I love the Psalms, I have always loved the Psalms. If I'm ever sick (like deathly sick) and you want to help me, read me the Psalms. Having said that, I am strangely struggling with the reading. I don't know if I was so into the Chronology of the 'story' and the Psalms interupted them or what. Or maybe my focus is too pulled into the projects I have going. Like I have said before, putting God first is a LOT of work. Especially these days when there are so many things to pull you in so many directions.
The word of God is medicine to our souls. But just like medicine for our body, it has to be taken in. And that requires effort on our part. I just had to take some immodium (not to give TMI- but you will get the idea of what will happen if I didn't take it). Ice cream does not like me as much as I like it for some reason. Anyway, the way the package those darn things. I had to REALLY work at getting that medicine out!! But I kept working at it because I knew what would happen to me (and my nights sleep if I didn't). If we could only see or feel what is happening to our spirits when do not nourish it with God's word, we would work at it more until we got our medicine in!
We need to take it in and meditate on it. We are not well practiced in the area of meditating on God's word. It's simple really, turn it over and over in your mind. Think on it from a variety of angles and think how you can apply it to your life. I guess you could say that MEDITATION is our MEDICATION. Do have time? Give up your other form of meditation: worry. What is worry? Turning a situation over and over in your mind. Meditate on God's goodness and His word instead. To be spiritually fit, we need our medication. I have confessed to you that I've been struggling, but I cannot, I will not give up!!! And don't you either!
14 years ago
2 comments:
I am having a lot of trouble with the Psalms, too. There are several that I love, but to read so many in one big burst is hard for me. I know it is God's word and therefore very good for me and I need to try harder, but it feels like reading long sessions of poetry which is not my thing. (Secular poetry, that is)
re: meditating on the word.
In the last several months God's been teaching me to pray Scripture more personally. For example when praying for my children, I pray Acts 2:7 "Lord, I believe these are the last days. I ask you to pour out your spirit on my children, that my sons and daughters will prophesy, will speak your word. I ask that they will catch a vision of who you are, the awesome God, great and mighty, holy and just, and may this vision motivate them to serve you." When praying for myself, I will pray Isaiah, "Lord, I don't have peace, but I want it. You have said you give perfect peace to the one who fixes his mind on you. Help me right now to fix my mind on you; I choose to think of you and your goodness. As I make this choice, fill me with your perfect peace. Give me grace to continue to fix my mind on you continually."
This has made such a difference in my life and helped Scripture become more "real" in my heart. Maybe it can help someone else too. (Sorry this is so long.)
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