2022-05-19
Psalm 119:15 ESV
Another word for meditation is rumination. Rumination is what a cow is doing when she chews her cud. The cow eats grass, chews all she can, and then swallows it. It sits in one of her stomachs for a while, and then a little later, she burps it up. The cow chews on it some more and swallows it again. She’s pulling every bit of nourishment from the grass. And meditation is simply thought digestion.
Meditation doesn’t mean putting your mind in neutral and thinking about nothing. It’s actually the opposite – it’s thinking seriously about what you’re reading. For example, you start by dwelling on one verse of Scripture and ask, ‘What does this mean for my life?’ ‘What’s God telling me through these words?’ Talk to yourself about it, ask questions about it, and talk to God about it.
The Bible says this: ‘Keep your minds on whatever is true, pure, right, holy, friendly, and proper. Don’t ever stop thinking about what is truly worthwhile and worthy of praise’ (Philippians 4:8 CEV). And Colossians 3:16 says, ‘Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly’ (KJV).
Another lesson we can learn from the cow is that she can spend up to eight hours a day eating and ruminating in order to extract every nutrient she possibly can. It’s not a quick process. It takes time. And we need to devote time every day – at least 10 to 15 minutes, and more if we can – to sit down somewhere that’s free from distractions, read a portion of the Bible, think deeply about what we’ve just read, and then talk to God about it in prayer. That’s the best starting point for spiritual change and growth.
Num 34-36; Matt 10:21-31; Ps 72:12-20; Pro 11:22
2022-05-18
Proverbs 4:23 GNT
Someone once said, ‘You’re not what you think you are, but what you think – you are.’ Lasting change always begins with new thinking. We become Christians by repenting of our sins and putting our trust in Christ. The Greek word for repentance is metanoia, and it means ‘to change your mind’. We’re not changed by willpower, but by the transforming power of God’s Word when we use it to renew our minds each day.
The Bible clearly teaches that the way we think determines the way we feel, and the way we feel determines the way we act. That means if we want to change our actions, we have to go right back to the source and change the way we think. Think about a time you acted with anger. You acted that way because you felt angry. And those feelings of anger stemmed from angry thoughts. The same idea applies to resentment, worry, lust, and other destructive or damaging thought patterns.
Jesus said, ‘You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free’ (John 8:32 NLT). When we base our lives on truth, when we live with the right kind of thoughts, rather than misconceptions or false beliefs, and when we base our lives and thinking on God’s Word – we will be set free. We’ll find old, unhelpful habits, feelings, and actions beginning to fall away. When we only focus on removing bad thoughts, we leave a gap in our minds that can let the bad thoughts back in. But when we replace bad thoughts with good, scriptural ones, God fills our minds and empowers us to live the lives He has planned for us to enjoy.
Num 32:25-33:56; Matt 10:11-20; Ps 72:1-11; Pro 11:19-21
2022-05-17
Romans 8:28 NKJV
Another way God changes us is through circumstances. Problems, pressures, disappointments, sorrows, hardships, and stress always get our attention. C.S. Lewis said, ‘Pain insists on being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures… but shouts to us in our pain.’ The J.B. Phillips translation of Romans 8:28-29 reads: ‘To those who love God, who are called according to his plan, everything that happens fits into a pattern for good. God, in his foreknowledge, chose them to bear the family likeness of his Son.’
God won’t always take us out of bad situations, but He will use them to bring about change within us. The interesting thing about how God uses circumstances is that their source makes no difference to Him. We might bring problems on ourselves because we didn’t listen to God or didn’t seek His wisdom in the first place. Sometimes they’re caused by other people, and sometimes the Enemy causes things to happen to us. But the source of the circumstances is irrelevant. God can and will use them all. He’s saying, ‘I will make it fit into my plan for your life, to make you more Christ-like.’
That means we can learn something from every circumstance we find ourselves in, if we have the right attitude towards it. Hebrews 5:8 tells us that ‘Even though Jesus was the Son of God he learned obedience by what he suffered’ (NCV). If God used the challenges, conflicts, and circumstances of life to prepare His own Son for His destiny, He’ll surely do the same in our lives. Jesus understands how hard it can be, but instead of trying to escape our circumstances, let’s remember God’s at work through them, learn from them and use them to grow stronger.
