Meditation and Mouth Connection

David prayed that God would guide and sanctify his mouth (words) and heart (thoughts/attitude) so that they would be acceptable and pleasing to Him. I, too, constantly need the Lord's help to keep my heart, mind, and words pure and right. That's why I include Psalm 19:14 in my daily prayer.

"The Lord is my Rock, my Fortress and my Deliverer; my God is my Rock, in whom I take refuge, my Shield and the Horn of my Salvation, my Stronghold." (Psalm 18:2) The Lord is my Rock on which I stand, build my life, and rely. He gives me strength to resist the Enemy and temptations. The Lord is my Redeemer Who delivers me from death, self/flesh, and the bondage of sin.

This prayer (Psalm 19:14) demonstrates the important connection between the words of our mouth and the meditation of our heart. Our thoughts influence our words, our actions, our character...our life. What fills our heart and mind will spill out in words through our mouth. To speak right, we must first think right (have the right kind of thought). We must choose wisely what we fill our mind with. With the Holy Spirit living inside us, guiding us, helping us, empowering us, we are able to take our thought captive & make it obedient to Christ, and choose to dwell on things which are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, or praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8). 

Meditation in eastern religions is about emptying one's mind but meditation in the Bible is about filling one's mind with God's Word. It is profitable/nourishing to our soul to meditate on God's Word which helps us to know God more. His heart, attributes, and will are revealed in His Word. The more we meditate on God's Word, the more we think God's thoughts. God uses His Word to renew our mind and transform our hearts. Meditating on the Scriptures takes time. We don't read the Bible just so that we can check off a to-do item on our list. We need to saturate our mind with God's Word. Fill your mind with God's truths by studying and memorizing Bible verses. We must fix our eyes on God's ways so that we won't be wandering off the narrow path, be led astray, or be troubled by the worries of this world.

What we choose to dwell on will affect who we are, how we talk, what we say, what we do, how we respond, and how we react. "A man is what he thinks about all day long." (Ralph Waldo Emerson) Be aware that there is a battle going on in our mind. By choosing to occupy our mind with God's Word, we can prevent Satan from attacking our mind with lies, deception, anxious thoughts, destructive thoughts, sinful thoughts. Sin begins in the mind and so does godliness. The saying "garbage in, garbage out" is true. So many things can pollute our mind and in turn corrupt talk comes out of our mouth. May we choose God's Word in, God's Word out, instead!

Choose and use your words wisely! What we say matters! Words reveal the condition of our heart, mind, and character. Our words carry implications and profound effects. Words can ruin or strengthen marriages, careers, families, friendships, reputations, etc. We must strive to control our tongue. Avoid godless chatter and quarreling (2 Timothy 2:14, 16). Do not gossip. Do not lie. Do not boast. Do not use profanity. "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." (Ephesians 4:29) Speak the truth in love and with grace, respect, and gentleness. Let us examine whether our words honor and glorify our Lord!

"When I want to speak...let me think first:

-Is it true?
-Is it kind?
-Is it necessary?

If not, let it be left unsaid." (Babcock) 

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for Your Word that renews my mind, encourages my heart, revives my soul, and transforms my life! Please help me meditate on Who You are and on Your truths each and every day. Please purify my heart and mind to be like Christ's. Please help my mind and my mouth to focus on what is pleasing and honoring to You. In Jesus' Name, I pray. Amen.

Treasure God's Word in Your Heart

One way to safeguard ourselves from sinning against God is to hide His Word in our hearts as a precious treasure. When temptations come along, God's Word stored up in our hearts will give us wisdom and guide us to stay strong, resist temptations, and do the right thing. We are to bury the treasure of God's Word deep in our hearts so that God's Word will guide our thoughts, will, words, and actions. As a result, we will be kept from sinning/will be deterred from going astray. Even mature Christians are not immune to temptations. We all must be on guard always. It's not possible to isolate ourselves from all of life's temptations. But we are not to yield to them. We must follow Jesus's example when Satan tried to tempt Him in the wilderness. In each temptation, Jesus used the Scriptures to counter Satan's offer. He didn't succumb to the temptation; He did not sin. He overcame each temptation with God's Word. We don't have to sin when facing temptations, either. It's very important that we know the Scriptures so well by heart. The Scriptures we've learned and memorized will be readily available whenever we need it. They will be ready on all occasions to counsel, comfort, or caution us as need arises. They will strengthen us to say no to ungodliness and worldliness and will enable us to detect any lies and false teaching.

