The Word For Today

Meditation is the most effective way to assimilate God's word. David describes the 'blessed' man this way: 'His delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law he meditates day and night' (Psalm 1:2 NKJV). And whatever you meditate on and memorise, the Holy Spirit will help you recall when you need it. 'He will...bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you' (John 14:26 NKJV).

As one of the highest-ranking American captives in Vietnam, Jeremiah Denton was subjected to gruelling torture. But he survived, and returned home to become one of Alabama's United States senators. How did he do it? He says that one of his basic survival skills was quoting passages of Scripture he had memorised. Internalised Scriptures were his unseen sword to fend off the cruellest weapons of the enemy. By inwardly focusing on the power of God to sustain and strengthen him, he was able to rise above his circumstances. Scriptures he had memorised and meditated on years ago became his prayers of deliverance. When you meditate upon God and his word, recalling his many promises and acts of faithfulness, your faith grows and your fears dissolve (see Romans 10:17). David understood this well. Many times, in his attempts to escape the wrath of King Saul, he recalled the greatness of God and found himself strengthened: 'I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways' (Psalm 119:15 NIV); 'I will bless the Lord who has given me counsel; my heart also instructs me in the night seasons' (Psalm 16:7 NKJV).

Do yourself a big favour: begin to meditate on God's word and memorise it.

When you study the lives of those who were greatly used by God in the Bible, you see that they were not spared from hurt, disappointment or even betrayal. The truth is, if you live long enough, you'll be wronged by someone. The question is, how will you react? The apostle Paul tells us how we should react: 'Make allowance for each other's faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others' (Colossians 3:13 NLT).

The story is told of two friends who were walking through the desert when they got into an argument. One friend slapped the other in the face. The one who got slapped was hurt. But without saying anything, he wrote in the sand, 'Today my best friend slapped me in the face.' They kept walking until they found an oasis. Since they were thirsty, they stopped for water. The one who had been slapped got stuck in the mire, fell in, and started to drown. His friend then reached out and saved him. That night, the saved man etched this in a stone: 'Today my best friend saved my life.' The friend who had slapped and then saved him asked, 'After I hurt you, you wrote in sand. And now you write on a stone. Why?' He replied: 'When someone hurts us, we should write it in sand, where the winds of forgiveness can blow and erase it. But when someone does something good for us, we should engrave it in stone where it will be long remembered.'

Mercy forgets wrongs and remembers rights!

'I have set the Lord always before me'. Say these words aloud several times and let them roll around in your mind. Imagine how this might actually be experienced in your life.

What would it be like to wake up with God on your mind? What would it feel like at night if you were aware of him as you fell asleep? What would your conversations be like with other people if God were the unseen third party present? What would work or school be like if you were continually aware of God and were communicating with him as you sat in your office or at your desk, asking for his help and guidance, not carrying the burden by yourself? After all, this is his promise to you: 'Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall' (Psalm 55:22 NLT).

'I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand I shall not be moved' (Psalm 16:8 NKJV). Reflect on the idea that the Lord is at your 'right hand'. In Scripture, the right hand is considered the hand of power and the one that does the work. Now reflect on these words: 'I shall not be moved'. Picture yourself receiving bad news or facing opposition; picture someone important who doesn't like you. Picture your work going badly - but it doesn't move or shake you. Why? Because God has given you supernatural peace. Isn't this the life you want? Then pray, 'God, this is the life I choose; show me what I need to do so that it may be so.'

The story of the prodigal son illustrates the meaning of true repentance. It's about a young Jewish man who rebelled against all that he'd been taught, turned his back on his father, was lured by the bright lights of the big city, and ended up in a pigpen feeding swine.

But he did three things that turned his life around. First, he changed his mind. 'When he came to his senses, he said, "How many of my father's hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death"' (Luke 15:17 NIV)! Second, he redirected his will. 'I will...go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against Heaven and against you' (Luke 15:18 NIV). Third, he took action. 'So he got up and went to his father' (Luke 15:20 NIV). Repentance is a change of mind, which brings about a change of will, and results in a change of action. It led to the prodigal's forgiveness and restoration to his family.

Two things about sin you need to know: (1) God will uncover every sin you try to cover up. 'Judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts' (1 Corinthians 4:5 NKJV). (2) God will cover every sin you uncover. 'He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy' (Proverbs 28:13 NKJV). Go ahead - confess and forsake your sin, and God will cover it with the blood of Christ. Do it now.

Paul wrote: 'Submit to one another out of reverence to Christ' (Ephesians 5:21 NIV). Satan is the enemy of marriage. In order to defeat him, you must first know how to identify where, when and how he's at work. As long as you focus on fighting each other or blaming, your marriage will continue to slide into further misery with each failed request for intimacy, each unmet expectation and each day spent hopelessly wishing your spouse would change. Sure, you need to learn better communication and learn how to forgive, and sickness or money problems need to be dealt with. But when you see the conflicts as being sent from the same evil source, you can fight them so much more effectively.

Do these two things: (1) Focus first on yourself. You know you can't change anyone but yourself. And in many ways, you can't even do that. You need God's intervention in your own life right now (see 2 Corinthians 3:18). And you need to understand who God is calling you to be in your marriage. (2) Pray for and with your spouse (see Matthew 18:19). Prayer is indispensable in defeating the enemy of your marriage. Pray for direction in what God would have you to do. If your spouse is willing, pray together and aloud if possible.

Invite God to intervene in your marriage and to make it a demonstration of the work only he can do in two people's lives. The truth is that you can experience Christ's victory in your marriage.

You were created for love, but may have learned to fear! The neurological love pathway in your brain consciously evaluates toxic thoughts, and as you choose to hand the situation over to God, you do not submit to fear. And love is the stronger of the two pathways! 'Where God's love is, there is no fear, because God's perfect love drives out fear. It is punishment that makes a person fear, so love is not made perfect in the person who fears' (1 John 4:18 NCV).

As a redeemed child of God, love is your normal default mode. You're designed for love to dominate. Regardless of the way you have chosen to react in the past, painful, toxic thoughts can be reconstructed, even toxic feelings you've been nursing for so long and are so familiar with that you think they are normal. You can analyse them and rewire them because of your brain's neuroplasticity.

The apostle Paul said: 'Do not be conformed to this world [its values and thought patterns], but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.' Will this 'renewing' happen overnight? No. Science shows that you need to practise using something at least seven times before it becomes part of you. As you keep doing this, God's Spirit will work with you, and eventually you'll be able to use this amazing love circuit of the brain to balance your reason and emotions. When you do that, you'll take a giant leap in the direction of bringing all your thoughts, which produce your emotions, under control (see 2 Corinthians 10:5).