August 20
Dear heavenly Father, we are happy to be numbered amongst your people; thank You for watching over our souls and guiding us to righteous living, praise be Thy name Lord. Who can keep us safely except the Lord! Who can watch over our soul except You Lord! May our hope in You never diminish rather may we love You day by day, Amen!
Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper Ps 1:1-3 (KJV).
This is one of the typical verses in the bible that speaks about profiting in the Word as a result of meditating on it therein. It is important to note we have a part to play while God’s part must be fulfilled by Himself but our blessings lie on the meditating on His Word. There are rules to prosperity and basic steps to take in building the Word in our life. Let consider it together:
“Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.” Josh. 1:7
Yes, the Lord will be with us in our holy war, but He demands of us that we strictly follow His rules. Our victories will very much depend upon our obeying Him with all our heart, throwing strength and courage into the actions of our faith. If we are halfhearted we cannot expect more than half a blessing.
We must obey the Lord with care and thoughtfulness. “Observe to do” is the phrase used, and it is full of meaning. This is referred to every part of the divine will; we must obey with universal readiness. Our rule of conduct is “according to all the law.” We may not pick and choose, but we must take the Lord’s commands as they come, one and all.
In all this we must go on with exactness and constancy. Ours is to be a straightforward course, which bends neither to the right nor to the left. We are not to err by being more rigid than the law, nor turn out of levity to a more free and easy way. With such obedience there will come spiritual prosperity. O Lord, help us to see if it be not even so! We shall not test thy promise in vain.
Notice that the one who is blessed not only delight in the Word; they act on their desire. They meditate on the Scripture. They think over it, ponder its meaning, pray it out, study it more deeply, recall it often, and consider how to apply it. God’s Word is controlling lens by which everything else is viewed, the standard by which everything else is judged, the foundation on which everything else is added, and compass by which every decision is made.
Let’s look at three steps to building God’s Word into your life:
I. MEMORIZE IT
But why? As a newly born again teenager, I got started on consistent Scripture memory. Nothing has so powerfully affected me spiritually as this difficult but life-changing discipline. Here are three reasons for doing it:
1. To transform your mind in order to live out God’s will: “Do not be conformed any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God‘s will is, his good, pleasing and perfect will.“ (Romans 12:2)
2. To help you win the spiritual battle over sin and Satan: After 40 days of fasting and prayer, Jesus was tempted by Satan. In all three instances, He won over the Enemy by quoting Scripture that was appropriate to the situation, “Jesus answered, ‘It is written… it is written… it is written… ‘” (Matthew 4:4, 6, 7) If Jesus deemed it necessary to utilize the Scriptures in this manner for spiritual victory, how about you and me?!
3. To equip you to help others spiritually: Ever have the experience of fumbling with your Bible in trying to find a verse? Memorizing key Scriptures supplies you with the tools to intelligently and powerfully minister God’s Word to others. “The Scriptures are the comprehensive equipment of the man of God, and fit him fully for all branches of his work.“ (2 Timothy 3:17 — Phillips Translation)
II. ANALYZE IT
Years ago, I remember reviewing a pre-med student’s memory verses. He had them down cold! Boy, was I impressed! Then I began asking him what the verses meant, and he didn’t have a clue! So, as you are in the process of memorizing a verse or passage, ponder and mull over its meaning in your mind. Dig out its definition by studying it in its context.
III.PERSONALIZE IT
While you are memorizing Scripture, ask God where and how He wants you to change in applying its truths to your life. Someone once said, “God did not give us the Scriptures to increase our knowledge, but to change our lives.”
Every person I know who is dead-serious about his walk with God has made an earnest effort to memorize God’s Word.
QUESTION: Just how serious are you?
Adapted from FOTM
May God’s Word dwell richly in You to produce the desired result as we have seen in our study today. You are blessed, you are blessed, you are blessed as you meditate on the Word day in day out. Amen!
Remain blessed in the Lord.
Evang Ifeoma Ohondu