Num 30:1-32:24; Matt 10:1-10; Ps 22; Pro 11:16-18
2022-05-16
2 Timothy 3:16 NLT
One of the ways God changes us is through His Word. ‘All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realise what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work’ (v.16-17 NLT).
If we’re serious about bringing change in our lives and growing into a more Christ-like character, we have to get into the Bible. We need to read it, study it, memorise it, meditate on it, speak it, and apply it. Regularly reading God’s Word, studying it, and thinking deeply about it can bring strength to a weak faith, comfort to a broken heart, and joy to an anxious mind. And when we put what we’ve read into action, the Word of God can completely turn things around by encouraging change and helping us to grow our faith.
There’s a constant struggle going on between our spirits, which are God’s and our sinful human flesh. ‘Our sinful selves want what is against the Spirit, and the Spirit wants what is against our sinful selves. The two are against each other, so you cannot do just what you please’ (Galatians 5:17 NCV). If we let our flesh win each time, we’ll never be able to change. But every time we surrender to God’s Spirit within us, He’ll help us take another step towards a more Christ-like character. The Bible says, ‘Faith comes by hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ’ (Romans 10:17 NLT). The Spirit of God uses the Word of God to make us more like the Son of God.
Num 27-29; Matt 9:27-38; Ps 62; Pro 11:15
2022-05-15
Philippians 2:12-13 NLT
The Bible says, ‘Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.’ It seems a bit confusing – if God’s already at work within us, why do we need to put so much effort in? The Bible doesn’t say, ‘Work for your salvation.’ To work for something means to earn it, deserve it, and merit it, but the Bible teaches us that salvation isn’t something we have to earn or work for. It’s a free gift from God, given by His grace (see Ephesians 2:8-9).
When Paul wrote, ‘Work hard to show the results of your salvation,’ he’s talking about something like a spiritual ‘workout’. When we exercise, we develop and tone the muscles God has already created us to have. To ‘work hard to show the results’ here means to grow and make the most of what we’ve been given. What Paul’s saying is this: develop your spiritual life.
God has a part in our spiritual growth, and we also have a part. First, He gives us the eagerness to please Him; our part is to recognise that feeling and choose to act on it. Then He provides the power; our part is to access that power, flip the switch, and let it flow through our lives to fulfil His will for us. And we can do that by spending time praying and reading God’s Word each day, sharpening and strengthening each other through fellowship, and exercising the gifts God has given us. The truth is, He’s already done His part; now it’s up to us to do ours.
Gen 2:7-25; 1 Cor 15:39-55
2022-05-14
Exodus 8:10 NKJV
In Exodus, every plague that God sent to Egypt mocked one of their gods. For example, the Egyptians worshipped a goddess who had the head of a frog… and one of the plagues God sent was a lot of frogs! Finally, Pharaoh called for Moses and basically said, ‘All right, I give up.’ But when Moses asked him, ‘When do you want me to get rid of the frogs?’ Pharaoh’s response was ‘Tomorrow.’ Why didn’t he say ‘Now’? Why would he wait any longer to have the frogs removed?
But we sometimes do the same. We put off changes that we know would be good for us, like swapping some healthier foods into our meals, taking a step back from an unhealthy relationship, starting a Bible reading plan, and so on. Maybe we’re unconcerned. Maybe we’re too tired to change. Maybe we’re scared because we don’t know what impact the changes will have, or what exactly is involved. Maybe we’re just too proud and stubborn. Whatever the reason, we procrastinate.
NASA engineers know that most of the fuel used in a rocket launch is burned during the first few seconds of lift-off. It takes an enormous amount of energy and thrust to move the rocket off the launch pad. Once it’s moving and headed for orbit, it needs less fuel and is easier to control. It has conquered inertia. It’s one thing to know God can solve our problem and change our lives, but it’s another to overcome our inertia and let Him begin to do it now. We keep saying, ‘One day… ‘
The truth is, Jesus has the power to make changes in us today. He’ll give us the power to begin and the power to keep going. It’s never too late for Him to get to work in our lives.
Num 25-26; Matt 9:14-26; Ps 57; Pro 11:14
