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Thoughts and Actions
By Suzanne Leitz |
What you think about is what you will act
upon. That's why it is so important to meditate on the Word of God. Webster
defines meditate as "to focus one's thoughts on; reflect or ponder over; to
plan or project in the mind."
Joshua 1:8 says, "This book of the
law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and
night, that you may observe and do according to all that is written in it;
for then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall deal wisely
and have good success." (Amplified Bible). Here God tells Joshua to meditate
on God's law so that he would then DO it, making his way prosperous. What
you think about is what you will act upon.
"Blessed is the man that walketh not in the
counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, not sitteth in
the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in
his law doth he meditate day and night." (Psalm 1:1-2) There are two
Hebrew words used in the Old Testament for meditate. Both mean to imagine,
ponder, muse, and both carry the implication of conversing with oneself,
hence aloud, as to mutter, declare, speak, or utter. Meditating on the Word
of God means not only to think about it, ponder it, and let it remain in
your thoughts, but also to say it to yourself. Am I advocating talking to
yourself? Yes! It is beneficial when you are speaking God's Word.
The Psalmist meditated. Chapter 119
contains several examples:
- Verse 15: "I will meditate in
thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways."
- Verse 23: "...thy servant did
meditate in thy statutes."
- Verse 48: "...I will meditate
in thy statutes."
- Verse 78: "...I will meditate
in thy precepts."
Notice he says, "I WILL." To meditate on
God's Word is a CHOICE. You must WILL to do it. You must DECIDE to do it.
Paul knew the importance of meditation, for
in 1 Timothy 4:15 he told Timothy to meditate upon the things he had
told him, giving himself wholly to them, that his profiting may appear to
all.
What you think about is what you will act
upon; that's why it is so important to meditate upon God's Word. If you want
to be a doer of the Word and not just a forgetful hearer, meditate on the
Word. Think about it. Ponder it. Speak it to yourself. Thought precedes
action; thought produces action. In fact, every action is first conceived
with a thought. Meditation will produce gladness instead of sadness (see
Psalm 104:34) and will produce strength and courage.
Psalm 19:14 says, "Let the words of
my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in they sight, O Lord,
my strength, and my redeemer." If your meditation can be acceptable, it can
also be unacceptable. Take heed to make your thoughts acceptable by
meditating upon God's Word, because what you think about is what you will
do.
©
2004 Suzanne Leitz |
Power Tools:
Joshua 1:8
Psalm 1:1-2
Psalm 119:15, 23, 48, 78
1 Timothy 4:15
Psalm 104:34
Psalm 19:14 |
