Meditation

05/13/2022

“Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.” (Psalm 37:4)

Beloved, prayer is agreement with God; choose His pleasures and He will choose yours. The psalmist revealed this through a series of proverbs encouraging trust, commitment on our part, and patience.

PRAYER FOR THE DAY:

Precious Abba, today we recognize the gift of receiving Instructions from God. Beloved, our Father made His commitment to us in creation. He has provided for our needs and sometime our desires. Let us rejoice in our relationship with Him and seek to remain in relationship always. Today we continue to pray for those who are suffering in body, mind, and/or spirit, with friends, family, for those we don’t know, especially the people in Ukraine, as they are fighting for their very lives and way of life. Amen

THOUGHT OF THE DAY:

“The church is an emergency room for sinners, not a rest home for saints!”

KNOWING GOD:

“The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, and their ways are vile; thee is no one who does good. God looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. Everyone has turned away, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one. Will the evildoers never learn—-those who devour my people as men eat bread and who do not call on God? There they were, overwhelmed with dread, where there was nothing to dread. God scattered the bones of those who attacked you; you put them to shame, for God despised them. Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When God restores the fortunes of his people, let Jacob rejoice an Israel be glad!” (Psalm 53:1-6)

God’s salvation is restoration and renewal. It produces joy. Zion is Mount Zion in Jerusalem where God’s Temple was located. Salvation came from Zion because the God who saves His people revealed Himself to His people there and was therefore worshiped there. Prayer may teach us lessons that restore our hope, for we will seek forgiveness of our sins, restoration of our relationship with God, and help us to commit fully to Him.

I AM:

“Lord who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill? He whose walk is blameless and who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from his heart and has no slander on his tongue, who does his neighbor no wrong and casts no slur on his fellowman, who despises a vile man but honors those who fear the Lord, who keeps his oath even when it hurts, who lends his money without usury and does not accept a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things will never be shaken.” (Psalm 15:1-5)

The psalmist asked God who may dwell as His guest. Verses 2-5 describe what God searched for in 14:2 (“The Lord looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God.) and who are invited to worship. Public worship ceremonies include prayers which help God’s people learn God’s expectations of His worshipers.

2ND THOUGHT OF THE DAY:

“When I returned to Jerusalem and was praying at the temple, I fell into a trance and saw the Lord speaking, ‘Quick! He said to me. ‘Leave Jerusalem immediately, because they will not accept your testimony about me.’” (Acts 22:18)

It is not for a unusual for visions to come to us during meditation or prayer times. God uses these times of meditative moments to guide His people in important decisions of life. It is also a sign of how close of a relationship we have with Him and that He knows when we will be the most willing to hear Him and respond to His instructions.