A beautiful relationship with God is based on the Word. Six key statements appear multiple times in the Scripture as advice from God that is imperative to our daily walk with Him.
- Meditate Day and Night
- Get Understanding
- Think on These Things
- Give Thanks
- Forgive
- Believe
“Meditate Day and Night”
God advises us to meditate on His Word day and night. The first place is in Joshua 1:8, when Joshua received instructions from God as he took Moses’ place as Israel’s leader. The Lord told Joshua to meditate on the Book of the Law (God’s Word) day and night, resulting in prosperous ways and good success. The second mention is in Psalms and David gives us a picture of the promised success. Psalms 1:1-2 speaks about a blessed person who meditates in the law of the Lord day and night. The following verse describes what God had in mind when He said “good success.” (Is there possibly a bad success? Something to think about…)
Psalm 1:3 NLT
They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.
God desires that we be strong in the faith, rooted deeply in Him, and bearing the fruit of the Spirit bringing glory to Him.
“Get Understanding”
Hosea 4:1 NLT
Hear the word of the LORD, O people of Israel! The LORD has brought charges against you, saying: “There is no faithfulness, no kindness, no knowledge of God in your land.
The Hebrew word for “know” meaning knowledge, insight, and understanding is mentioned 950 times in the Bible (“Know, Knowledge – Baker’s Dictionary”). God calls us to be people who understand and know the things of God. In fact, it is a requirement for us to know the Word of God so we can experience His victory. In Hosea 4:1-6, God reprimands the children of Israel for their lack of knowledge. He said, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge”. We are not destroyed by sin, but by what we do not know. God advises us to “get wisdom, and whatever we get, get understanding” (Prov. 4:7 ESV). He knows that as we understand He has made us “more than conquerors (Rom. 8:37)”, we can live in righteousness and bring glory to Him.
“Think on These Things”
My pastor has said, “Most of the battles we fight daily, take place between our ears.” We should be aware that our minds are a powerhouse, for good or for evil. God advises us to “cast down imaginations” (2 Cor. 10:5), “set our minds on the things of the Spirit” (Rom. 8:5-6), and to “renew our minds” (Rom. 12:2). Philippians 4:8 gives a detailed explanation about a healthy mind. The Word teaches that only what is true, honest, righteous, pure, lovely, or excellent should be accepted —anything else should be cast out. We should examine each lingering thought against the criteria. Is it true? Ok, but is it lovely? For instance. gossip may hold truth, but it doesn’t check the other boxes so it gets thrown out. Our thought life is key to our spiritual health, so examining every thought daily is crucial to bringing glory to Him.
Psalm 19:14 ESV
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.
“Give Thanks”
One of the easiest ways to lift your spirits when you are down is to praise God. Praise is one of the few things not exclusive to believers —everything created praises God. We can praise by giving thanks to God for who He is and what He has done. Imagine a life without God, Who is there at any hour and day and surpasses our imagination with His ability. God advises us to “give thanks to God” in several passages, many found in Psalms. Romans 1 is an example of the demise of those who do not honor or praise Him. There’s a blessing added to the life of a thankful person and it’s a way we give glory to Him.
Psalm 106:1 NLT
Praise the LORD! Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.
“Forgive”
Colossians 3:13 ESV
bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.
When God asks us to forgive, He reminds us we are forgiven first. It’s important to remember the hurt and offense we may have caused someone else (namely Jesus) when it’s time to forgive another. The Bible repeats this many times: “forgiving…as Christ forgave” (Eph. 4:32), “forgive…that your Father in heaven forgive you” (Mark 11:25), and “forgive, and you will be forgiven” (Luke 6:37). He did not specify a level of hurt excused from forgiveness, He simply says forgive. Though we may not look at ourselves as in great need of forgiveness, we could not live without it. Imagine if God began to limit His forgiveness towards us —we would run out before the year is up! Since He forgives freely, He asks of us the same. The good news is: if He requires it, He will provide it. A great example is Stephen, the first Christian martyr. Before he died, he asked the Lord to forgive the men stoning him to death. We should look at him as our inspiration so that we can also forgive others of anything and bring glory to God as he did.
“Believe”
Before we were called Christians, we were called believers. Every single truth, doctrine, teaching, miracle, victory, etc. requires one main ingredient: faith. All of what we do should be based in faith. Faith is the essence of every Christian: “The righteous shall live by faith” (Rom. 1:17). Faith is a deeper concept than it appears. Human nature is all about works: “What must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:30) The Bible repeats the same answer, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved”. Any act not based on faith does not count toward your salvation. Here’s another statement: nothing that we do saves us. Jesus Christ alone saves us. Salvation results in good deeds and bearing the fruit of the Spirit. Only Jesus saves us and we do not —at any time—merit (or earn) our salvation. We contribute nothing but obedience in faith: we believe what Jesus did and obey accordingly. Jesus is the only reason we are righteous in God’s sight. Our hands never touch God’s great salvation. I realize I have opened a topic large enough for a second post, so I will stop here. God advises us to believe purposely; each day there is something for us to believe so our lives can bring glory to God.
Romans 4:23-24 NLT
And when God counted him as righteous, it wasn’t just for Abraham’s benefit. It was recorded for our benefit, too, assuring us that God will also count us as righteous if we believe in him, the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.
Conclusion
In conclusion, God left us His invaluable Word. In it, He gives us crucial advice and examples to teach and guide us. He is the Author and the Finisher of His perfect work. He leaves nothing, in our hands, to chance. Rather, “faithful is He who called you, who also will do it” (1 Thess. 5:24). Notice how I ended each paragraph with “bring glory to God.” I want to remind us that this is our true calling. In everything we do, we should bring glory to God. Amen.
1 Peter 4:11b ESV
… —in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
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