Getting Things Rolling

"For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh..." Philippians 3:3

In Joshua chapter 5, the Israelites are finally on the west side of the Jordan and preparing to possess the Promised Land. The Amorite kings had heard about the miraculous parting of the Jordan river and their "hearts melted" with fear. Seemed like a great time to launch an attack, but God had a different plan. Joshua 5:2 says, "At that time the Lord said to Joshua, "Make flint knives for yourselves, and circumcise the sons of Israel again the second time." Verses 4-6 explain that the second generation of men who were born in the wilderness had never been circumcised. Ok...but now?! On the verge of battle, all their warriors were to undergo this painful procedure? It didn't make sense...why couldn't they have done this on the other side? But Joshua obeyed and they had to stay where they were until the men were healed. The Lord said, "This day I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you." And the name of the place was called "Gilgal", which means "rolling".

Jon Courson says, "Gilgal, or literally, "the place of rolling," was the place where the reproach of Egypt was cut away as the Israelites reinstituted the practice of circumcision that had been abandoned in their wilderness wanderings. The Israelites had been "baptized" in the Jordan River. And Gilgal is a picture, an illustration, of what happens next in the Spirit-filled life. You see, after we put our foot in the Jordan River and say, "Lord, fill me, flood me, and use me," how do we get things "rolling"? I believe the key is circumcision."

What does circumcision represent in New Testament life? The physical act of circumcision was introduced by God in Genesis 17 as a sign of His covenantal relationship with Abraham. But the verb "to circumcise" or to "cut off" is also used in Scripture to describe the "heart" attitude (see Deut 10:16 & Jer 4:4). Physical circumcision is a picture of what God wants to do in our hearts. Cutting away the "fleshly" part purifies, sensitizes and identifies us with Him. It is a private mark, reminding us of our covenant with the Lord.

But practically, what does this mean? I return to Philippians 3:3, "For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh." Circumcision of the heart has to do with worshipping in the Spirit, rejoicing in Jesus and not relying on ourselves. It is a cutting away of anything "fleshly" that causes us to rely on human power rather than God's. We may think we're ready to march into battle, but God wants us to first learn to worship in Spirit and place all our confidence in Him.

Jon Courson offers some interesting commentary. He says, "Who is the true circumcision? Those who worship God in the Spirit. I take this to, at least partially, allude to worshipping God in the Spirit rather than solely with one's understanding. He quotes 1 Cor 14:18-19, "I thank my God that I speak with tongues more than you all; yet in the church I would rather speak five words with my understanding..." Paul is encouraging the private devotional usage of tongues and discouraging the public outbursts. I pray often in tongues. It's an important part of my prayer life because I need to be built up, because I get discouraged, because I don't know how to pray, because I'm limited in my expression. As I pray in the Spirit, I am free to pray from my innermost being."

I too, value the gift of tongues in my devotional prayer life. Often, when I feel the Spirit begin to move strongly in me, this gift wells up from within. It is so freeing to express my heart to God at times without the limitations of my mind. 1 Cor 4:4 says, "He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself..." So tongues is the least of the gifts because it doesn't edify others, but important nonetheless. One thing is certain - when speaking in tongues, my flesh is rendered useless. It is a completely spiritual interaction, which can be very healthy for me.

So perhaps the gift of tongues is one way to "get things rolling" in the Spirit. I am not asserting that you have to speak in tongues to be filled with the Spirit, although this does seem normative in Scripture. Certainly you don't need to experience this gift to be saved. But we shouldn't be critical of a gift because of misuses and abuses in the church. Paul affirms the use of tongues, but states guidelines for corporate use. I believe all the gifts described in Scripture are for today. (I'm trying to figure out how to link a paper on this subject).

In any case, when we move into the the Spirit-filled life, there is a "cutting away" of our flesh that needs to occur. We don't want anything to dull our spiritual senses. We must be purified and sensitized to the voice of God so we can walk with Him in this new realm. I encourage you to take this before the Lord and ask Him what it looks like in your own life.

Signs of Spirit-Life

"By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." John 13:35

The Israelites have crossed the Jordan - an illustration of entering the Spirit-filled life. But how do we know that we are filled with the Spirit? Is the manifestation of spiritual gifts the sign? Joshua chapter 4 gives us a beautiful picture of the true signs of Spirit-filled life.

Spiritual gifts are just that...wonderful, supernatural GIFTS from God. They are never more important than the Giver. Our focus should be on Jesus. The Holy Spirit will distribute gifts in the body as He sees fit. The purpose is to glorify God, not us. 1 Corinthians 12:4, 7, 11 says, "There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. All these are the work of the same Spirit, and He gives them to each one, just as He determines." God must be the focus of my worship, but I do love to talk about spiritual gifts and see how He has uniquely gifted believers. We are instructed to "follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts..." (1 Corinthians 14:a).

