"But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." John 4:23-24
Last week, we looked at God's exhortation to Joshua to "be strong and very courageous" as he led the Israelites into the Promised Land. But Joshua is given another command on the banks of the Jordan: "This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success." Joshua 1:8
This is a key to the Spirit-Filled life that we cannot miss. Please don't tune out thinking that this will be just another "read your Bible" lecture. There is more here than meets the eye. There is no better way to abide in the Spirit (listening and obeying every moment) than by being immersed in Scripture. I don't mean that we have to read constantly, but that our minds and hearts are filled with God's Word, so the Holy Spirit can readily speak to us and through us.
Jon Courson offers this insight, "God didn't tell Joshua that His Word was not to depart out of his hand or out of his back pocket, but that it was not to depart out of his mouth. The word "meditate" simply means "to mutter". Thus, biblical meditation consists of speaking the Scripture over and over. It is not a matter of thinking about the Scriptures because merely thinking about them allows our minds to wander. Meditation means to speak verbally, quoting Scriptures audibly, talking to others about them constantly."
Courson goes on to say, "Prosperity, success, and the abundant life are hallmarks of the Spirit-filled life. And the Spirit is inextricably linked to the Word..." Colossians 3:16-22 and Ephesians 5:18-22 & 6:1-6 describe very similar effects of letting the "word of Christ dwell in you richly" and being "filled with the Spirit". They are things such as "speaking to ourselves and each other with psalms and hymns, being submitted to each other, being the husband, wife or child we ought to be and the kind of worker that honors God. In other words, being filled with the Spirit and being filled with the Word are linked together." As we study, meditate and speak the Word, we will be "continually filled with the Spirit in fresh ways." Spirit-filled people are those who worship in Spirit and in truth.
I've noticed another effect of being filled with God's Word - it decreases my appetite for wordly things. It fills the space inside us that often seeks pleasure or entertainment to satisfy. It gives our minds and hearts something substantial to chew on and reduces our "junk food" cravings. I know we have all kinds of excuses not to read and meditate on the Word: "I don't have time...I don't understand it...etc.", but it really boils down to a lack of desire. We will make time for the things we value and enjoy. So ASK the Holy Spirit to increase your desire for the Word. ASK Him to increase your understanding. ASK Him to provide resources to help along the way (teaching, commentaries, websites, friends, etc.). He longs to interact with you through His Word.
A final quote from Jon Courson, "At the very beginning of his ministry, Joshua is told to meditate in the Word day and night because that is the key to appropriating the power of the Spirit he would need to accomplish that which God had called him to do." We'd all like to be "prosperous" and "have good success" as promised in Joshua 1:8, but are we willing to do it God's way? We must take hold of this key to the Spirit-filled life if we are to enter the Promised Land.
Exercise: Imagine what your marriage, family, friendships, etc. would look like if you were constantly speaking the Word to yourself and others. What steps can you take today to create that kind of dynamic? Are you making excuses for your lack of "fullness"? Be honest with yourself and ask the Lord to increase your appetite for His Word.
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2 comments:
Great words and exercise, will be working on that myself (with HIS help!!!).
Jennifer - these are wonderful, truthful words. I have always had a hard time memorizing scripture partly because I didn't start as a child and partly because of lack of discipline and true desire. I've worked hard to help my children already start memorizing. But it's more than just memorizing (although that helps). It's speaking. Now this is a challenge. Thanks!
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