"The Bible will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from the Bible." (D. L. Moody)

"The law of their God is in their hearts; their feet do not slip." (Psalm 37:31)

"My son, keep My words and store up My commands within you. Keep My commands and you will live; guard my teachings as the apple of your eye." (Proverbs 7:1-2)

I would like to encourage you all to take time to memorize the Scriptures which is powerful fuel for energizing our soul. In the future, we may not always have religious freedom in this country. If the Bible were to be taken away from us, the verses we have memorized would be there to remind us of God's love, mercy, and faithfulness, assure us of God's power and providence, encourage us, comfort us, guide us, and feed/nourish us (spiritually). 

"Too difficult," you say?
"Not an excuse," I say! If your brain is working, then you can memorize Bible verses. How many movie lines can you quote? How many song lyrics do you know by heart? How many ad slogans are stuck in your head permanently? You get the point. Sadly, some parents/teachers make their students memorize poems, famous political speeches and documents, etc. but never or hardly encourage them to memorize the Scriptures. It gives me great joy to see my kids delight in the Lord and His Word.

"Too busy," you say?
"Not an excuse," I say! Do you still eat your meals even on the days you are busy? If you take care of your body by taking in nutrients through eating your food everyday, why would you not daily feed yourself with God's Word and be willing to starve yourself spiritually? Without taking in God's Word daily, you will get weaker and weaker spiritually. Therefore, reading/studying the Bible each day is very important. Now...think of memorizing Bible verses as eating snacks throughout the day. Snacks give us extra boost of energy and sustain/fulfill us until our next meal. Bible memorization is similar but even better :)...keeping us energized throughout our lifetime (once in a while, we may need to review what we've already memorized because forgetfulness does happen to some of us :)).

God's Word Gives Us Hope

"Everything that was written in the past" refers to the Old Testament. It was written to teach us truths about God and instruct us how to live. The Word of God as a whole has abiding value. We cannot neglect the Old Testament Scriptures. The Scriptures encourage us, comfort us, and give us power and strength to patiently endure trials and difficulties so that we may have confident hope (full assurance) to press on, come what may. God's Word gives us God's perspective on things and that Biblical perspective helps make unbearable situation bearable. God's Word enables us to remain steadfast in hope and persevere in a path of obedience even when we encounter tribulations, adversities, and opposition. All Scripture has spiritual benefit for Christians in all generations. Though God's Word was written in the past, it is valuable and relevant for all time. Reading about the examples of faith, courage, and perseverance in the Old Testament gives us encouragement to cling to our eternal hope and to never give up. Through the Scriptures, we see what God did for His children and how God worked in & through different lives and circumstances for their good and His glory and we see that God is always true to His Word, never failing to keep His promises; therefore, we trust Him and live in hope. For example, we learn how Job never understood why God allowed all the sufferings he had to endure yet he understood that trials had purpose and he accepted that. We learn how God helped Joseph, David, Jeremiah, Daniel (and many more) overcome their obstacles/hardships and how they trusted God through those difficult circumstances. We are encouraged by their examples.

The Holy Spirit uses God's Word to shape our will, mold our heart, and renew our mind...to transform our lives. Through Scriptures, God gives us encouragement & courage to persevere through any storms of life and shows us reasons to hold fast to a living hope (absolute certainty) for our glorious future. God's Word helps us look beyond our problems and pains, beyond sufferings and sorrows, beyond here and now, to our ultimate, eternal glory in Christ. Our hope is based on God's attributes and character revealed in His Word.

"The Christian hope has seen everything and endured everything, and still has not despaired, because it believes in God. It is not hope in the human spirit, in human goodness, in human achievement; it is hope in the power of God." (William Barclay) 

“A Christian will part with anything rather than his hope; he knows that hope will keep the heart both from aching and breaking, from fainting and sinking; he knows that hope is a beam of God, a spark of glory, and that nothing shall extinguish it till the soul be filled with glory.” (Thomas Brooks)


Prayer: Thank You, Abba Father, for Your Holy Word that teaches, guides, counsels, encourages, & comforts me and gives me hope! Thank You for Your presence that makes all the difference in the world! Please help me to learn from Your Word, grow in wisdom and understanding, have unshakable hope in Christ alone, and persevere to the end. In Jesus' Name, I pray. Amen.

The Obedient Will Be Blessed

"But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom,  and continues in it--not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it--they will be blessed in what they do." (James 1:25)

Be doers of the Word, not just hearers. When we only listen to God's teaching but do not obey, we're fooling ourselves. This reminds me of Matthew 7:24-27 (the wise and foolish builders). Obedience/fruit is the proof of transformed lives...the tangible evidence of our faith. "The best evidence of our having the truth is our walking in the truth." (Matthew Henry) Hearing without doing is useless. Doing without hearing is dangerous. Both are vital just like breathing in (spending time with God in prayer and in His Word) and breathing out (doing what God's Word says/putting what we know into practice). Just knowing God's Word is not enough. Even Satan knows God's Word. It's not how much Scripture we know; it's how much Scripture we live. We must humbly accept His Word to transform our hearts, renew our minds, and guide our actions. We're to be kingdom-builders and world-changers.

