The Meditation of My Heart

In my devotions this morning, I noticed a phrase that is only used twice in the entire Bible- "Meditation of my heart".

Psalm 19:14- "Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer."

Psalm 49:3- "My mouth shall speak of wisdom; and the meditation of my heart shall be understanding."

This led me to dig a little deeper into the Word of Jehovah today.

The word Meditation is only used a grand total of SIX times in the Bible.

The two times listed above, plus- Psalm 5:1, 104:34, 119:97 and 119:99.

As I read over all of these verses today in their context, the Lord began to reveal to me a transition, or a growing if you will, of the person who is meditating.

Psalm 5:1- 
"Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my meditation."

In this verse, the Psalmist is focusing on Himself- "MY words", "MY meditation".  He is asking the Lord to consider him and listen to his pleas.

I know I've done this before. "Lord, please give me       .  I deserve it because I've done             ."

In Psalm 5, the Psalmist is praying a prayer for protection. He starts the prayer by saying "Hear me! Remember the good deeds I've done!".

Psalm 19:14-
"Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer."

Psalm 19 is about the Law of the Lord, here are some of the previous verses- 

v7- The Law of the LORD is perfect,

convicting the soul:

The Testimony of the LORD is sure,

making wise the simple.

v8- The Statutes of the LORD are right,

rejoicing the heart.

v9- The fear of the LORD is clear,

enduring forever:

The judgments of the LORD are true

and righteous altogether.

v10- More to be desired are they than gold,

yea, than fine gold:

Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.

v11- Moreover by them is thy servant warned:

and in keeping them there is 

Great REWARD."

There has been a change of attitude here.

He realizes his words matter less and less, and Jehovah's matters more and more.

This Psalm is followed by a prayer for victory. 

Psalm 20:1 says- "The LORD hear thee in the day of trouble, the name of the God of Jacob defend thee."

So, even though he is realizing that his opinion matters less, he is still trying to make his voice heard.

Psalm 49:3-

"My mouth shall speak of wisdom; and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding."

Instead of saying- "Hear me! Hear what I have to say!" (Psalm 5) or "Let me be acceptable" (Psalm 19), the Psalmist is now saying- 

"Lord, I have accepted You! I will speak of Your Wisdom, 

I will meditate on Your Understanding."

That is a powerful change of heart!

But I noticed something even more powerful. The next Psalm, Psalm 50 is titled in my bible as "God is the Judge", here's how it starts-

"The mighty God, even the LORD, hath spoken, and called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof. Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined. Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence:" (Psalm 50:1-3a)

So, not only is there becoming a change in how he is meditating and speaking, there is also a change of heart in how he's praying.  

He is no longer demanding, or asking, for the Lord to hear him. 

He is saying- 'God speaks and it is so.'

Psalm 104: 33-34- 

"I will sing unto the LORD as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. My meditation of Him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the LORD."

Here, he has gone yet a step further! He is no longer speaking, or asking to be heard. He is planning to sing to the LORD as long as he can!

He is now calling his meditation 'sweet'. He is glad whenever he thinks of Jehovah.

And further- Psalm 105:1-6 says- "O give thanks unto the LORD; call upon His name: make known His deeds among the people. Sing unto Him, sing psalms unto him: talk ye of all his wondrous works. Glory ye in His holy Name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD. Seek the LORD and His strength: seek His face forevermore. Remember His marvelous works that He hath done; His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth."

He is now sharing the good news with others. He is telling others the steps he himself has taken to gain a closer walk with the Lord.

Psalm 119:97-104-

v97- O how I love Thy law!

It is my meditation all the day.

v98- Thou through Thy commandments hast

made me wiser than mine enemies:

for they are ever with me.

v99- I have more understanding than all my teachers:

for Thy testimonies are my meditation.

v100- I understand more than the ancients,

because I keep Thy precepts.

v101- I have refrained my feet from every evil way,

that I might keep Thy word.

v102- I have not departed from Thy judgments:

for Thou hast taught me.

v103- How sweet are Thy words unto my taste!

Yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!

v104- Through Thy precepts I get understanding:

therefore I hate every false way.

There has now been a complete transformation.

He meditates on the Law and the Testimonies of Jehovah daily, and it has completely changed his life.

The Law is the Word of God, the Testimonies are the acts of God.

So, by meditating on what the Lord says He will do, and meditating on what the Lord has already done, - it creates in the heart-

• a love for the Law
• wisdom greater than your enemies have
• more understanding than your teachers
• more understanding than the ancients
• a desire to refrain from doing evil
• not departing from the judgments of the Lord
• a desire for the words of the Lord above honey ("good" things of this life)
• a hatred for the false ways of the world.

