“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.”— Psalm 1:1-2
We live in day and age where we have access to innumerable amounts of input, self-help tips, tricks, and secrets that offer help to improve our life and circumstances. On top of that, when you add the pressure and influence from unbelievers in our fallen world, it can cloud or confuse our thinking as to what is actually true.
We read in Psalms that true blessing, happiness, and joy will not be found apart from the truth of God’s Word; there is no place better to go. Jesus said so Himself in John 17, “your word is truth.”
This means that the Word of God is always our standard for Truth — in all things. In the good days and the bad, God and His Word are always the best advice. This means that wisdom for our marriages or singleness, for our children and family, for our overall faith and growth in holiness, the Truth is always at our fingertips (as long as our hands are on our Bibles)!
As Believers, we are blessed by the benefits His Word makes in our lives. And yet, as much as we know this, we fight daily to delight in the Truth.
You may not be like me, but there are moments in my life when things get hard and the last thing I want to do is delight in the Word of God. In just this last month alone, our car broke down while on vacation, the water line to our new house burst, and as I write this, I believe our washer just went out. I have an extensive laundry list of things to complain about (pun intended)!
All I’ve wanted to do is vent and stomp my feet. I’ve wanted to bark and complain. I’ve wanted others to tell me exactly what I want to hear, not so much what I need to hear. But, the Psalmist wisely warns us from falling into the trap of absorbing counsel from bad influences — you can become your own worst enemy in the process! Blessedness and joy will simply not be found there.
So, I’ve decided (instead of complaining and letting my heart misfire and get the best of me), I’m going to make greater efforts to be the man who delights and meditates on the law of the Lord. At all times. Each day, I have been making an extra effort to turn everything off, to be quiet, and to meditate on the Truth of God’s Word. It has been so good for me! Some of the best guidance and counsel I’ve received lately did not come from a Google search or a blog. It has come in these quiet moments with God — simply focusing on what He has to say to me. Have you tried that lately?
In this world you are going to be bombarded with many distractions. I implore you to make extra efforts get away with the Lord. For a moment, be quiet and simply listen. Make that time (today) to shut off your phone, close the laptop, and simply absorb and mediate on the Word of God. It’s always worth it.
#blessed
Bryan
Posted in A Word from the Pastor