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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Meditate – percolate (1)
08 JANUARY 2023

‘Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.’
Colossians 3:16 NKJV

Meditating in Scripture is one of the great keys to spiritual growth. In Psalm 1, David writes, ‘In His law he meditates day and night’ (Psalm 1:2 NKJV). But the word ‘meditation’ is not one that a text-and-Twitter generation relates to very well. We imagine sober-faced monks wearing hair shirts and chanting on bended knees as the sun comes up every morning. As a result, we want to run in the opposite direction. We admire such people, think God has to call us to such a thing, and conclude that He certainly hasn’t called us to do it. Or we think meditation is a discipline that requires hours of uninterrupted time, and time is the one thing we don’t have any more of.

And the result? We live busy but spiritually barren lives. Some of us actually think meditation is a fine thing, but we believe that there are too many other areas of spiritual growth and character development we need to work on first. What’s the problem? We don’t understand what it means to meditate, or the rich benefits it will give us. A spoon of instant coffee is okay if you just want the basic taste of coffee. But if you want more – if you want to enjoy the flavours of the coffee in all their richness – you have to let it percolate. So, we could paraphrase the Scripture this way: ‘In His law he percolates day and night.’ That is what Paul meant here: ‘Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom.’ Today, enjoy the aroma, taste the flavour, and experience the strength.

Luke 1:21-38, Psalms 4-6

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Meditate – percolate (2)
09 JANUARY 2023

‘Line upon line, here a little, there a little.’
Isaiah 28:13 NKJV

Let’s take this meditate-percolate idea a step further. (If you’re a tea drinker, substitute the word ‘brew’.) Maybe this will help you ease into meditation instead of feeling overwhelmed by the thought that you don’t have the time or discipline to do it. This is not an all-or-nothing challenge. Take small steps. If you have only ten minutes, maximise each one of them. You don’t have to read ten chapters of your Bible. You’re not doing a book report for school, and you’re not going to be graded on a test.

Read this verse and it will help you: ‘But the word of the Lord was to them, “precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little”’ (v. 13 NKJV). God’s Word is so rich with truth that you can take one phrase or one idea and let it percolate and brew in your mind, whether you have ten minutes or two hours. Instead of watching TV or constantly checking your phone for messages, just sit still, drink your coffee or tea, and let God’s indwelling Spirit interpret, enlarge, and enrich His Word as you roll it over and over in your mind. Think about it during your drive time, or your lunch or coffee breaks.

Some days you will feel like you have hit the jackpot spiritually; other days you will just feel like you have added a little more to your basic Bible knowledge. Consistency is the key. Do this for one year, and you will have 365 scriptural insights to draw on. Can you see how this could change your life for the better?

Genesis 18-19, Matthew 6:1-15

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Meditate – percolate (3)
10 JANUARY 2023

‘You shall meditate on it day and night.’
Joshua 1:8 NASB

Bible meditation has fallen out of favour. Why? Because we live in an instantaneous society, and a preoccupied society. We have so much stuff coming at us from TV, mobile phones, email, texts, snail mail, satellite links, cable news feeds, and podcasts that we hardly have a moment to react – much less reflect. Get real! You can’t ‘download’ spiritual maturity by hitting a few keys on a computer. That’s why the Scriptures speak so often about meditation.

God, the author of the Bible, gave Joshua the formula for succeeding in your career and prospering in whatever you put your hand to: ‘This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth [speak the Scriptures every chance you get], but you shall meditate on it [when?] day and night, so that you may be careful to do [not just know, but do!] according to all [you can’t pick and choose] that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will achieve success’ (v. 8 NASB). Note the words ‘you will make’. To succeed in life, you must do something. Do what? Meditate in God’s Word! How often? ‘Day and night.’

So what portion of Scripture were you thinking about this morning as you started your day? Or while driving to and from work? For that matter, when was the last time you consciously reflected on any Bible truth or principle? If you can’t remember, start making some changes right away. Paul told Timothy: ‘Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all’ (1 Timothy 4:15 NKJV). And that’s still the rule!

