“Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.”
-Joshua 1:8
I remember it was as I was just beginning in pastoral ministry, already feeling somewhat burnt out, that I went on a trip to a lovely Catholic monastery with my friend Bill.
The first morning, we attended Vigils at five-thirty in the morning where dignified Monks in brown robes, hands clasped in front of them, entered as an organ began to play gently. After assembling in the choir loft, the men began to sing the Psalms for half an hour: “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the way of the Lord nor stand in the counsel of the wicked.” I found myself saturated in God’s word. I was experiencing the Bible, not as an academic discipline of study, but as God’s words in music, and I couldn’t help but meditate on the power of these words.
So, as I became engrossed in these words, I found myself, in my walk with God, in a new place that I had never been before. What I didn’t realize was that my life would never be the same because I would start to view Scripture, not just as something to study, but also as something to meditate on. Now, when I’m done reading the Bible, I allow the Bible to read me – to look at and heal my heart, to look at and change at my life.
PRAYER: Dear Lord, as I’m saturated by your word, may my whole being be affected. May my mind find peace, my soul be lifted, and my heart be healed. Amen.
REFLECTION: What affect had God’s word had upon your life, especially during tough circumstances?
Are you sure about the quote from the Psalms? It doesn’t make sense….
I checked it. ….. It doesn’t seem correct….
“Blessed is the man who does not walk in the way of the Lord nor stand in the counsel of the wicked.”