MID AFTERNOON MEDITATION 9-14-20

More than four years ago I embarked on a meditational journey through the Psalms. My practice has been to move verse by verse through the book asking meditational questions of my readers. You have come up with some great answers over the years, but I have provided few.

I have now finished the journey of asking and I am now beginning the journey of thinking on and answering my own questions through the Psalms. Let’s continue:

Blessed is the one
    who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
    or sit in the company of mockers,
but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
    and who meditates on his law day and night.
That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
    which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
    whatever they do prospers. Psm 1:1-3

WHAT DO YOU THINK PROSPERITY LOOKS LIKE TO GOD?

While I know I cannot presume to know the whole mind of God, I at least know it enough to know a bit about what prosperity does not look like to God. It is not lots of silver, gold, or precious gems. It is not lots of money in the bank. It is probably not even supreme political influence or control. All of those things are tools to accomplish His ends. They are never ends in themselves. Further God warns us throughout Scripture not to let any of those things gain a place of importance in our lives because then they will control us.

I think prosperity must be connected to a heart attitude of contentment somehow, an attitude which understands there will always be enough to accomplish God’s purposes in our lives. It is a mindset that as Paul the apostle said “knows both how to abase and how to abound” because it is consumed by God’s desires and not the desire of the world the flesh or the devil.

PEACE POST-76

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“With the help of the Lord, you can handle life’s challenges and heartaches, even the valley of the shadow of death. What comfort your fainting heart has, knowing that in those stumbling times of discouragement and despair, of depletion and seeming defeat, the Shepherd will find you…restore and “fix” you…and follow you…until you are well on your way.”
― Elizabeth George, Quiet Confidence for a Woman’s Hearttags: peacespiritual-living8 likesLike

Morning Direction From Scripture 9-14-20

The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:

2for gaining wisdom and instruction;

for understanding words of insight;

3for receiving instruction in prudent behavior,

doing what is right and just and fair;

4for giving prudence to those who are simple,

knowledge and discretion to the young—

5let the wise listen and add to their learning,

and let the discerning get guidance—

6for understanding proverbs and parables,

the sayings and riddles of the wise.

7The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,

but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

What is instruction?

MID AFTERNOON MEDITATION 9-13-20

More than four years ago I embarked on a meditational journey through the Psalms. My practice has been to move verse by verse through the book asking meditational questions of my readers. You have come up with some great answers over the years, but I have provided few.

I have now finished the journey of asking and I am now beginning the journey of thinking on and answering my own questions through the Psalms. Let’s continue:

ON THE MORNING OF MAY 21ST 2016 I ASKED:

Blessed is the one

who does not walk in step with the wicked

or stand in the way that sinners take

or sit in the company of mockers,

2but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,

and who meditates on his law day and night.

3That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,

which yields its fruit in season

WHAT ONE SPIRITUAL THING COULD YOU IMPROVE ON TO YIELD MORE SUCCESS IN YOUR LIFE?

One of the things I am really working on in my spiritual life right now is listening and stepping forward into what I hear. I have long understood that I have a prophetic gift. I have been afraid to operate in that gift to its fullest measure because I was afraid that it would cause others not to like me.

Negative reactions from people in the past have kept me from operating in the gift in the present. Up until the last few years I have been relatively silent concerning what I see in the Spirit.

Now though I have rebuilt my schedule so that I have much more time to pray and study the Word. Now I just need to practice stepping out in faith when the Lord speaks to me about someone or something.