Let's start this week off right with some Monday Meditations to ponder for the week! I was asked to head up a Sunday School class at my church here in Wisconsin. I agreed because
1.) Being pushed out of your comfort zone is a good thing and...
2.) The class is only two girls, one 17 and one 18 so it was a very relaxed class.
Anywho, I got to share some thoughts with one girl yesterday! The other girl didn't make it in, but it was good for me to get to know this one girl better. I chose to share from Psalm 1, a very familiar passage for most of us. But digging through it brought new things to light for me. I'd like to share you some of those thoughts today :)
1Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
The first thing I want us to remember is "Blessed" in the Bible means "Happy"! Don't forget that as we read.
Secondly, check out the downward progression in verse 1. "Walk ... stand ... sit." We do not want to walk in the counsel of the ungodly. Do not seek ungodly counsel. Do not walk with those who give poor advice. Do not stand, hang out with, the wrong people. And do not sit comfortably with those who mock or critic others.
I'm sure we all can think of someone who whenever you're around them, they just criticize EVERYTHING. It gets old really fast and we don't really enjoy being around those people. And we shouldn't hang around those people because they're a poor influence on our lives.
Instead, of our lives being influenced by the ungodly, the sinners, and the scornful, we should be influenced by the Bible! I know it's super cliche, but it is so important to be saturated in the Word of God. The things around us impact and shape our thinking.
Think of movies. I love movies, I love TV shows, I love stuff like that. But it is very easy for those shows and movies to impact how we think, good or bad.
For example: My favorite current TV show is Heartland (anybody watch or read those books by Lauren Brooke? I read the books when I was younger and now I'm watching the show on Netflix.) Heartland has an interesting family dynamic. It focuses on Grandpa Jack, the patriarch of the family. Then his two granddaughters, Lou (33) and Amy (23) and their estranged father Tim. And then Lou's husband Peter and Amy's boyfriend Ty. In some ways, the family dynamic is really good. They eat dinner together every night, Lou gives Amy sisterly advice, Grandpa sets firm rules for his family, and they always help each other out. But there are also poor dynamics such as the estranged father Tim who left his daughters when they were young or Lou's relationships before she got married.
If I'm not reading the Word of God and understanding Biblical principles, I can let these shows influence me to think that certain things are okay. The family has never truly forgiven Tim for leaving the family. What Tim did was wrong, but we as Christians should forgive. Heartland is not promoting forgiveness in that aspect. I'm sure you can come up with your own examples for this.
If we aren't delighting in Scripture daily, we lose that discernment. In order for us to have genuine happiness, we must AVOID walking, standing, and sitting, with the wrong crowds, wrong examples, etc and we must be saturated in the Bible.
Remember, praying is how WE TALK to GOD. Reading our Bible is how GOD TALKS to US. Don't just have one-way communication. Both are needed for a healthy, strong relationship.
ALSO:
Don't forget 9/11 today. Never forget the meaning of the day. Never forget the beautiful freedoms we have in this country and don't take them for granted.
Have a great week y'all.
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