"The perfect law that gives freedom": the law was made perfect by Jesus Christ and through Him, we've been set free from sin, self, and spiritual death. Jesus said in John 8:31-32, "If you hold to My teaching, you are really My disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." Now we live freely by Christ's law of love (loving God and loving people). This perfect law of love and liberty guides us internally through the Holy Spirit. God's Word brings sanctification. Blessed are they who continue to be in God's Word, remember what they learn, and do what it says/obey the Word. "Blessed are they whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the Lord. Blessed are they who keep His statutes and seek Him with all their heart." (Psalm 119:1-2)

Prayer: Father, thank You for Your Word which is a lamp to my feet and light to my path! Please empower me to apply Your Word in my daily life, to keep a tight rein on my tongue, to care for those in need & defend the defenseless, and to keep myself from being polluted by the world. Please help me to use my time, talents, and treasure wisely for Your glory and for Your kingdom. In Jesus's Name, I pray. Amen.

Born Again Through the Living and Enduring Word of God

Our experience of inner purification by obeying the truth (given in the Word of God) should lead to our sincere love for one another. We have been born again through the living and enduring Word of God ("imperishable seed"). God's Word transforms us and sanctifies us. Our heart, mind, and spirit are purified and made new by the Holy Spirit and by God's Word. This new spiritual life is eternal/imperishable, not subject to decay and death. "Because he is reborn, the life of God is in him. The great characteristic of the life of God is love, and so the Christian must show that divine love for men. The Christian is the man who lives the Christ-filled life, the life that is different, never forgets the infinity of its obligation, and is made beautiful by the love of the God who gave it birth." (William Barclay) One of the evidences of our genuine regeneration is our sincere love (philadelphia in Greek, referring to the love that family members have for each other) for our brothers and sisters in Christ. "We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death." (1 John 3:14) 

In addition, we are commanded to love (agape) one another deeply/fervently (ektenos in Greek) and sincerely (without pretense and without hypocrisy). "For this is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another...And this is His command: to believe in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as He commanded us." (1 John 3:11, 23) Agape is to love unconditionally, selflessly, and sacrificially. "Ektenos was an athletic term conveying the meaning of “striving with all of one’s energy” and was used to describe a runner who was moving at maximum output with taut muscles straining and stretching to the limit. This meaning presents the clear picture that love is not something that will just happen, but is something we have to work at like an Olympic athlete who strives to master his area of expertise with all his energy. We must make the choice and be earnest, resolute, even intense in our practice of agape love, always in complete dependence of God's indwelling Spirit and His living and abiding Word." (from preceptaustin.org)

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35)

Prayer: Abba Father, thank You for my spiritual rebirth and for Your living and enduring Word that continues to guide me and mold me! Please empower me to love like Christ. May my love for my brothers and sisters in Christ be evident through my words and actions! Please enable me to live a life of faith, love, obedience, and integrity always. In Jesus' Name, I pray. Amen. 

Keep Your Servant from Willful Sins

We need God's Word to help us discern our errors. God's Word is the plumb line/the standard by which we are to measure our thoughts, words, and actions. To sin is to miss the mark (set by God). Here David asked God to forgive him and keep him from sinning. He pointed out two kinds of sins: hidden/secret faults (sins that are unknown to others and/or to ourselves) and willful/presumptuous sins (sins that are committed with deliberate defiance, presuming to know better than what God says/thinks or presuming that it is no big deal).

We need to pray and ask God to forgive us and to show us our hidden faults. Since sometimes we're unaware of our sins, we fail to confess and repent. Psalm 139:23-24 is a perfect prayer for this,  "Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."

David humbly recognized his need for God to help keep him away from sinning willfully and deliver him from the power/dominion of sin. We must do the same/pray for God's help. Never think you would never do or could never do "such a thing" as so and so have done. We all are not infallible. And pride (including spiritual pride) is sin. "It appears that presumptuous sins arise from carelessness with God and His word, and carelessness with the needs of others. We can also be lured into these sins by the willful disobedience of others. Whatever the origin, over time our carelessness leads to callousness, and calloused hearts lead to arrogance or insolence towards God and others." (Tony Reinke) 

Prayer: Abba Father, I need You every moment of my life! Thank You for Your amazing grace and forgiveness! Please forgive me for all my sins and cleanse me from all unrighteousness. Please keep me from sinning. Please empower me to live victoriously over sins, self/flesh, temptations, assaults from Satan and pollutions from the world. Please help me be sensitive to the Holy Spirit's conviction and be quick to confess and repent. Please enable me to hide Your Word in my heart and live according to Your Word so that I may not sin against You. In Jesus' Name, I pray. Amen.