Hard--But Not Impossible

“This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” ~Joshua 1:18

“I will meditate on Your precepts, and contemplate Your ways.” ~Psalm 119:15

Wow, what a lofty goal.  How can we continually meditate on God’s Word, so that they do not depart from our mouths?  Is that even possible?

Then, as if out of habit, in response to these questions our mind quotes Jesus: “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26).

But, do we really believe it, especially when it comes to something like meditating on the Word of God all day?

And what happens when we try...and fail?  What happens when we can’t meditate on Scripture for an entire 15 minutes, let alone the entire day?  Does our faith waiver then?

I know mine has a million times.  And I doubt the promises and the possibility of these commands.  I think there are two wrong things happening in our mind and heart at this moment.

1.  We’re relying on our own strength.  I love the comparison in Jeremiah 17:5-8:

“Thus says the Lord: ‘Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the Lord. He is like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see any good come. He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land.

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.”

Which plant describes your life?  If it is the former, you are relying on your own strength.  I have often been in that same place in my life—even in the past week, I have relied too heavily on my own strength and simply burnt out.  We must run to God with our concerns and dump them at His feet.  Before He can work through us though, we must “give up.”  We must acknowledge our complete dependence on Him.  And we must choose to abide in Him.  “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:4-5).  We must choose to dwell in Him and with Him, and as we draw near to Him, He will draw near to us.  I am still on this journey as well and am learning, right along with you what it means to completely rely on God.

2.  We expect the change to happen in an instant.  I know that this is a trap I have fallen into many times.  I expect that when I rely on God’s strength, I will simply be able to meditate on God’s Word 24/7 the first day I try.  But that’s not the way God works. If God offered solutions instantaneously, think about it...  We would be perfect from the start, and would stop relying on Him.  We are on a journey. We don’t reach our destination in a moment, but slowly work our way up to it.  So it will be as we seek to meditate on the Scriptures.

God is working in your life.  Pause and think about where you have come from.  How much did you meditate on the Scriptures last year?  If you have been genuinely seeking the face of the Lord, you will have improved in your meditation over the past year.  God is at work!  Never forget that.  Learn to rely on His promises whenever the lies of the enemy haunt your mind.  Here are a few to get you started:

Philippians 1:6 “Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.”

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 “Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.”

Hebrews 13:20-21 “Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.”

Jude 24-25 “Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling,
And to present you faultless
Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,
To God our Savior,
Who alone is wise,
Be glory and majesty,
Dominion and power,
Both now and forever.
Amen.”

P.S.  Even though I have specifically discussed meditation in this post, the concepts discussed here apply to any spiritual discipline. Continue to rely on God and realize this is a process and, through Him, you will improve.  He is working in your life.  Mmm....how amazing.