Joshua 4:4-7 says, "So Joshua called together the twelve men he had appointed from the Israelites , one from each tribe, and said to them, "Go over before the ark of the LORD your God into the middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, 'What do these stones mean?' tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever."

Joshua instructed the men to make a memorial that would serve as a reminder of God's greatness for generations to come. The Israelite fathers (and mothers) would be able to point to those stones and tell their children how God miraculously parted the waters. So too, we need to mark God's work in our lives and teach our children about His ways. It's particularly effective when fathers take the lead. In verses 8-10, Joshua also set up twelve stones in the midst of the Jordan where the priests had stood. Jon Courson points out, "There were two monuments. One was visible. One was out of sight. And that's the way it is with any work of the Spirit. The outward manifestations are only as valid as the inward, hidden work in one's heart."

The visible monument consisted of twelve stones stacked together, representing the twelve tribes fit together in unity. This was the sign that the Israelites had crossed over the Jordan into the Promised Land. 1 Peter 2:5 says, "...you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." Jon Courson offers this insight, "Peter says that, as believers we are living stones fit together in unity. When you come to church not out of obligation but because you want to be linked together with fellow blockheads and stones, your love for them is a sure sign of your being touched deeply by the Spirit. "All men shall know you are My disciples," said Jesus. "By your speaking in tongues? No. By your gift of healing? No. They'll know you are My disciples by your love (John 13:35). Courson also points out that in 1 Corinthians 12 & 14, Paul discusses spiritual gifts and their manifestations. But sandwiched between them is chapter 13 which deals entirely with love because "love is the defining characteristic of one who has had an encounter with the Spirit."

The key to knowing we are filled with the Spirit cannot be limited to the expression of gifts. The fruit of the Spirit is love which shows itself in joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). Spirit-filled people have a supernatural love for God and people. The monument, or proof of life in the Spirit, is the unity of the body. All gifts are secondary to love.

Love is not something we can do by trying harder. It is a supernatural work of the Spirit. We often keep trying to love, but fail to ask God. Luke 11:13 says God will give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him! The cry of Jesus' heart in John 17 was that His disciples would be one. In verse 24 He says "May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me."

This is a good reality check for me. So often our focus can turn to the gifts or certain manifestations of the Spirit. But 1 Corinthians 13 says that without love, I am useless. It is harder to love, with true agape, sacrificial love, than it is to seek spiritual gifts. But love is the greatest sign of the Spirit in our lives.

Thought Question: Is there a situation in your life where you're finding it difficult to show agape love? Ask God to fill you with His Spirit and allow His love to flow through you.

Crossing Jordan

"For we walk by faith, not by sight."
2 Corinthians 5:7

This is it! In Joshua 3:6, the Israelites are finally ready to cross the Jordan into the Promised Land. They have learned the lessons of the wilderness. They are prepared and purified. Not satisfied to wander any longer, they are ready to follow God into new territory. Are you ready to let God take you where you've never been before? Are you ready to trust and follow Him fully? For He is "able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us." Ephesians 3:20

It is worth noting that Jesus Himself was baptized in the Jordan River. Matthew 3:16 says, "When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." When Jesus entered public ministry, He first submitted to the act of water baptism. At that same time, God demonstrated His anointing by sending the Holy Spirit upon Jesus. The name "Jordan" means "descending one". In the Jordan, the Spirit descended on Jesus and empowered Him for ministry. This is the same Spirit that lives in us! God told Joshua in 3:7 that "this day I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel so that they may know that as I was with Moses, so I will be with you." Joshua is a picture of Jesus, anointed by God to lead the people into the Promised Land.

Joshua then spoke to the priests and told them to carry the ark of the covenant and go before the people. When they came to the edge of the Jordan, they were to "stand still" in it. In those days the Jordan river was typically 100 feet wide, but fall floods could cause it to be one mile wide and overflowing its banks. Crossing this river in the fall would be no easy task! But Joshua told the people that the crossing of the ark signified that God was with them and would drive out the "ites"of the land (Joshua 3:10). He wanted them to be courageous and have FAITH in their awesome God.

