Sunday, March 4, 2018

Keep Company With The Word - Meditate



Joshua 1:8 (NKJV)
This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.
Emphasis Mine

It tells you what to do and how often you should do it. When you meditate on the Word day and night, it will help reshape your thought pattern. Your thought pattern will be that which Philippians 4:8 has to say;

Philippians 4:8 (NKJV)
Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.

How do you keep company with the Word through meditation? The Hebrew translation of the word meditation suggests that meditation requires that you utter words, you mutter words, you ponder on words, Amen!

It is not possible to meditate without studying because meditation requires that you ponder, mutter and utter on the words you have studied for yourself. So, as you study and begin meditating, you will be keeping company with the Word and subsequently, the results will be evident. Amen.




Keep Company With The Word - Study


When you choose to keep company with the Word, you are in other words keeping company with God Himself.
John 1:1 (NKJV)
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Emphasis Mine

Study the scriptures for yourself. Yes! It is necessary to listen to others, read from others, watch others, say what others say, and more. However, remember that you owe yourself and your generation the responsibility to study the word and establish a solid foundation based on your knowledge of the Word. No one else can do this for you, irrespective of how much they love you.
Challenge yourself this season to
-Invest in a hard copy of a study bible. Get a translation that you best understand.
It is okay to use digital bibles, however, be very careful not to abandon your spiritual mental exercises to technology. Amen! Commit Scriptures to memory.
-Get acquainted with your bible by at least knowing all 66 books of the bible and how they are divided between the Old and New Testaments.
-Do some background work in order to know why each book of the bible was written and whom it was written to.
-Get yourself a good notebook and pen.
-Then begin your journey of studying the Word as directed.
I thought it will be necessary to take care of the elementary aspects of getting prepared to study the word.
We will examine the lives of two outstanding biblical character leaders – Ezra and Daniel. They are great examples of people whom the Bible records as studying scriptures for themselves.

Ezra 7:10 (NIV)
For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the Lord, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel.
Emphasis Mine

One thing we must know about Ezra is that he was an outstanding leader in His time. Leading and teaching the children of Israel the Word. Ezra kept company with the Word. He devoted himself to the study of the Law of the Lord.

What about Daniel? A great leader in His time and served at least 4kings as a result of the wisdom of God in Him. He could do so because he kept company with the Word.

Daniel 9:2 (NIV)
in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the Lord given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years.
Emphasis Mine

How else could he have known that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years? And that it had been revealed to the Prophet Jeremiah in the past? Until that time, God had been hiding that particular information for Daniel, in the scriptures.
Scripture is where the Lord hides things for us not from us. That is why Proverbs 25:2 (NKJV) states; It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, But the glory of kings is to search out a matter.


As you devote time to study just like Ezra and Daniel did, do some research alongside that will help give you a better understanding of the subject matter. In summary, studying is one way to keep company with the Word. Devote time to study the Word; gain understanding from scriptures so that you can know the things that the Lord is hiding for you. Amen.

Conclusion

There is an endless list of individuals in scriptures who served as instruments of change in the lives of others. The frequency of th...