Psalm 1:2-3, New Living Translation

“But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.”

It is so vital for us to renew our minds with God's word and to know what God's word says. More so, now, than ever. Without knowing God's word, without meditating on God's word, we open our heart up to so much that can cause harm to us emotional and spiritually, and perhaps even physically. The very first Psalm says, “But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.” (Psalm 1:2-3, NLT) Jesus Himself tells us, " “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5, NLT) How are we to stay connected to the vine if we are not meditating on God's law, His Word? How are we to know the good work we are to do if we are not meditating and spending time in His Word?

His Word is really a blessing to us all. It reminds us of the precious truths He speaks over us to give is the confidence and the hope to keep fighting this good fight of faith. One scripture that ministered to me recently that I had looked at months ago and had forgotten about comes from Ephesians 1. It says, “Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.” (Ephesians 1:4-5, NLT) Think about it, before God even spoke the world into existence, He had you and I on His mind. He knew then that He wanted us to be a part of His family. And it gave Him great pleasure to put into action a plan of salvation that would draw us to Himself!

Another scripture that comes to my mind, another personal favorite, comes from 1 Peter 2:4 (NLT). It says this, “You are coming to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God’s temple. He was rejected by people, but he was chosen by God for great honor.” You see, God used this scripture in such a beautiful way in my life. He used His divine power to break the stronghold in my mind that I was rejected, that I wasn't good enough. I held onto this scripture because I knew that He was telling me, the world may reject you, but I have chosen you. I have chosen you for great honor. This scripture is not just for me; it is for all of us. If we continue to seek God, to seek His heart, He will be faithful to show us these beautiful truths and personalize them in a beautiful way specifically to ourselves. That is what the power of mediation of God's law and reading His word does! It breaks the strongholds in your mind, in your life. It reveals the subtle way that Satan tries to come into our lives to kill, steal, and destroy. With the power of the Holy Spirit in us, we overcome these lies, and we walk in the truth, the light. In John 8 Jesus says to the people, “…I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” (John 8:12, NLT)

Walking with Jesus, in His light is not something we do whenever we feel like it. It is constant. We may have to discipline ourselves to continuously seek after God. But the more we seek God and experience His goodness in our lives, I believe it is no longer disciplining yourself to seek God, but a hunger and a thirst for more of God. You see and experience the true joy of following Christ. Nobody can love us like Jesus. Nobody can give us peace in a chaotic world like Jesus. No one can give us hope like Jesus. Nobody can give us the reassurance that everything will be ok like Jesus. A constant pursuit of Christ and living out His word helps us to complete the command found in Proverbs 4:23 (NLT). “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” Or the command found in John 13:34 (NLT), “So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.”

All of this really stems from the two greatest commandments, love God and love people. We choose to pursue God because we love God. We love people because we love God and want others to experience God.  

What scriptures has God spoken to you through? Maybe it is something He just spoke to you about. Perhaps it is a scripture from months ago or even years ago. Maybe it is time to revisit that scripture and be reminded of the faithful love of God for you and to share that love with others. I hope and pray that in sharing these scriptures with you today, that you have felt the love of God a little more in your life and are reminded of the love He has always had for you...even before the world was created. Blessings my brothers and sisters!