A Christ-Follower Meditates Day and Night

A new year is here, and it is an excellent time to consider who we are and what we do. So many people begin their new year by reflecting on those missed opportunities and mistakes from last year. As Christ-followers, we should look forward to the year God has planned for us.

I would like for you to take a devotional journey with me this year. Psalm 1 begins by explaining how a person can be blessed. I can’t imagine that you would turn down God’s favor in your life. So let’s take this journey.

 

Follow godly advice (v.1)

Their counsel is generally wrong, and they are wrongly motivated. (v.1)
There is a considerable difference between the counsel of the wicked and the counsel of a Christ-follower.

A Christ-follower is one who gives advice from the perspective of someone who loves Jesus, knows His word, and follows His commands. This is the kind of counsel I want to follow. There are enough bad actors out there who give advice from the viewpoint of someone who chooses to follow their desires, thoughts, and misguided understanding of life.

Examine yourself (v.1)

It’s easy to point fingers at others. We look at them, find fault, accuse them, and then laugh at them. This is very discouraging and certainly not a picture of someone who follows Christ.

I’ll be honest, I’ve seen so many in churches condemning others publically for the same things they do in private. It is almost like Christ-followers intentionally put on a blindfold and do all to avoid the mirror that shows their own sins. Let’s face it; it is so much easier to point out the sins of others and accuse them than it is to deal with our sin. So how do we do that? How do we stay in a right relationship with the Lord? How do we make the right decisions?

Delight yourself in God’s word (v.2)

We must stay in a right relationship with God’s word. The Bible was not given to us so that we could use it as a coaster on the side table in our dens and a book to take up space on our bookshelves.

The Bible is a living and active book (Hebrews 4:12-13). So what should we do? We need to approach Scripture with joy and not as drudgery. So many people look at Scripture as a set of rules and laws to follow that causes pain to those who read it.

How do you look at it? Do you even look at it? I want to encourage you to look at Scripture as a way to give you joy and encouragement. When you look at Scripture, you should anticipate God to reveal Himself to you. You should be excited to see how God is going to use it to change the perspective of your day. Is this how you currently approach Scripture?

Meditate on God’s word day and night (v.2)

When you delight yourself in God’s word, I believe God will give you a desire to seek it every day and every night. The Psalmist tells us to meditate on it day and night.

Here’s the way I look at it. When I first met my wife, I could not stop thinking about her. When I woke up, I thought about her. When I fell asleep I thought about her. When I was with my friends I thought about her. I could not wait to be in her presence. Even though she was in Rock Hill, S.C. and I was in Columbia, S.C. I made trip after trip to see her because I could not go on living without her. No kidding. I’m serious. Even though we’ve been married for 29 years, I still have those same feelings. I think this is what it means to meditate on something. It never leaves your mind. You think about and ponder God’s word all the time.

Does that describe you? Do you meditate on God’s word and experience the joy and encouragement it brings?

 

Consider God’s picture (v.3-4)

A tree planted by streams of water never runs dry or dies of thirst. God’s word **always** produces joy when correctly applied to our lives. It’s like toothpaste. You may have a tube of toothpaste, but if you never use it it never helps. It’s just a wasted tube of something on your counter that you never use. Oh, and by the way, a tree planted by a stream will grow much quicker than a tree planted in the desert. Which one would you rather be? Dead or alive?

The person who meditates on God’s word continually will continually spiritually grow, remain spiritually healthy, and spiritually prosper in all that he or she does. The Psalmist is telling us that it is better to meditate on God’s word than to be like the wicked who are driven by the wind of their own desires.

Jeremiah puts it this way:
“Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,
whose trust is the LORD.
He is like a tree planted by water,
that sends out its roots by the stream,
and does not fear when heat comes,
for its leaves remain green,
and is not anxious in the year of drought,
for it does not cease to bear fruit” (Jeremiah 17:7-8).

God rewards those who follow Him (5-6)

Christ-followers will remain with Christ for eternity, and those who choose not to follow Christ will be separate from Him in a place called Hell for eternity.Will you join me and take the challenge to meditate on God’s word this year?