I'm Still Growing . . .

It's been quite a while since I've taken the time and effort to write a blog post. I've been reading some of my old posts this morning going all the way back to 2006 and I realize how very important it is to write. #1--It's a record of my life's experiences. #2--It's a storehouse of the insights that I've gleaned from the Word of God.

It's startling how much I've changed over the years. In 2006, I mentioned in a blog post that I don't cry much. In 2017, I cry all of the time! In 2006, I hadn't yet come to the realization that I was a chronic people-pleaser. In 2017, I have a group of leaders in my church that likely doubt that I was ever a people-pleaser. I'm laughing as I consider this, since we have just come through a very difficult time for all of us when I resisted not one but two committees in order to stand on a biblical conviction. God has healed me of a great many issues--mostly through the creative use of loss and suffering. That said--I'm still growing!

Six Promises of Heaven

SIX PROMISES OF HEAVEN

Healing:  "Then he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb, in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the HEALING of the nations." --Revelation 22:1-2

Eternity:  "This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent." --John 17:3

Adoration:  " . . . and day and night they do not cease to say, 'Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come.'" --Revelation 4:8b

Victory:  "But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." --1 Corinthians 15:57

Exuberant Existance:  "I have come that they may have life, and have it abundantly." --John 10:10

kNowing:  "For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known." --1 Corinthians 13:12

Growling the Word

"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)

This is an amazing promise for those who will act on it. Delight in the law of the Lord, meditate on it day and night, and you will prosper in all that you do. Who wants to prosper in 2017? Who wants to be like a tree on a riverbank, always green and always bearing fruit? Well, count me in!

Let's focus on the two conditional elements in these verses: #1 delight on the law, and #2 meditate on the law. The law of the Lord, of course, is the entire Word of God. What does it mean to delight in it and to meditate on it?

#1 Delight: We either delight or we don't. For me, coming to the Word of God each day is like a treasure hunt. When God's Spirit reveals a truth to me, I get excited--not unlike finding hidden treasure. If I'm needing to make a decision, and I find the answer in my daily reading, I delight in it! I approach the Word that way every day. I'm looking for guidance, for wisdom, for encouragement, and for changes I need to make. As God reveals, I delight in His words of life.

#2 Meditate: This is an interesting Hebrew word--"hagah". In addition to meaning meditation or consideration, it can also mean to speak, to moan, or to growl. So to begin with, I would suggest that our time in the Word should be spent vocalizing it. You may pop into the church office one afternoon and catch me pacing the hallway, reading my scriptures out loud--even shouting on occasion. The Bible is meant to be spoken and I can tell you from experience that I get a lot more out of it when I speak it. The moaning has to do with expressions of pleasure. What I really find interesting is the idea of "growling" the Word. What is that all about? I have a dog named Gavin who can make this idea perfectly clear. When Gavin is enjoying a bone, he doesn't wish to be disturbed. He will growl if you make a move towards him because he doesn't want to lose his bone. We should take the attitude of Gavin when we are in the Word. Enjoy it and don't let anyone or anything take it away from you.

So today and throughout all of 2017, Delight in the Word, Meditate on it, and get ready to prosper.