Spiritual Disciplines Meditate on God's Word

 

Hello everybody, my name is Dean Davis and this is “Multiply,” the podcast that provides a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters. 

When I was a young Christian, I loved the moments when I saw the Holy Spirit at work in dramatic ways. I loved to see people experience salvation.  I was delighted when people quickly and dramatically yielded their lives to Christ.  But I am so thankful that I was taught as second, less dramatic way the Holy Spirit works in the lives of the people of God.

God works in us through activities which seem rather ordinary and simple.  We call spiritual activities carried out regularly by ordinary believers “Spiritual disciplines.”  Spiritual disciplines include regular prayer, fasting, and study and mediation upon the word of God. These activities are not dramatic.  They are not spectacular.  Sometimes when we practice spiritual disciplines, we are moved with emotion, but many times, we are not. Even so, spiritual disciplines are life giving for the child of God.

As a church planter, it is your privilege to see God work in dramatic ways to save and heal.  Praise the Lord! Continue to exercise faith for him to work in power by granting salvation, healing and deliverance.  But makes sure you do not neglect God’s transforming work through the spiritual disciplines.  Allow him to work in you through quiet moments of prayer and meditation on the word of God.  

The Apostle Paul rejoiced when he saw the transforming work of the word of God in the lives of new believers in Thessalonica.  He wrote in I Thessalonians 2:11 – 13, “For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting, and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory. And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe.” 

Paul knew that “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” He remembered God’s promise to Joshua, “Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. (Joshua 1:8)

Church planter, do your people know and understand that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God? Have they learned to read a passage of God’s word every day so they can allow it to minister to them?  Do they listen to audio Bible stories daily or view segments of the Jesus Film in their local language on a smart phone?  Are they memorizing God’s word?

Let me encourage you to teach your people the spiritual discipline of meditating on God’s word daily.  As you do, you, like church planter Paul will see the word of God at work in those who believe.

This has been “Multiply,” and I’m Dean Davis asking, “Who will you share this encouraging word with today?

#EncouragementForVillageChurchPlanters #MeditateOnTheWord