Meditating on the Word of God

"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. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields it's fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. Psalm 1:1-3

Recently I have been in a dry place. I have been reading my Bible and praying. I have still been working in my ministry, but I have had an overwhelming desire to go deeper. I have felt there was a barrier keeping me from living and working for God to my fullest potential. I was attacked with confusion, fear and doubt. As I continued in prayer and had other people praying for me, God brought my personal testimony back to my mind. It helped me remember that I was not the person I used to be. God had done great things in my life and he wants to use me to do even greater things for Him. So what was hindering me from moving forward?

In our care circle we are studying the book Battlefield of the Mind by Joyce Meyer. As I was preparing for our meeting God began to answer my questions. In chapter seven, Joyce is talking about the importance of meditating on the precepts of God. She says the reason Christians are not living victorious lives is because we are not delving deeply enough into the word of God. I realized that this was happening to me. Instead of meditating on God's word and remembering all the great things he had done already, I was thinking about what was wrong with me, all my faults and limitations.

"Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. Be strong and courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Do not let this Book of the Law depart form your mouth; 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. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go". Joshua 1:6-9

Three times Joshua is told to be strong and courageous. God then tells him to be careful to obey the law and not to turn from it, not to let it depart from his mouth and to meditate on it day and night. Then God promised several times that he would be successful and prosperous. Joshua was to lead the Israelites to inherit the land God had promised them. He could not afford to have his mind filled with fear and doubt or he would begin to question his calling. He couldn't have his mind on the wrong opinions of other people who were only looking at the circumstances and Joshua's humanness and not God's power. Joshua's mind needed to be filled with God's word and all the wonderful things God had already done so that he could know what God's will was and how he could be the vessel through which God would carry it out. We are supposed to have our minds so filled with the word of God that there is no room for junk. We are to continually remember what God has already done so we may be victorious in all that He has called us to do.

As I began to meditate on God's word more deeply, I felt the heaviness and confusion lift from me making it easier for me to hear from Him. Don't let wrong thinking keep you from living living a victorious life in Christ. Keep your mind on Him.


Kim Ratcliffe