The priests and representatives of the tribes were instructed to put their feet in the river and then the water would divide (Joshua 3:12-13). Jon Courson points out that "forty years previously when the children of Israel crossed the Red Sea, the water parted before they stepped in. But not this time. When it comes to issues of the Spirit, we're to step in by faith. But what if hands are laid upon me and I seek the Lord's power aggressively, yet nothing happens? I'll feel like a big drip, " we say. So we stay on the bank where it's safe and dry - real dry, dusty dry, wilderness dry. Why doesn't God part the water first? I'm convinced it's because the language of eternity is faith. God uses every opportunity to teach us to see and hear with the eyes and ears of faith. "Step out. Step in. Step up in faith," He says. "And watch and see what I'll do."

So the priests stepped in and "...the waters which came down from upstream stood still, and rose in a heap very far away at Adam, the city that is beside Zaretan. So the waters that went down into the Sea of Arabah, the Salt Sea, failed, and were cut off; and the people crossed over opposite Jericho." Joshua 3:15b-16. For the waters to part at the exact time and point where the Israelites were crossing, God stopped the flow 19 miles upstream! Joshua and the people obviously couldn't see that far. God was working beyond their sight. In fact, He had already been working before their feet touched the water, they just couldn't see it until they stepped in. This is what it means to "walk by faith" - listening to God and stepping out in confidence that He is already at work. When the priests stepped in they "stood firm" until all three million people had crossed over. They stood until the work was completed, on behalf of themselves and the rest of the people.

Jon Courson shares the story of D.L. Moody...
"Evangelist D.L. Moody locked himself in a hotel room in New York City for three and a half days, saying, "I'm not coming out until I know the power of the Spirit has come upon me." On the fourth day, God overwhelmed and overpowered Him to such a degree that he knew without a doubt that he was empowered to do the work God had called him to do."

As he reads the book of Joshua, Courson says, "Lord, I don't want to miss out on anything You have ordained for me." Has there been a moment, a time when you stepped in and stood firm until you knew the Holy Spirit had come upon you? If you're not sure, don't miss chapter 4."

Final Preparations

In Joshua chapter 3, we find the Israelites poised on the edge of the Jordan, ready to cross. How exciting it must have been to finally reach that point after years of wandering in the wilderness and three days of preparation on the banks of the river. That day, Joshua had two final commands for them.

First, "When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests, the Levites, bearing it, then you shall set out from your place and go after it." Joshua 3:3b

The ark signified the presence of God. When they saw the ark begin to move, they were to go after it. Likewise, when our God is on the move, we need to be quick to follow. Question: are we ready to "set out from our place" - our comfort zone - to follow Him? Or do we find it easier to just stay put? Can we sense when He's on the move or are we too caught up in our own lives to pay attention? God won't force or coerce us to make the right choices (something I'm learning about as a parent). He will communicate His desire and set off in that direction hoping we will follow. It's up to us to listen and obey. I don't know about you, but I don't want to get too far behind the presence of God.

After the Israelites were commanded to follow, Joshua issues a strange instruction. "Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure. Do not come near it, that you may know the way by which you must go, for you have not passed this way before." Joshua 3:4

The Israelites were to follow the ark at a distance of approximately 1/2 mile. Jon Courson notes, "It's as if God was saying, "Follow Me, but don't push Me." In past studies, we've been looking at the biblical foundation for being filled with the Spirit. It's not about seeking an experience or getting caught up in emotion. It's about receiving His power for witnessing and living the true Christian life. There are many examples of Spirit-filled believers in Scripture and in our lives today. While it is good to learn from example, it doesn't mean God is going to do exactly the same thing in our lives. He is far more creative than that. Courson puts it well, "People say, "I'm going to have the same experience that he or she or they had." God however, wants to take us where we've never been before. Therefore, it's the wise man or woman who says, "Lord, I want Your anointing. And I'm going to give You space to work it out any way You choose."

The second command Joshua gives the people is to "Sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you." Joshua 3:5

The word "sanctify" in Hebrew means to "set-apart" or "to prepare" for holy use. The people were to purify themselves so they would be prepared to enter the new land. Courson says, "The same thing is true spiritually. A lot of people are trying to be filled with the Spirit when in reality they need to be emptied of sin. They need to say, "Search my heart, Lord. Show me the things that are restricting the flow of Your Spirit." How true this is. We need to keep short accounts with God and ask these questions on a daily basis. The "restrictions" may not even be sinful things, but anything that takes priority over God is an idol. When we pray like this, He is faithful to show us what is getting in the way and restore the flow of intimacy with Him.

Let's not forget that the people were to sanctify themselves in expectation of the "wonders" the Lord would do among them. Purification doesn't have to be a drag. It is exciting to realize what God can do in us and through us when the Spirit is flowing freely. It's worth the effort to let God deal with our "selves". He has amazing things in store.

Questions: Ask the Lord if you are ready to move into fullness of life in His Spirit or if there is anything that still needs to be worked out in your heart. If there is sin, confess it and receive his forgiveness. Ask Him how HE sees you and receive His power to follow while giving Him space to lead.

