Blessed is the man who meditates on God's Word.

Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. - Psalm 1:1-2

I’m drawn to the words, “his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night” For the Christian, meditation on God’s word is not a duty to be fulfilled, but a delight to be indulged! When you feed on the Word daily, you find your resistance to sin strengthened and your heart for God satisfied. For just as the man who's recently enjoyed an amazing steak dinner isn’t tempted to stop off on the way home for a quick McDonald's cheeseburger, so a Christian who’s belly is full of the good things of God is not easily tempted to “sit down” to the feast of the wicked.

It is only the hungry who are ready to eat anything set before them. But if you fill your mind with God’s Word so that it satisfies the longings of your heart, you soon find an ever-growing power to say “No!” to sin. “No!” to sin because you’ve been saying “Yes!” to better things in Christ! That's the power of a superior delight!

One of the things people often miss, is that our hearts were made to be satisfied by something. "Satisfy me in the morning, with your steadfast love" Moses writes in Psalm 90:14. Notice that. He does not say. "Make me a man who doesn't need satisfaction." He says, "Satisfy me in you, so that I won't seek satisfaction elsewhere -- in lesser things. The key to not finding satisfaction in that which is sinful, is to pursue something better!...to find a deeper more lasting satisfaction in that which God has provided in Christ!

Thus David writes in Psalm 19:7-11,
7 The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul;
The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.
8 The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.
9 The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the LORD are true; they are righteous altogether.
10 They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.
11 Moreover, by them Your servant is warned;
In keeping them there is great reward.

Let us make God’s Word our daily delight. Let it strengthen us in our fight against sin as we read and meditate on it daily, and as we join together with other believers each week in faithful , Christ-exalting churches.

Bible Reading 101

One of our members emailed me recently with a great question. He asked,

"I'm not getting enough in my daily reading. How do I read the Bible in a way that I'm getting fed on my own time? Seems like I'm just reading just to read lately. I want to be able to really dive in and dig through it. Is there some way of doing this?

Here is my answer. Does anyone else have a suggestion to add?

First of all, I think I see one problem. Always keep one foot in the New Testament. Even when I'm reading through the Old, I always spend a bit of time in the New. That's where the clearer light is found, and therefore the most life.

Second, before I read, I spend just a moment seeking God's help through the Holy Spirit to open my eyes to truth, and warm my heart with it. I've found Piper's little series of requests called IOUS a great help...

I — Incline my heart to Your testimonies (Psalm 119:36)
O — Open my eyes that I might behold wonderful things in Your Word (Psalm 119:8)
U — Unite my heart to fear Your name (Psalm 86:11)
S — Satisfy me in the morning with your steadfast love... (Psalm 90:14)

A little time in prayer seeking God's face, always helps me read with open eyes.

Third, realize that your heart is encumbered by the flesh and very weak, so that at times it may feel like nothing's getting through. Someone said there are three stages or phases to Bible reading

(1) The Caster Oil (or medicine) Phase - You know it's good for you, but it sure doesn't taste very good. You just take it because you should.

(2) The Cornflakes Phase - It's kind of dry, but again, you know its nutritious, and so you keep chewing, knowing that it won't be cornflakes every meal

(3) The Peaches and Cream Phase - This tastes great! Wow, You can't get enough! It's wonderful!

It would be nice if every time you read it's like #3! But life just doesn't work that way, and neither do we. So you persevere through the tougher times, knowing there will be times when you will delight in the truth.

And then, fourth, I should mention that biblical insight is cumulative. You know how snow accumulates? One little flake doesn't amount to much. But little by little, millions a flakes can add up to a great deal of snow on the ground. In the same way, your life is rarely changed in a perceptible way by one morning of Bible reading. It's the cumulative process of reading day in and day out that begins to "pile up" in the process Paul calls "Renewing your mind" (Rm 12:1-2). So keep at it, seeking wisdom at every turn.

Oh, and one more thing. I've found it helpful to keep a small notebook handy so I can record any stirrings of my heart, or insights into God's truth. I'll write it down and review it later. Or if I find something during my reading that I'd like to investigate further, I jot that down as well.

Finally, keep your focus as you read. And what is that focus? To see Christ! To learn of Him and His ways. To discover the character and attributes of God as He has displayed Himself in the Scriptures from Genesis to Revelation. Don't just read looking for a "devotional thought" or one of those "what does this say about me" applications. What does this reveal about God! Who He is! What He's done! How He can be trusted! Strive to see God as He has revealed Himself in Christ. That's where I move very quickly into "peaches and cream"..and some times shouting and singing and saying, "oh what a God we serve"

Hope this helps!
Scott