Lunch-Time Meditation
Take time to sit and marinate on a scripture passage and how it is applicable in your life today. In this way, you will begin to sow the Word of the Lord and its Truth into the very fabric of your being, right down to the cellular level.
ALL THINGS WORK...! Romans 8: 28-30 (World English Bible) emphasis added 28 And we have known that to those loving God all things do work together for good, to those who are called according to purpose; 29 because whom He did foreknow, He also did fore-appoint, conformed to the image of His Son, that he might be first-born among many brethren; 30 and whom He did fore-appoint, these also He did call; and whom He did call, these also He declared righteous; and whom He declared righteous, these also He did glorify. As we contemplate the activities of the day both in our personal lives as well as the things we see happening around the world, it gives us pause. All types of messages are being sent. Each with it’s own agenda…. Which one is God’s message? So, if all things work together for the good of those who love Him, we must first ask: 1. Do we truly love Him? (Those who love me, keep my Commandments, says the Lord. See John 14: 15-31) Are you keeping His Commandments by loving God with all your heart, soul and mind? Are you truly loving your neighbors as you love yourself? Or are you picking and choosing? Do you forgive readily? Do you die to flesh daily? Do you pray and study? Do you worship Him in Spirit and in Truth? 2.If we are in alignment, we must then ask, God, in prayer, what He is doing? We know that the Bible contains prophetic declarations. But we need Holy Spirit to unlock the scriptures and reveal where we are at and what we need to do in keeping with God’s Divine Plan. Above all, as Believers, we must have fixed in our mind that there is no need to walk in fear, because God is in control and He is ever mindful of those who love Him. His eye is upon you. Know that all things are working together for your good.
GOD IS LOVE 7 Beloved, let’s love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 He who doesn’t love doesn’t know God, for God is love. 1 John 4:8 (World English Bible) Have you ever loved someone? Anyone? I mean truly loved. Remember, real love requires passion, zeal and sacrifice, among other things. But, to have these elements, you must be close. You must have knowledge, intimate knowledge of that other person. If you do not, than you are loving something that is not real. God is real. Before we can truly love another (and not a personality or concept/image that we have imagined in our mind) we must know God, intimately. Because to know God… Is to know love, because God is Love. He does not just love. He IS Love. Sadly, there are many who do not know real Love. You will likely encounter quite a few of them as you move through life. It is a sad thing to watch, but please learn to recognize it in yourself and others. This will move you to pray earnestly, even when those with unloving spirits, have not been kind to you. Stay in Love. Stay in Him.
HE REJOICES OVER YOU! 17 Yahweh, your God, is among you, a mighty one who will save. He will rejoice over you with joy. He will calm you in his love. He will rejoice over you with singing. ( Zephaniah 3:17) In this scripture, God is talking to YOU! He is talking to His people, those who have drawn nigh unto Him. Those who He has called and they have answered “Yes, Lord”. So… let’s meditate on the fact that God loves you. It is a fact, not a possibility. I know that this can be difficult for some to truly believe, and understandably so. The enemy is consistent and persistent in his work to keep us separated from God. He has many weapons at his disposal, but the spirit of fear and the unloving spirits seem to be among his most effective ones. So, we must cement The Truth in our hearts. Today, understand that you are desired and treasured by the most powerful being on earth. Read this scripture over and over. All of us have heard the deceptive words of the enemy at some point in our lives. They appear as “thoughts”, and too often we entertain them, not thinking about who is sending these “thoughts” our way. Lies that have had us second guessing ourselves and our value as a human- wondering how God can love us through bad decisions, ungodly behaviors, broken marriages and more. Many times it is that search God’s overwhelming Love that leads us down dark paths away from God. Anything that makes you believe that you do not have value and worth is a LIE. God created you and He does NOT make junk. But, sometimes, recognizing who you really are is hard to see if you do not have enough light. Today, lean into the Light. Allow yourself to soak up The Truth that God loves YOU.
YOUR BEGINNING Psalm 139 was written as a song written to God by David, the man after God’s own heart. The passage is often quoted…. But let’s focus on 2 verses: 13 and 14. Psalm 139:13-14 (World English Bible) 13 For you formed my inmost being. You knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I will give thanks to you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful. My soul knows that very well. Did you read that? Now quietly read it again out loud… as you speak to God the Father… God the Creator. As much as parents like to take creditor for the wonder of children, we are the carriers of the gift that God has designed and placed in us. It is God Himself who formed us… designed us…developed and packed us with gifts. No one could have put together such an amazing and complex package, except God. Think of the things your body does without you telling it. Breathing…digesting food . . . hair that just appears . . . a heart that beats … How amazing is the integration of so many different and distinct systems in your body that all work together in unity! A body that moves in sync with your moods and thoughts. A body that has a spirit that can override your moods and thoughts and lead you in many different paths… holy or unholy. Take time to ponder on this… and most importantly, understand that God Himself laid hands on you before anyone one else. He was there, in your beginning.
HIS MASTERPIECE 10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Ephesians 2: 10 NLT So let’s just pause for a moment and take this all in. Repeat this outloud. Focus on that first sentence for a little bit. Some of us have been through enough life trauma and challenges to find this hard to apply to ourselves, even though we encourage others to grav ahold of this Truth. We are God’s Masterpiece. Put your name in the first sentence instead of “we are”. . . or say “I am”. This is especially important when you are going through a time of self doubt…. When things do not look so great and you feel like you have disappointed others. Just pause. We are God’s masterpiece. God created many substances, beings and things. Everything that is, was created by Him. But, we are His masterpieces. This does not mean that we are perfect in all of our ways from conception on…. No, we are not God, but we are His Masterpieces. We are a complex creation created by His Hand with the ability to duplicate elements of the Father as we learn, stretch and grow. Do not let the enemy convince you otherwise. You are God’s Masterpiece, created in and through His Beloved Son, our King and Savior, Yeshua! Hallelujah! Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.