You Shall Be Witnesses

"But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." Acts 1:8

In Joshua Chapter 2, before leading the Israelites into the Promised Land, Joshua sent two men to spy out the land. They thought their job was to spy, but really it was to witness. Upon entering Jericho, they hid in the house of a harlot named Rahab - an unlikely sanctuary. But Rahab's heart was ready for God. She told them that the inhabitants of the land were "fainthearted" after hearing about the victories of the Israelites thus far. She confessed her belief and begged for her household to be saved. So they agreed to spare her family if she would let down a scarlet cord from her window as a sign. Since harlots usually painted their windowsills red, the cord would have formed a cross. What a beautiful picture of witnessing and salvation. Rahab is honored in James 2 and Hebrews 11 as an example of faith. Not only that - she is in the lineage of Jesus. God works in such unexpected ways.

The first act of Israelites in the Promised Land was not one of war, but of witnessing. Yes, they would have to fight and conquer sin in the land, but God was revealing His heart for the people there. He knew who was open and ready to receive His truth. It wasn't by chance that the spies came to Rahab's house. It was God's design. So too, we have to understand that the primary purpose of the Holy Spirit's power in our lives is for witnessing. We will be blessed with greater joy and intimacy with God, but there is a bigger picture.

Jon Courson says it well..."The power of the Holy Spirit is like electricity. It won't enter something from which it can't exit. We want the power of the Holy Spirit. The question is, will there be a place for it to go? When we witness, the power of the Spirit surges through us. There is unbelievable joy in sharing the gospel. A lot of believers go from meeting to meeting looking for some "Holy Ghost high" because they're not witnessing. They go to this convention and that seminar - and the high lasts for a week or two. But after that, they're back in the wilderness because the Holy Ghost was given for the sole purpose of empowering us to share with the Rahabs around us the Good News of the gospel. When we say, "Lord, I'm tired of wandering in the wilderness," He baptizes us in the Jordan and empowers us to be His witnesses. When we say, "I want to share the plan of salvation with my secretary. Empower me," or "I want to talk to my buddy about You, Lord. Make me bold," we'll be empowered in ways we could never have imagined. How long has it been since you've shared the gospel, the plan of salvation, the scarlet cord with someone who's not a believer? By faith, receive the power to be a witness. Awaiting you is a land of milk and honey, fruit and abundance. And you get there by going in as a witness. It's time to cross over the Jordan into the Promised Land of the Spirit-filled life. Come join us on our journey."

Personally, I am very challenged by this lesson. Witnessing has never been my strong suit. But it's not about my strength; that's why I need the power of God's Spirit upon me. God's heart is not to condemn us for our failures, but to convict, empower and release us for His name's sake. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed trying to figure out how to witness to people. But if I'm waiting on the Lord and walking with Him throughout the day, it won't be something I have to figure out. I just need to be prayerful and responsive to the opportunities He provides.

I'm reminded of a song lyric which says something to the effect of "I could live for God's kingdom if I weren't wrapped up in mine." That seems to fit here. When I'm wrapped up in "my kingdom" - my desires, agendas, problems, etc., I'm not receiving God's power and aware of what He's doing around me. Lord, purify my heart and give me a single-minded focus on Your kingdom.

Waiting and Wrestling

"Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord." Ephesians 5:17-19 (emphasis mine)

Joshua 1:10-15 describes Joshua's command to the people to prepare themselves for three days before crossing the Jordan. In the Promised Land/Spirit-Filled Life illustration, crossing the Jordan symbolizes a second baptism (after the Red Sea). Jon Courson says he wrestled for three years with the question of whether baptism in the Holy Spirit was theologically correct and whether all the gifts of the Spirit are for today. But that time of questioning prepared him to encounter God in a fresh way that transformed his life and ministry.

I believe that God welcomes our "wrestling" if we are seeking His truth. He is not bothered or threatened by our questions. It means we are pursuing Him; not content to settle for other people's opinions or surface-level answers. I have spent a fair amount of time wrestling with the topic of Spirit-baptism and will share some of my present conclusions as they pertain to this study. I don't expect everyone to agree - it is a complex subject. But I hope we can all agree that as Christians, God's Spirit lives in us and wants to take us to deeper levels of intimacy and victory in Him. The question is...how deep do we want to go?