I think back to Psalm 19:11- "...and in keeping them (the Law of the Lord) there is GREAT REWARD."

The eight things above are just some of the rewards of following the Lord.

Oh, Heavenly Father! Help me to meditate on Your words and testimonies above all other things in my life!

Are you meditating on the Word of the Lord? Do you think on the testimonies of His faithfulness in your life and the lives of others? 

If you do, it could result in some heart-changing, mind-blowing, life-altering times with the Lord!  

But- 

What should we desire more than that?

Unlocking the Angel Within

Michael Angelo lingered before a rough block of marble so long that his companion remonstrated. In reply, Angelo said. "There's an angel in that block and I am going to liberate him." Oh, what unbounding love would manifest itself in us towards the most unlovable - the most vile - if only we saw what they might become and in our enthusiasm for souls, we cried out, "There's the image of Christ - marred, scarred, well-nigh obliterated - in that dear fellow and I'm going to make that man concious of it."

Quote by A. E. Richardson

As I read this quote the other day, I couldn't help but think about the children the Lord has called me to minister too.

I have been involved in children's ministry for quite sometime (going on 8 yrs now).  I love every minute of it! Just recently, the Lord has opened the door for many more opportunities to serve in this copacity.

It started with the unexpected trip to Texas (read the story of God's Provision here). While I was there, I made a commitment to step out on faith and do impossible things for God.  Little did I know how soon that would start happening!

I came home from the conference, and Wednesday night, a very rambunctious 5 year old came into church, and suddenly we had Children's church! Praise God for the Children's Institute training I have had over the years! :)

Two weeks later, my pastor asked me what I thought about having a Vacation Bible School. I said I liked the idea, then he said "Would you like to lead it?". "Of course!" was my reply.

Within two weeks of the conference and making the commitment to do the impossible, the Lord had opened the door for two different children's ministries! I was and am thrilled!

When I saw the above quote, I thought about the little 5 year old, and the other kids that I am ministering to on a weekly basis, and the kids I will get to minister to for a week at VBS and CI.  A lot of kids (like the 5 year old) are rambunctious and people think they're a little crazy, and teachers prescribe Ridlin, because they don't see the potential within the child.

The Lord showed me from the first night I had that very hyper child the potential there is in his life.  If he has someone show him the way to Christ, and help channel his energy into productivity, he can become an on-fire soul-winner for Christ, a magnificent preacher, or an energetic youth leader, etc. all he needs is someone to show him how!

And it's not just this child, it's every child out there, and even some adults who haven't found their niche yet. They need guidance. They need someone to show them the way to Christ and help them hone their skills to release the angel within the stone.

What a blessing and honor it is to be apart of shaping and molding children for the Glory of God!!

"Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:6

Tribute

Tomorrow is Father's Day, and this week I have been thinking about the men who have impacted my life.

My Pawpaw Ed.

Of the two of my grandfathers, my mom's dad has had the most personal impact on my life.  I was definitely a Pawpaw's girl growing up!  He taught me how to mow the lawn, how to fish and how to catch a fish (if you have ever gone fishing, you know these two things are completely different!).  He taught me other things as well, like how to make everyone you meet feel like they're your best friend, how to smile through the pain, how to love unconditionally, and how to have fun and cut a rug! (one of my fondest memories of my childhood is dancing in the living room with my Pawpaw!). 
By example, he showed me that Christ is to be your all.  
You know how each of us has little video clips tucked away in our minds? One of the little movies of my past that I bring out and play every now and then is of my Pawpaw. I walked passed his bedroom one night and he was kneeling by his bed with his Bible open, praying, communing with Jehovah.  I will always hold that memory dear to my heart!
My Pawpaw didn't except Christ as his Savior until after I was 2 months old, but from then on, he lived his life for Christ.  Nothing brought more joy to him than one of two things- 1. Being with the Family of God in church and 2. Being with his own family.
It will be 9 years this September since my Pawpaw went to be with the Lord, but the lessons he taught, both verbally and visually, will always be with me.

My Pawpaw Earl
I barely remember my Pawpaw Earl. He went to be with the Lord when I was only 4. But the values that he passed down to my father and uncles, have now been passed down to me. His memory remains alive in the little things.
Some of the values he passed down are-

1. Your word is your worth.  It's something that many people say they have been taught, but this wasn't just taught in our family, it was drilled in. You never gave your word you would do something and not follow through.

