Simple Sunday: Meditate

Psalm 1:1-2 states,

‘Blessed is the man
   who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
or stand in the way of sinners
   or sit in the seat of mockers.
But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
   and on his law he meditates day and night.’ 

I’ve had these two verses on my wall for a few years now, just posted on my cork board I have above my desk. There were a few times that I actually sat and pondered about what my life would look like by following what these say.

A few.

I wish I would have truly grasped what God has shown me about these verses a long time ago, but….

Basically, People are blessed when they shun evil, stay away from people who will drag them down… and instead meditate on God’s law… nonstop.

As a teenager, this didn’t sound too appealing.

As an older teenager… it still doesn’t.

Because I showed too much stock in the idea of being blessed, and too little in developing the spiritual discipline of meditating on God’s law.

The law is what our consciences run on.

When we accept Christ, our hearts are changed to have His law inscribed upon them (Jeremiah 31)… our consciences begin to work full steam ahead, we know right from wrong based on the question: ‘Is this Christ-like?’

God isn’t standing up in heaven waiting for us to sit with our legs crossed, our hands out next to us, humming and reading Leviticus in order for him to bless us.

God is showing us that there is a blessing in meditating on His law… recharging our hearts… rejuvenating our desire to please and worship Him… the one who freed us from His law with His sacrifice on the cross. God is wanting us to develop a spiritual discipline of meditating on His law… so that we are able to stand up against the world… to walk away from wicked advice, to stand with other disciples, sit with other worshipers… to become pure and blameless through His cleansing grace, and His Holy Spirit revealing Himself to us through His Word.

Galatians 5:13-15 tells us, "For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you are always biting and devouring one another, watch out! Beware of destroying one another." (NLT)

His law not only improves our ability to live morally, abiding in His law... it teaches us and empowers us to love.

And that is a big one.

How are we doing?

When we read our Bibles, do we read for the sake of reading?

Do we make it a chore?

Or are we reading because we want to worship Him with our meditation, with our minds, our eyes, our emotions, and our hearts?

I know this is something I struggle with every day… sometimes life gets in the way… but we need to make it a discipline. And I'm striving, relying on God to teach me.

We are called to make disciples of all nations... we need to be disciples first. 

Discipleship takes discipline.

This is what God is calling us to.

Meditation upon His revelation… His word.

Let’s start this week out right, making our delight be in His Word.

For starters, meditate on what God is telling you in these verses:

“Blessed is the man
   who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
or stand in the way of sinners
   or sit in the seat of mockers.
But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
   and on his law he meditates day and night.”

May our delight always be in the law of the Lord.

The promise of our redemption in the fulfillment of Jesus Christ.

How would it look to live this out?

Something to...meditate on. ;)

*Verses taken from the NIV 1984 version.