I take a broader view of the term "baptism of the Spirit" than some. Let me explain. Acts 1:4-5 says, "And being assembled with them, He (Jesus) commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, "which you have heard from Me; for John (the Baptist) truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now." When the Holy Spirit was poured out at Pentecost, Peter confirmed that it was the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy; the sign of the eschatological (end times) age ushered in by the Messiah. In other words, Jesus's mission on earth was fulfilled when the Holy Spirit began to indwell believers. It was a turning point in history, opening up new vistas of relationship with our Holy God. "Baptism of the Spirit" applies more in a corporate sense to the filling and empowering of the new body of Christ.

Now I know some of the questions that will arise around individual salvation and baptism of the Spirit. Three things are clear to me from Scripture. One is that believers can have subsequent fillings of the Spirit (see Acts 4:23-31). Second, that Acts covers a transitional time in the life of the church and shows different examples of how people encountered the Spirit, whether at the time of conversion or afterwards. Third, as New Testament Christians we are called to "be filled with the Spirit" (Ephesians 5:18b) and "walk in the Spirit" (Galatians 5:16a). In a pneumatology class, I learned that the phrase "be filled" in Ephesians 5:18 indicates a continual filling we are to seek which is not limited to a single experience. Thus, I prefer to use the word "filled" when talking about our life in the Spirit.

On one side of the Jordan, we have the wilderness - a place of wandering and self-reliance. On the other side we have the Promised Land - a place of purpose, empowerment and abundant, Spirit-filled LIFE. Every day, we choose which side to live on. Sometimes we may get stuck in the wilderness and need a fresh and powerful anointing, baptism, filling, dunking...whatever you want to call it...to get moving again. Some "fillings" or encounters with the Spirit may be so powerful that they become turning points in our lives. This would be analogous to crossing the Jordan. It doesn't mean we've arrived, but we are crossing over into a new way of life.

It's interesting that the tribes of Reuben, Gad and half the tribe of Manassah chose to stay on the east side of the Jordan because it seemed good for their families and livestock (Numbers 32 and Joshua 1:12-14). The Lord wouldn't force them to cross the Jordan, but they weren't allowed to hold back the rest of the congregation. Later, they were the ones who were paganized. That side looked safe, but it wasn't. The Wycliffe Bible Dictionary states that "to this day there remains a distinct spiritual separation between the peoples on the east vs. west of the Jordan." This is a word of caution for us, to be sure. Taking the safe or easy road often leaves us vulnerable to attack.

In Joshua 1:16-18, the people answer Joshua, saying they will follow his lead as God is with him. And they reaffirm that he is to "be strong and of good courage". Our "Joshua" - Jesus - is more than able to lead us into the Promised Land of life in His Spirit. We can follow Him fully.

Questions: Are you wrestling with the idea of being filled with the Spirit? What does that look like to you? Do you have any pre-conceptions that aren't consistent with Scripture? Bring your thoughts and questions before the Lord and ask Him to show you His truth.

In Spirit and Truth - II

"As a man thinks in his heart, so is he." Proverbs 23:7a

Let's review God's exhortations to Joshua before the Israelites cross the Jordan into the Promised Land: "This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in 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 wil have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:8-9

I would like to explore the command to "meditate" a bit more. Last week, we looked at the first definition of meditate - "to mutter". The second Hebrew word for meditation literally means "to chew the cud". That means that we take what we hear and "chew on it" in our minds and hearts until we extract every ounce of nutrition from it. Speaking it verbally helps in this process. Jon Courson states, "For example, Joshua 1:7 says, "Be strong and very courageous." Therefore, if I want to have good success, if I want to prosper, I am to go through my day muttering, "Lord, you want me to be strong. You want me to have courage. Thank you for the strength and courage You give." Biblical meditation is simply taking a phrase, a verse, or a small portion of Scripture and muttering it over and over. Meditation is different from reading the Bible. Reading produces information. Meditation produces transformation."

What a difference it would make in my attitude and actions if I meditated on this one verse throughout the day. In Joshua's case, he needed to grasp the reality of God's presence with him as he led three million people into a new and challenging land. God commands Joshua to meditate because that is the key to moving in the Spirit and staying in the Spirit. Courson says, "If we don't understand this, though we might have an experience in Holy Spirit, it will soon dissipate."

David says it this way in Psalm 1:1a, 2-3...
"Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly...but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper."

Anyone can make an occasional splash, but those who are "planted" by the river will continually draw strength and nourishment and bear fruit. We will not wither when hard times come. Meditation is key to abiding in the Spirit. It causes our roots to go deep in God so we will not be shaken by the challenges of life. We will experience the truth of Romans 8:37, "Yet in all these things we are more than conquerers through Him who loved us."

Exercise: Choose one verse or passage to meditate on this week. Practice "chewing on it" and "muttering it" to yourself and others. At the end of the week, write down how God worked and what He showed you in the process.