Receiving and Responding to God’s Word
September 13, 2021
Receiving and Responding to God’s Word
By guest writer, Julia Phillips
“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.” – Psalm 19:14
What do you spend the largest percentage of your time thinking about? Is it the news, money, concern for your loved ones, or maybe all the tasks on your to-do list? The inner focus of our minds and hearts affects our actions. One of God’s greatest gifts to us is that he has spoken, he continues to speak, and we can expect abundant life when we immerse ourselves in his words.
David’s hope to please the Lord implies that our inner heart condition and outward spoken words can bring joy to God’s heart! There is a collect in the Book of Common Prayer that reads, “Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning: Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life” (BCP, Year A, Proper 28). We need God’s help if we are going to orient our words and meditations around Scripture. Perhaps this is why the psalmist, David, concludes Psalm 19 by calling God his Rock and Redeemer. Perhaps David was a human like the rest of us who said the wrong thing to people he loved and who schemed and dreamed thoughts that had nothing to do with God’s best for him. But, with the Lord as our redeemer, our strength, and our foundation, we can be transformed. We can dwell in God’s Word, digest it in our minds and hearts, and speak words that bring him joy.
Response:
What does God want to speak to you through his word today? Is there a recurring thought you have about yourself, someone else, or something in your life that you know isn’t in accordance with his Word? Ask the Lord to reveal a truth in Scripture that applies to the situation and meditate on the word he gives you. We would love to hear your thoughts in the comments.
Related Resource:
Let's face it, the Christian life is hard. Relationships take work. Christians forget. Sometimes it is tempting to go back to the days when God was not the center of our lives - to backslide. We are all faced with tremendous pressures to drift away from intimacy with Jesus and the community of the Church. However, the Lord invites us to pay attention, to move forward, to draw near, and to live lives of worship. Draw Near: Hebrews on Christian Worship is a small group Bible study on the Book of Hebrews intended to lead participants into a deeper intimacy with the living God in the context of New Testament worship. Draw nearer to God in authentic worship today!
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