Genesis 20-22, Matthew 6:16-34

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Meditate – percolate (4)
11 JANUARY 2023

‘Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day.’
Psalm 119:97 NKJV

Bible meditation is different from meditation as we know it in our society. Meditation, as popularly taught by the Eastern philosophies, tells you to empty your mind. That’s the exact opposite of what the Scriptures say! Bible meditation means filling your mind with the truth God has revealed. David was a king. Imagine the pressures and problems, demands and decisions he faced each day. Yet he said, ‘Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day.’

Have you observed that we waste an awful lot of time doing mundane things such as holding on the phone, queueing, driving to work? In big cities, people often spend an hour or more going to work, and the same coming home. That’s ten hours a week. Forty hours a month. Four hundred and eighty hours a year. That’s an extraordinary amount of time! The question is, what are you doing with your mind during this time? Just driving along with your mind in neutral? Or listening to the radio or a CD or music on your smartphone? Or getting angry at all the drivers around you? What a great time to get your mind in gear! What an opportunity to grow spiritually and mentally! What exercise does for your body, meditation does for your soul.

The Bible says, ‘For as he thinks in his heart, so is he’ (Proverbs 23:7 NKJV). A sign on someone’s office wall read: ‘You are not what you think you are. But what you think – you are!’ If you want your life to be different, start thinking different thoughts; meditate on God’s Word!

Genesis 23-24, Matthew 7

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Meditate – percolate (5)
12 JANUARY 2023

‘The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart.’
Psalm 19:8 NKJV

‘The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes…More to be desired are they than gold…sweeter also than honey…by them Your servant is warned, and in keeping them there is great reward. Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret faults. Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, and I shall be innocent of great transgression. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer’ (vv. 7-8, 10-14 NKJV).

This prayer shows that the psalmist regarded meditation as an utter necessity to his spiritual life. And if that was true for him in his day, how much more vital is it for you today! You need to bathe your mind each day in the waters of God’s Word so that your words and your thoughts are pleasing in His sight. Use your time – the start of the day, at coffee break, during your lunchtime, riding home from work, before falling asleep at night – to reflect upon the truth of God’s Word. The greatest changes in your life will come through the process of meditating on the Scriptures – just letting the Word of God filter and percolate through your mind and into your life. First-class Bible reading calls not for snapshots but for timed exposures.

Genesis 25-26, Matthew 8:1-17

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Don’t be self-righteous
13 JANUARY 2023

‘Do not think of yourself more highly than you should.’
Romans 12:3 GNT

‘Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer: “I thank you, God, that I am not like other people – cheaters, sinners, adulterers. I’m certainly not like that tax collector! I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.” But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, “O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.” I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted’ (Luke 18:10-14 NLT).

The lesson in this story is, God has more tolerance for an honest sinner than a self-righteous Christian. When the Pharisee was congratulating himself for the sins he didn’t commit – cheating, adultery, etc. – he was guilty of the sin of spiritual pride. Question: what good behaviour is a source of pride to you? Do you measure others by your performance and mark their scorecard accordingly? The only performance that makes any of us acceptable to God is based on Christ’s performance on the cross. ‘God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ’ (2 Corinthians 5:21 NLT). The righteousness that saves us is imputed – not earned. So don’t be self-righteous!

Genesis 27-28, Matthew 8:18-34

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Beware of an elitist attitude (1)
14 JANUARY 2023

‘Don’t think you are better than you really are.’
Romans 12:3 NLT

Paul writes: ‘Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us. Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other. In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well’ (vv. 3-6 NLT). Paul is teaching us this important principle: ‘Don’t have an elitist attitude.’ If you are an elitist, you must deal with the truth that every advantage or favour you enjoy is a gift from God (see 1 Corinthians 4:7).

Whatever God has given you or allowed you to accomplish must never be used for personal exultation. Even if you think you achieved each of them on your own, read these words and take them to heart: ‘Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being…he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honour and gave him the name above all other names’ (Philippians 2:3-9 NLT).

