Meditate In His Law

"But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night."  Psalm 1:2.  The delight of the Godly man is to meditate in God's law.  The law of the Lord will make us Godly.  It contains Godly precepts.  It is the way of holiness and perfection.  The law of the Lord will cause us to examine our hearts and change whatever is amiss so that we are seeking after Godliness.  No other law brings us to such a height of achievement.  No other law brings us to such an examination of ourselves.  The law of the Lord will lift us above the mundane things of earth and cause us to fly heavenward.  In the law of the Lord we come to know God--His greatness, His goodness, and His eternal love for us.  Such meditation brings us to comfort, peace, and assurance.  Such meditation will give unto us enlightenment, wisdom, and knowledge.  The meditation of the law of the Lord will take us from this world to the eternal world.  The meditation of the law of the Lord will deliver us from the earthly unto the heavenly.  The meditation of the law of the Lord will inspire us to seek the kingdom of God and the things that are eternal.  The meditation of the law of the Lord will delight our heart and lift our spirits.  Constant meditation in the word of God will give us hope and give us an abiding joy.

Daily Benefits

"Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation."  Psalm 68:19.  How are you feeling today?    Perhaps, you are not doing so well.  You are having some problems that seem to be ruining your day.  Are you counting your troubles or counting your benefits?  Sometimes we choose to see the negatives rather than the positives.  This passage of scripture teaches us about the benefits from God that come to us daily.  We awoke this morning with another day of opportunity to do good.  God sends the rain and fruitful seasons.  The sun and the clouds are all the work of God.  The beauty of the earth surrounds us with the sure knowledge of His goodness.  God supplies our daily need.  We know that He is a source of comfort and peace.  He has allowed me the privilege of access already this day in prayer.  God has spoken to me in His word and my faith has grown.  The greatest of His benefits to us is His salvation.  God saves us from sin, but He also saves us from trouble and despair.  As you find yourself in some difficulty, count your benefits.  Take a moment to meditate on the benefits that have come from the God of our salvation.  Now, isn't that better?

He Shall Save

"And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins."  Matthew 1:21.  The coming of Jesus Christ into the world was very unique.  First, He was born of a virgin.  Jesus was divine.  He came as God in the flesh.  While Mary was His earthly mother, God was His Father.  Second, Jesus came into the world to save sinners.  Humanity was in need of redemption and God supplied that need in the person of Jesus Christ. While upon the earth, Jesus established His divine nature by the works that He performed and the teachings that He taught.  Jesus secured eternal redemption for all humanity by His death upon the cross.  God loved us so much that He was willing to give His Son so that the penalty for sin could be satisfied in Jesus.  The death of Christ upon the cross shows without doubt that God is just, and thus, the debt for sin had to be paid.  Long ago, a prophecy was fulfilled in the birth of Jesus Christ.  Great events have taken place in the course of humanity, but none greater than the coming of Jesus Christ.  A divine Son paid a divine debt.  Jesus came to save us.

Life Consist Not

"And he said unto them, Take heed and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of things which he possesseth."  Luke 12:15.  Our society seems to focus on the things which one might possess.  We speak of those who have and those who have not.  A man has come to Jesus asking that the Lord speak to his brother that he might divide the inheritance with him.  The concern of this man was what he could possess.  Our Lord issues a warning to this one about covetousness.  Covetousness is a desire to have without contentment.  One is never satisfied with that which he possesses, but rather desires more.  With the covetous, the coffer is never full and the life is never satisfied. In a culture where our worth is decided by our possessions, we must guard against the desire to enrich ourselves with things.  The Lord wants us to understand the true meaning of life and the journey of our life.  We need to seek not what is earthly, but what is heavenly.  We must seek the eternal rather that the temporal.  Things can be gathered, and quickly lost.  In the view of our Lord Jesus Christ, our life consist in the character that we have; the faith that burns in our heart; the devotion to Christ and God; the hope of the life to come.  A man's life should consist in the spiritual and the service that we render unto God.

The Mind Of Christ

"Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus."  Philippians 2:5.  The mind of Christ is to be our goal.  We are to ever seek to become like Jesus.  Jesus had a lifestyle that we are to imitate.  The next few verses show us the mind of Christ.  The mind of Jesus was one of humility.  He thought more of others than Himself.  He was obedient to the will of the Father.  The design of God was for Christ to come into the world and die for all humanity.  The reason for this death and sacrifice was because of sin.  Jesus had a mind of sacrifice.  He willingly offered Himself so that we might have a relationship with God.  That sacrifice reached its high mark in the cross.  The One who was indeed God in the flesh took upon Himself the form of man and died the cruel death of the cross.  This death was not for Himself, but for me and all others.  We are to be as Christ.  We are to submit our will unto the will of God.  We are to serve and glorify God.  We are to be instruments in His hand to promote His will and bring honor and praise unto Him.  The mind of Jesus is to be our mind.

I Have Loved You

"As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love."  John 15:9.  The words can be uttered so easily.  But, love is an action.  Love is a commitment.  The Lord Jesus Christ was loved by His Father.  Jesus understood that love.  The love which the Father had for the Son would drive Him to do the Father's will.  There was nothing more important to the Lord Jesus Christ than the Father's will.  Thus it was so because of the love which God had for the Son.  And, Jesus loved his disciples to that degree.  Jesus loves us.  We know that He loves us because of the action which Jesus has taken for us.  Jesus left the heavenly abode and came to earth.  Jesus took upon Himself flesh and blood because He loves us.  He lived and died as a human being because He loves us.  Our pardon from sin has been secured by the Lord Jesus Christ because He loves us.  An eternal home has been prepared for us by Him because He loves us.  The love which Jesus has for us is clearly witnessed in His every act.  We must abide in that love because only through that love can we be victorious over sin and death.  Our future is secure because of the love which the Father has for the Son and the love which the Son has for us.

A Destroying Wind

"Thus saith the Lord: Behold, I will rise up against Babylon, and against them that dwell in the midst of them that rise up against me, a destroying wind;"  Jeremiah 51:1.  Babylon, a evil nation, had been the sword in the Lord's hand to avenge evil.  As a result, Babylon had become proud and vain.  Now, the judgment of Babylon is coming.  The Lord will rise up against this mighty, yet wicked, nation.  The hand of the Lord's wrath, though often delayed, is now coming.  The warning is sounded.  Judgment is nigh at hand.  God will come against not only Babylon, but all who are opposed to God.  And the consumption will also include those that dwell in the midst of the evil ones.  Good must not mix with bad.  They must remove themselves from the vile influences around them.  God will come as a destroying wind.  The landscape will be covered, and none will be left standing.  One cannot oppose God and continue to enjoy prosperity forever.  The day of destruction eventually comes.  God fights against evil, and His sword of wrath always brings down the enemy.  The destroying wind will blow until the wickedness is gone, and the land is purged.