Psalms 1:2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.

 

Psalms 119:97 O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day.

 

(I don't know about you, but I haven't been able to do this  -  or at least not able to do it the way I think it means.

So, no matter what else was going on, like the Philistines coming against them, what was David thinking about?

Were the only thoughts he had at that moment, about descendants of Shem, Ham, and Japheth in Genesis 10?

Or perhaps his only thoughts were about which fish and fowls could be eaten, or not eaten, in Leviticus 11?

Is that what it means?  Or am I thinking about these verses wrong, like thinking wrongly about:)

 

I Thessalonians 5:17 Pray without ceasing.

 

(Does that mean: don't say anything else, to anyone else, but stay on your knees making requests?

Isn't it more like: don't give up praying for someone, or for something?

Sure, but self-interpreting the verse the wrong way can be excruciatingly discouraging, and may even keep us from praying.)

 

(It's one thing for someone in the old testament, living under the law, wondering what David meant by, "my meditation all the day".

It's even wilder for a new testament Christian to wonder about it, since we live in completely different circumstances.)

 

(The world is in something like a dream state, that's all they see, and that's all they know.)

 

I John 5:19b and the whole world lieth in wickedness.

 

II Corinthians 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

 

(The devil has blinded people to what the world actually is, which is similar to how the LORD blinded the Syrian troops:)

 

II Kings 6:18 And when they came down to him, Elisha prayed unto the LORD, and said, Smite this people, I pray thee, with blindness. And he smote them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.

  19 And Elisha said unto them, This is not the way, neither is this the city: follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom ye seek. But he led them to Samaria.

  20 And it came to pass, when they were come into Samaria, that Elisha said, LORD, open the eyes of these men, that they may see. And the LORD opened their eyes, and they saw; and, behold, they were in the midst of Samaria.

 

(However, the Syrians, even at that point, were still as blinded as the rest of the world, and had no idea of what reality was.

The servant of Elisha was given a glimpse of reality:)

 

II Kings 6:15 And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do?

  16 And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.

  17 And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.

 

(Sadly, many of us are not too different; we've been saved, but we've allowed the devil to close our eyes & to put us back to sleep.

Therefore, we are looking at the world, like everyone else is, and all we see is the dream state that they see, we don't see reality.)

 

Romans 13:11a And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep:

 

I Thessalonians 5:6a Therefore let us not sleep, as do others;

 

(Gino!   Wake up, Gino!!)

 

Ephesians 5:14 Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.

 

(The reality is not the dream state that we see, but actually:)

 

Ephesians 2:6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

 

(Even though we're here, somehow, we are also, actually there, right now, sitting with Jesus, in heavenly places!

If we are somehow there, now, what are we also doing here?

Do you realize that you are a warrior for Jesus, behind enemy lines, on a mission to rescue captives?)

 

II Timothy 2:3 Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

 

I Timothy 1:18c  that thou by them mightest war a good warfare;

 

I Timothy 6:12a Fight the good fight of faith,

 

(So, when you read of David's mighty warriors, you need to realize that you are one of them   -   for example:)

 

II Samuel 23:20 And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man, of Kabzeel, who had done many acts, he slew two lionlike men of Moab: he went down also and slew a lion in the midst of a pit in time of snow:

 

(How do you think they were able to do those impossible things they did?   They did it by the same Spirit of God that is in you.

They were called to fight a physical enemy, and to deliver Israel, you're called to fight a spiritual enemy, and to deliver captives:)

 

Matthew 16:18b  and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

 

(Most of my life I thought this meant that in the church we're safe from the enemy's attacks.

As if the gates were coming down the street to attack the church.

Gates are not offensive weapons, to attack people with, but rather defensive, to prevent people from getting in.

Those gates are trying to keep you from entering their domain, to keep you from having access to the lost people that the enemy has captive.

No, you're not hiding from the enemy, you're to take the fight to them, behind their lines, pictured by 3 of David's mighty warriors.

A critical well would not have been left outside where anyone could get to it, but presumably within the gates, protected from people getting to it:)

 

II Samuel 23:14 And David was then in an hold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem.

  15 And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!

  16 And the three mighty men brake through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem, that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David: nevertheless he would not drink thereof, but poured it out unto the LORD.

  17 And he said, Be it far from me, O LORD, that I should do this: is not this the blood of the men that went in jeopardy of their lives? therefore he would not drink it. These things did these three mighty men.

 

(But, now, the enemy are the invisible evil spirits, afflicting, tormenting, and holding captive, those people who are not saved yet.

But as you crash the gates of hell, to bring the gospel to the poor, blind, tortured souls, know that the evil spirits can't have you.

You're saved, washed in the blood, and have the Spirit of the Almighty within you - the devils cannot possess you!