Genesis 29-30, Matthew 9:1-17

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Beware of an elitist attitude (2)
15 JANUARY 2023

‘It was not I but God who was working through me by his grace.’
1 Corinthians 15:10 NLT

Anytime you think less of someone because they’re not a member of your race, denomination, gender, or social group, you’re displaying an elitist attitude. Elitism is rooted in pride, and ‘God opposes the proud but shows favour to the humble’ (James 4:6 NIV). Here are two Bible examples of the elitist ‘they are not one of us’ attitude:

1) When God poured out His Spirit upon the seventy elders who led Israel, they all prophesied. Two of them were not present when it happened. Later, Joshua saw them prophesying and reported it to Moses. ‘“My lord, forbid them!” Then Moses said to him, “Are you zealous for my sake? Oh, that all the Lord’s people were prophets and that the Lord would put His Spirit upon them!”’ (Numbers 11:28-29 NKJV). Joshua believed that only a select group were qualified.

2) ‘John said to Jesus, “Teacher, we saw someone using your name to cast out demons, but we told him to stop because he wasn’t in our group.” “Don’t stop him!” Jesus said. “No one who performs a miracle in my name will soon be able to speak evil of me. Anyone who is not against us is for us”’ (Mark 9:38-40 NLT).

If you exclude others or feel superior to them in any aspect of life, read these words from Paul: ‘But whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out his special favour on me – and not without results. For I have worked harder than any of the other apostles; yet it was not I but God who was working through me by his grace.’

Luke 1:39-56, Psalms 7-9

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Beware of an elitist attitude (3)
16 JANUARY 2023

‘Humble yourselves…and…he will lift you up in honour.’
1 Peter 5:6 NLT

Have you ever looked down on someone because they didn’t share or possess the advantages that you enjoy in life? Do you feel superior to others in any aspect of your life? Do you believe that being part of a particular denomination puts you in a special class? Maybe your well-toned physique makes you feel superior to the overweight multitudes. And what if you are renowned in your community? Do you think you should always be escorted to front-row seats at public meetings? If so, it’s time to submit your attitude to the Holy Spirit.

But when it comes to elitism, there is another side to the coin. It’s possible to label a person or a group as elitist merely because they enjoy a particular advantage that you find intimidating and alienating due to your own self-doubt, or to try to improve your image in others’ eyes. Politicians do this. A candidate may accuse his opponent of elitism simply because of access to family wealth, or a diploma from a prominent university, or a high profile, or influential friends. As a result, that opponent accuses the other of reaching out to blue-collar workers and being disingenuous about how regular and down to earth they are.

In the final analysis, it’s not what you do but what you believe that establishes whether you have an elitist attitude. The truth is, it’s easy to spot pride in others and hard to see it in yourself. That’s why Peter writes, ‘Humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honour.’

Genesis 31-32, Matthew 9:18-32

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Handling temptation Christ’s way (1)
17 JANUARY 2023

‘For forty days he was tempted by the devil.’
Luke 4:2 NIV
Here are some practical pointers from Jesus for handling temptation:

1) Your temptations are like the ones He faced. ‘Jesus understands every weakness of ours, because he was tempted in every way that we are’ (Hebrews 4:15 CEV). You say, ‘But you don’t understand how bad my temptations are.’ No, but Jesus does. The fact that ‘He was tempted in every way’ means He has been there, felt the urge, and understands your vulnerability first-hand. You can turn to Him when temptation hits, confident He has walked the same path and He will help you.

2) Temptation often comes after spiritual victory. Jesus had just been baptised, the Holy Spirit descended on Him, and God declared His pleasure in His Son – then Satan struck full force (see Matthew 3:16-17; 4:1-11). High spiritual moments can leave you with your guard down, susceptible to attack. Paul says, ‘Let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall’ (1 Corinthians 10:12 NKJV). People often crash and burn after big accomplishments. Ministers, for example, can be prone to temptation after delivering a great sermon.

3) Temptation comes when you’re exhausted. Forty days without eating had left Jesus physically depleted. When your resources are drained, you’re a target for attack. Lack of sleep, unhealthy diet, stretching yourself too thin, no exercise, anxiety, and discouragement can open the door to temptation. When you feel down, your focus blurs, your awareness is dulled, your spiritual edge diminishes, and you’re not on guard against the Enemy’s approaches and schemes. The Bible says, ‘Stay alert. The Devil is poised to pounce, and would like nothing better than to catch you napping. Keep your guard up’ (1 Peter 5:8 MSG).

Genesis 33-35, Matthew 10:1-16