“Blessed is the man who delights in God’s Word, meditating on it day and night.” Psalm 1.

It never fails to amaze me how the Word can continue to have a keen cutting edge in our lives, even after we’ve gone over and over a passage and it seems to have gotten dull. But it’s our own perception that has become dull, not the Word. God uses difficulties to sharpen both our perception and our appetite for the Word.

In confronting the problems God allows into my life, I like to use what I call “God’s medicine chest”, a set of chapters dealing with specific topics. Some of these are:

• Psalm 1 --God’s road to success.
• Psalm 23 --God’s shepherding: provision and protection.
• Psalm 37 –Dealing with difficult people.
• James 1 --Wisdom and dealing with sin.
• James 4 --War and peace.
• John 15 –Growth.
• Romans 12 –Guidance.
• 1 Thessalonians 4 --A Pure Life.
• Hebrews 12:1-17 --Difficulties: why and what to do with them.
• 1 Corinthians 13 --God’s Love, my love.
• Colossians 3 --Transforming our thoughts.

I am in the process of rememorizing and meditating some of these, spending a week or so on each one. Such wonderful insights come from spending this time of soaking in the Word.

While we were living overseas there was a person of authority who has been opposing our work. At first I prayed like David asking for her downfall.

But, while meditating on Romans 12 verse 14 jumped out, “Bless them that persecute you, bless them and curse not!” So, instead of praying for her downfall, I prayed for her promotion, up and out of the way!. That set me free from frustration. Now it was in God’s hands. To meditate on the Word in the midst of such problems is certainly profitable, freeing and joy-producing.

Prayer: “Lord, help me to consistently meditate on your Word, thinking your thoughts, praying your prayers, doing your work in your way.