The lost cannot see any of this, they only see the dream state, until they hear the gospel from you, and Jesus opens their eyes.)

 

(That's all really, really exciting, but, Gino, what on earth does that have to do with meditating on the word of God all the day?

I'm glad you asked   -   first off, what are some of the things that we know of the word of God?)

 

Psalm 138:2b  for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.

 

Ephesians 6:17b  and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

 

Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

 

Psalm 119:130 The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.

 

Matthew 4:4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

 

Job 23:12b I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.

 

Jeremiah 15:16a Thy words were found, and I did eat them;

 

(Not only is it his super weapon, but it is also where we get faith, understanding, as well as nourished and spiritually fed.

Something happens to us as his word enters us: the Spirit, by the word, grows us, and conforms us into what he wants us to be.

While Gentile Christians read of Israel's acceptable foods in Leviticus 11, far more is being transferred than only dietary knowledge.

There are great invisible, spiritual things being transferred by faith, from the word, to the Christians, as they read.

Here is a challenge for you, to read by faith, the genealogies, as well as the names of all the Levites, in I Chronicles.

It has to be done by faith, like when Peter got out of the ship to step on the water; Jesus said, "Come", & Peter trusted that word.

While you are reading those names, you are reading the word of God, and the word of God is entering into you.

Then, can you tell that you're being nourished & fed, spiritual things are being transferred to you, all in addition to learning about the LORD's love for Israel?)

 

(Then as you treasure up more and more of the word of God in your heart, it begins to transform how you think and see the world.

So, as you allow that word of God in you to affect how you are thinking and how you interact in the world, something great happens:

Your meditation grows from meditating on a verse of scripture, to being able to meditate by that same scripture.

You can begin to think more like Jesus thinks, and be able to see things more like Jesus sees them.

Then even to think on things he would rather you think about:)

 

Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

 

(But then you have someone like me, when I hear that scripture, I nod my head, and even say, "amen".

But the truth is I'm closer to the moon, than I am from keeping that scripture   -   how well are you able to do this?

To think on whatsoever things are true, from where? from the fact checkers? maybe the New York Times? or the government?

Things that are honest? someone selling you something or looking for your vote?

Just? The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals?

I'm being serious, there are very, very few things that fit this list.

Maybe you know of more things that are true, honest, and just   -   but are there enough to occupy your mind throughout the day?)

 

(So, after so many years of pretending that I agree with this scripture, but not being able to keep it, I realized something.

The only way that I'm able to keep that scripture, is to think about Jesus, himself.)

 

John 15:1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.

 

Revelation 19:11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.

 

John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

 

Acts 22:14 And he said, The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldest hear the voice of his mouth.

 

I Corinthians 6:11d  but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

 

Habakkuk 1:13a Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil,

 

Proverbs 30:5a Every word of God is pure:

 

Isaiah 53:1 Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?

  2 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.

  3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

 

Luke 8:46 And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me.

 

Psalms 22:3 But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.

 

Matthew 21:16 And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?

 

(So, what about lovely?   The Song of Solomon is a prophetic picture of Jesus and the bride of Christ.

What she says about the one she loves, ought to be a picture of how we corporately think on Jesus in the church:)

 

Song 5:9 What is thy beloved more than another beloved, O thou fairest among women? what is thy beloved more than another beloved, that thou dost so charge us?

  16 His mouth is most sweet: yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.

 

(Jesus truly is the only to keep Philippians 4:8, to either be thinking about him, or to think like him:)

 

Philippians 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

  6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

  7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

  8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

 

(The humility of Jesus is the opposite of the pride of the devil, who said that he would ascend and exalt his throne.

My besetting sin is pride, and it is keeping me from thinking like Jesus, but I believe that the Father is helping me.

Tearing off the bandages, and letting the enemy assault my pride from all angles.

But an exposed and cornered pride strikes out, and shows itself for what it really is, and I say something hurtful or not even true.

But then comes conviction, and in shame I confess to the LORD that in this thing, I'm more like the devil than I am like Jesus.

And little by little, I'm getting closer to being able to think like Jesus - which is the beauty of chastisement by a loving Father.)

 

(Hopefully, it is less difficult for you, to be able to think like Jesus, to think humbly like Jesus.

Then the more we think like Jesus, the more we will be able to even allow Jesus to think through us.

And that is when, by the word of God entered into us, by our thinking like Jesus, and even by Jesus thinking through us;

That his word, at that point, will be our meditation all the day.

We will see and think of things by and through the word of God.

And it will also be the word of God that will guide what we think of, and even how we think of something.)

 

Isaiah 26:3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.

 

Psalms 104:34 My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the LORD.

 

.