2. Always look your best. My grandfather was an MP in the Army in WWII. Shined shoes, straight gig-lines, and crisp creases on pants were not an option, they were a necessity!  Even though my sisters and I wear dresses and skirts, the rules are no less for us. Everything must be pressed properly for Sunday morning. You must always look your best because the first impression is made when someone sees you, not when they talk to you. 
 
3. Love God, Love your Family, Love your Country. No explanation necessary.


These are just a few of the things that have been passed down to me from my grandfathers, and my dad continues to live these things out on a daily basis for my sisters and I to see! I have truly been blessed by a wonderful heritage. I look forward to the day when I can pass these things down to my children, and continue passing along the wonderful legacy that has been handed to me!

Thanksgiving Day- so much to be thankful for!

I pray that everyone is having a marvelous Thanksgiving day!
I have had a wonderful day full of family, food, and fun!
The Word of God instructs us to Count our Blessings, and to name them one by one.

This month, the Lord provided that opportunity for me! A dear friend invited me to join an online forum of Christian young ladies who had taken up a challenge to follow Psalm 119:164- 

"Seven times a day do I praise thee because of thy righteous judgements". 

Everyday of the month of November, we were to write out seven different things that we were thankful for.  

At first it was a little difficult to find seven things, but then, as the month continued, it became HARDER to STOP at seven, than to FIND seven things to be thankful for!

For Thanksgiving several of us decided to list 50 things, and I tell you in all honesty, I didn't want to stop at 50! :) The Lord has been SO good to me this year! 

Here are the 50 things that I am thankful for this Thanksgiving Day!

1. That my family was able to get together today
2. The new faces that were around our table today (my uncle got married back in July, and my new aunt brings two new cousins to the family as well!)
3. The developing relationships with the new family members
4. The love of cooking that my Pawpaw Ed instilled in me while he was alive
5. The food to cook today
6. The joy in my heart as I was washing dishes last night and today (this is a testament to what the Lord has done in my heart this past year! Dishes are my least favorite thing to do in the kitchen, but I actually had a smile on my face, a genuine smile!)
7. The work that the Lord has done in my heart and life!
8. The new friends that Christ has brought into my life this year to encourage and strengthen me in my walk with Him
9. Old friendships renewed and strengthened this year
10. God's blessing of a large donation to our church's Christmas program to help needy children
11. Electricity! (Imagine having to cook all your Thanksgiving Dinner without an electric stove and oven!)
12. A very fun family photo shoot today after lunch!
13. Hearing my family praising God for the blessings in our life, it is such a sweet sound!
14. Encouraging blogs!
15. Ron Hamilton and the Patch the Pirate Ministry! I so enjoyed the stories and songs when I was little, and I still get a kick out of them!
16. Stephen and Alex Kendrick and their films!
17. A beautiful set of porcelain dishes for my hope chest! (8 place settings!)
18. A wonderful Thanksgiving service at church last night!
19. Backdrops and lights to use for my photography
20. LOVE! It was so nice to feel the love crammed into my grandma's house today as my family sat around laughing and enjoying time together!
21. Joy!
22. Peace! I have never experienced as much peace in my life as I have in the past 6 months! It is the greatest feeling in the world!
23. Patience- Thank the Lord He is working on me in this area! I couldn't do it without Him!
24. Gentleness
25. Goodness
26. Faith
27. Meekness
28. Self-control- Christ has been faithful to help me in this area!
29. My camera
30. Beautiful Sunshine this morning!
31. A very fun Thanksgiving Day parade
32. Cheesecake
33. Memories!
34. The Power of Prayer!
35. Inspirational quotes
36. Laughter!!!
37. Tears, for they cleanse the soul
Some of my favorite books of the Bible and scripture passages-
38. Psalm 100
39. Isaiah 41:10
40. 1 Corinthians 13
41. Hebrews 11
42. 1 Peter
43. Ruth- Both the book of the Bible and the lady as an inspiration
44. Esther- Same as Ruth! :)
45. Proverbs 31:10-31 and Titus 2:3-5
46. Ron Hamilton's song- Rejoice in the Lord (I have been singing it and playing it on the piano for the last few days!)
47. Ellerslie Ministries (the ministry founded by Eric and Leslie Ludy)
48. Joshua Harris and his books- I Kissed Dating Goodbye and Boy Meets Girl
49. Modest clothing
50. My new 'Gratitude Attitude'!
 

I thoroughly LOVED this challenge! It has really helped to change my whole outlook on life, and help me find something to be thankful for, whether it be good or bad! 

I challenge you to count your blessings this year, and continue counting all year long! :)

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!