Joshua 1:8 NLT
Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.
There is one spiritual discipline that, when mastered, will affect your spiritual life more than any other.
“Ok, John, what is that?”
Studying and meditating on God’s Word, willingly EVERY DAY!
If you can master this one spiritual habit, your life and your heart will change.
I will suggest one twist on this when you get into this time in God’s Word, you ask God to show you what it is in your heart that needs to change due to your study and meditation.
The longest chapter in the Bible is Psalm 119; it is one of my favorite books in the Bible. It is 176 verses about the love of studying and obeying the Words of God.
I have made it a discipline to read this chapter once a month to remind myself how important it is to keep the words of God planted in my mind and my heart.
Psalm 119:2 NLT
Joyful are those who obey his laws and search for him with all their hearts.
Psalm 119:7 NLT
As I learn your righteous regulations, I will thank you by living as I should!
Psalm 119:11 NLT
I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.
Psalm 119:20 NLT
I am always overwhelmed with a desire for your regulations.
Psalm 119:34 NLT
Give me understanding and I will obey your instructions; I will put them into practice with all my heart.
Psalm 119:72 NLT
Your instructions are more valuable to me than millions in gold and silver.
Psalm 119:105 NLT
Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.
Psalm 119:125 NLT
Give discernment to me, your servant; then I will understand your laws.
Psalm 119:133 NLT
Guide my steps by your word, so I will not be overcome by evil.
Psalm 119:147 NLT
I rise early, before the sun is up; I cry out for help and put my hope in your words.
Psalm 119:176 NLT
I have wandered away like a lost sheep; come and find me, for I have not forgotten your commands.
Every human emotion range is covered in this chapter, with every verse pointing back to God’s Word and the importance of studying and meditating on them.
When I first started to develop this habit, it affected my life that was anything but pleasant. But I soon understood why. I began this habit looking for my outside circumstances to change.
I wanted the people around me to change.
I wanted my financial circumstances to change.
I wanted my career circumstance to change.
As I pressed forward in my reading with this focus on my reading, my life devolved to the point where I considered taking my own life.
My hope for you is that it doesn’t take you to this depth of despair when you start this spiritual discipline.
But God does everything He needs to do to get your heart to change. And this is what it took to get my heart to change, and I thank God every day for this.
In God’s grace, He showed me how to read the Bible in a way that would change my heart, and in turn, God changed my outside circumstances according to His Will for my life.
Romans 8:28 NLT
And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.
It is going on over five years that I have been in the Word of God every day. I don’t say this to pat myself on the back.
I say this because it has now become a fixed part of my life. I start my day immersed in God’s Word every morning, and I couldn’t and don’t even want to imagine a day that I don’t start in God’s Word.
There are moments that I have been stopped in my tracks by God’s Word while I have been interacting with people, and His Words have gently reminded me that I am off track in how I am acting.
When this happens, I stop, and I ask the other person to forgive me for my indiscretion, and I move forward in a new direction.
This happens with increased frequency.
I find myself willingly wanting to help others. A great benefit here is that when people reveal to me their struggles when I am reading the Bible, it takes on a completely different dimension, and the Words pour off the pages of the Bible and into my heart.
I believe there is a reason that the longest chapter in the Bible is written about being in God’s Word.
Heavenly Father, Thank You for Your Word. I pray that You continue to let Your Word shape my heart.
I pray that Your Word will help me in my witness to the watching world around me. And that Your Words affect my heart, my thoughts, and my actions.
I pray that my life will glorify You in every way and that You give me the strength, the courage, and the desire to stand firm in the light of Your Word.
I realize that none of this happens in my strength but only by Your grace. And I pray that Your Word refreshes my desire to serve those around me as if I am serving You.
In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray, Amen!! 🙏❤️
