Scripture

What it Means to Meditate

“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 We’ve been talking extensively about pursuing Jesus in solitude and being yoked to Him in rest. Today, I want to share with you something I believe is key in enabling you to connect with the Lord more deeply — meditation. Interestingly, the Bible mentions studying the Word four times, but it talks about meditating on it 18 times! We are supposed to meditate on the Scriptures.  Although it may sound “new agey” or Eastern, an important part of meditation is breath; it’s something that’s as old as Christianity itself. Ruach Elohim is the Spirit of God and the word ruach means breath, wind, or spirit. It’s what God gave Adam and Eve

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Praying in the Morning

“Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.” – 1 Chronicles 16:11 Yesterday, we discussed how having a routine may be very valuable as we strive to become rooted and grounded individuals who thrive in turmoil. I’m hoping that by sharing the five steps of my “morning meditation,” you’ll be inspired to create your own, since I feel it will help you grow in the Lord and empower you to be a more powerful influence in the world. In our last devotional, I mentioned how meditation is the first stage in my morning ritual, and how it easily leads to the second component, prayer. Reflecting on a passage of Scripture and lifting up the Name of Jesus in worship generates a lovely Spiritual atmosphere that makes it simple to just begin talking to Him. Now, I don’t have a set prayer formula, but I do pray for

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Meditation in the Morning

“But whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night.” – Psalm 1:2 Over the past few days, we’ve been discussing how to become peaceful people who can thrive in a chaotic environment. As the world we live in gets more and more fast-paced, this is critical. Today, I want to share something with you that I feel can help you live as a rooted and grounded person despite the constant movement around you: build a rhythm in life. My morning routine, I’ll call it my morning meditation routine, typically consists of five steps and takes about an hour. First and foremost, I get up at 5:15 a.m. every day (yes, even on Saturdays…I used to think I wasn’t a morning person until I found that waking up early is no problem if I go to bed on time). The first

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Great and Precious Promises

“His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.” – 2 Peter 1:3,4 As we conclude our discussion about embracing a journey to spiritual and emotional healing, I want to leave us with one practical thing we can do as we wait — stand on God’s promises. I know this sounds trite, but before tuning it out, it’s important to chew on the fact that the Word of God is alive. It’s not just a book that we read chapter and verse (though we certainly should do that), it’s the power of the Living Lord to accomplish His

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The Wisdom in God’s Warning

“At the end of seven days the word of the Lord came to me: ‘Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me.’” – Ezekiel 3:16,17 Over and over again in the Old Testament, we see the Lord warning His people. Though they were chosen and set apart by Him to be a living representation of His goodness, they habitually fell into sin and wickedness. This was especially true in the time of the prophet Ezekiel. Despite knowing right from wrong, the Jews in his day were partaking in paganism and idolatry that involved such gross practices as prostitution, child sacrifice, and other rituals. Seeing their blatant disregard for His ways, God could have punished them then and there. However, He chose to send a messenger to preach repentance instead. So patient and

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The War is In Your Mind

“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” – 2 Corinthians 10:5 Earlier this year, my dad contacted me and wondered if I had a copy of C.S. Lewis’ book The Screwtape Letters. He happened to be working on a sermon in which he wanted to quote it, so it pained me to tell him that I don’t have it in my possession anymore. Though I once had a really cool first-edition print that I got from my grandpa’s cabin, I think a friend of mine “borrowed” it in college and never gave it back. Though that’s irrelevant, I bring it up to let you you that reading this book early in my life helped to greatly increase my understanding of spiritual warfare. Though it’s not one of C.S. Lewis’ more

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The Blessing in Wisdom

“God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore.” – 1 Kings 4:29 In addition to righteousness, the second of the three virtues I believe leads to a blessed life is wisdom. While many of us hear this somewhat intimidating term and think it refers to intelligence or “book smarts,” the truth is that wisdom is inextricably linked to character. For this reason, it can always be cultivated and inherited in greater measure. Perhaps this is why James 1:5 says to ask God for more of it, and He will gladly provide. So what exactly is wisdom? I believe it’s simply humility — the opposite of arrogance. Wisdom is an attitude of heart that doesn’t assume it knows best but that seeks advice and input from others. It yields to the Lord’s way and is willing to consider

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Stand on His Promises

“It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way secure.” – Psalm 18:32 Well, 2021 has gotten off to a bit of a rough start. As the COVID pandemic continues to rage and political strife runs rampant, it’s important to remember and consistently focus on the source of our strength. The events of this troubling time can be an energy drain since it seems as if everything is more difficult than it used to be. It’s easy to get bogged down and pulled under by the “bad news” of the day, but thankfully, Jesus offers us a much better alternative! In fact, the Bible says that He arms us with strength. That’s an interesting way of saying it because it infers that our spiritual toughness is a weapon, which further implies that our spirits are under attack. We are not our own worst enemies — Satan is,

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Worship God

“Sing to the LORD, all the earth; proclaim his salvation day after day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples. For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods.” -1 Chronicles 16: 23-25

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Your Life Matters

Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. -Philippians 2:12-13

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