Meditating on God's Law

Repeatedly, the Bible commands us to meditate on God's commandments. For example, Joshua 1:8 (NLT),

Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.

And Psalm 1:1-2 (NLT),

Oh, the joys of those who do not
    follow the advice of the wicked,
    or stand around with sinners,
    or join in with mockers.
But they delight in the law of the Lord,
    meditating on it day and night.

And Proverbs 2:1-2 (NLT),

My child, listen to what I say,
    and treasure my commands.
Tune your ears to wisdom,
    and concentrate on understanding.

These passages command us to not only obey God, but also to actively reflect upon his commandments. And prayer is a perfect time for such reflection!

A Prayer from Psalm 73

This morning, I turned to Psalm 73, and was struck by the following verses (Psalm 73:23-26, NIV),

I am always with you;
    you hold me by my right hand.
You guide me with your counsel,
    and afterward you will take me into glory.
Whom have I in heaven but you?
    And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
    but God is the strength of my heart
    and my portion forever.

What a simple prayer of humility before God! As we begin the week, let this simple prayer remind us to keep God on our minds, hearts, and souls.

All Credit to God

Chapter 41 of Genesis tells the famous account of Pharaoh's dreams. To sum, Pharaoh has a series of difficult-to-interpret dreams, and he seeks someone to decipher their meaning. One of Pharaoh's assistants informs him that a Hebrew man by the name of Joseph, imprisoned for the past several years, has the ability to interpret dreams. Pharaoh immediately calls for Joseph.

Now realize, Joseph has spent several years in prison! Probably a horrible prison, at that! It would be natural, even expected, for Joseph to arrive in a very bad mood. Instead, (Genesis 41:15,16, NLT),

Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I had a dream last night, and no one here can tell me what it means. But I have heard that when you hear about a dream you can interpret it.”

“It is beyond my power to do this,” Joseph replied. “But God can tell you what it means and set you at ease.”

First, Joseph doesn't take credit for his skill -- he attributes it to God. Second, and perhaps more amazing, Joseph evidently hold no ill will toward Pharaoh or God!

We should strive to emulate Joseph's example. Whatever life's circumstances, the lesson is that we must keep God first.

Determining What is Important

Psalm 62:9 (NLT) contains a somewhat sullen thought,

Common people are as worthless as a puff of wind,
    and the powerful are not what they appear to be.
If you weigh them on the scales,
    together they are lighter than a breath of air.

How much time do we spend trying to gain earthly prosperity and/or human respect? Whether we succeed in those pursuits or not, Psalm 62:9 says that they don't matter. So what does matter?

Chapter 10 of Luke finds Jesus visiting Mary and Martha. While Martha is busy preparing dinner, Mary is not helping. Rather, she sits and listens to Jesus. When Martha complains about this to Jesus, he responds (Luke 10:41-42, NLT),

My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.

That's the answer! The most important thing in life -- indeed the only important thing in life -- is to listen to God and follow his words.

Reacting to God's Discipline

Like any loving parent, God disciplines us when we sin. In response, we must (1) recognize the discipline and (2) be grateful for the discipline. As written in Psalm 119; 67,71 (NIV),

Before I was afflicted I went astray,
    but now I obey your word.
It was good for me to be afflicted
    so that I might learn your decrees.

Being thankful for discipline is a lot easier said than done, but that's what God expects from us. Let's consider David's affair with Bathsheba and attempted coverup. As discipline, God informed David that David's son would die. David immediately began fasting and pleading with God to change his mind. It didn't work, and David's son soon died.

Now, how did David react? Cain, when presented with a similar situation, pouted and became angry with God. Saul, when presented with a similar situation, pouted and became angry with God. But for David's response (2 Samuel 12:20, NIV),

Then David got up from the ground. After he had washed, put on lotions and changed his clothes, he went into the house of the Lord and worshiped.

He worshiped God! David is widely celebrated not because he was perfect. (He was far from it!) Rather, he's celebrated because he operated on a level of spiritual understand far above the rest of us.

So, as difficult as it seems, in our own lives, let us not only recognize God's discipline, but also thank him for it. Its purpose is to bring us closer to him.

Choosing the Right Path

We often face forks in the road that require moral decisions. When we reach such a fork, one path complies with God's will, and the other path does not. Sometimes the difference between right and wrong is obvious, and we still choose wrongly. Other times, the right choice does not become obvious until later, after we've already chosen wrongly.

Either way, the right path is the one that serves God. When (not if!) we choose the wrong path, we must confess to God and ask for forgiveness.

When Joshua assembled the Israelites, we issued the following statement (Joshua, 24:14, NIV),

But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.

I love the last sentence of that verse. Joshua made clear which path he sought to choose! Likewise, let us strive to choose the right path, the one that serves God.

The Penitential Psalms

James 4:10 (ESV) reads,

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

Clearly God appreciates a humble, contrite heart. But true humility can be difficult! Fortunately, the Bible gives us wonderful examples of humility and contrition in what are known as the "Penitential Psalms." Those psalms are numbers 6, 32, 38, 51, 102, 130, and 143.

The most famous of these is Psalm 51, David's confession of his sin with Bathsheba.

The attitudes put forth in these psalms are emblematic of how we should approach God. After all, as James puts it (3:2, ESV),

We all stumble in many ways. 

So today, consult one of these psalms, and then reflect upon it during prayer.

God's Will, Stated Simply

The Bible is a dense book. A person can spend a lifetime reading and studying it, and still not fully grasp its breadth. But the Bible is also a book that seems to explain itself. Notably, the Bible contains many passages that concisely summarize what God wants from us. For example, Deuteronomy 10:12-13 (ESV) reads,

...what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments and statutes of the Lord, which I am commanding you today for your good?

Similarly, Ecclesiastes 12:13 (ESV) reads,

Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.

As I explore the Bible, I like to return to passages such as these, because their message is clear. We must love and obey God. Let us keep that message at the forefront of our minds as we pray.