how it might be applied in our everyday lives. The Word of God is not given simply to be admired; it is given to be learned. It is not spoken to make us smart; it is spoken to change us and conform us to the bright image of the living God.

At all costs, do not passively let the Word of God go in one ear and out the other. Do not read it so casually that it is forgotten the next day or the next hour. There's power in it! It is a gift that will craft us into the person God wants us to be, the person we were designed to be from the very beginning. That molding process is the greatest earthly fulfillment we can ever experience. And God first begins to answer our prayers for that when we meditate on His truth. Let it soak in, completely and deeply. Let it do its powerful work.

“Meditation is…allowing the Holy Spirit to take the written word and apply it as the living word to the inner being.”  - Campbell McAlpine

[An excerpt from "The One Year Walk with God Devotional" by Chris Tiegreen]

Jesus Wants You To Know...

"On days when Joy seems a distant memory, you need to seek My Face more than ever. Don’t let circumstances or feelings weigh you down. Instead, tell yourself the ultimate truth: I am continually with you, holding you by your right hand. I guide you with My counsel, and afterward I will receive you into Glory. As you make your way through the debris of this broken world, hold onto these truths with all your might. Remember that I Myself am the Truth. Cling to Me; follow Me, for I am also the Way. The Light of My Presence is shining on you, illumining the path before you."

"And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever." - John 14:16

- "Jesus Always" by Sarah Young