Meditate on These Things
Jan 01 3:17 AM

Meditate on These Things

Jan 01 3:17 AM
Jan 01 3:17 AM

Meditate on These Things

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.

Philippians 4:8

With all that is going on in the world, it is easy for your mind to be filled with all sorts of negative images and worries. If you spend too much time watching the nightly news and the political pundits, you will get the sense the world is falling apart. The constant bombardment of negativity may be taking a toll on your psyche. It is difficult to experience God’s peace, joy, and truth when you are constantly confronted with the world’s chaos, misery, and deception.

There are few things more satisfying than making a delicious dish for friends and family, but if you put the wrong ingredients into a recipe, the resulting meal will not be what was desired.  Even if you use the necessary ingredients but in the wrong proportion, the result will not be what was desired either. This principle is also true in our spiritual lives. If you put the wrong things into your mind and spirit, you will not produce the fruit that God desires for His children. For this reason, you must be careful that you are not filling your mind with unhealthy ingredients. Instead, you must fill your mind with things that are true, holy, and good.

Take care that you do not allow seemingly innocuous activities, habits, behaviors, and thought patterns to interfere with your spiritual growth.  Instead, focus on whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy.  Fix your mind on things of God and extract from your thoughts things that do not please God. Notice that Paul’s instruction in this verse is in the affirmative. In other words, setting your mind on the right things does not happen without effort. It requires intentionality to direct your thoughts on what is healthy and away from what is harmful. The best way to do this is by committing yourself to prayer, Bible study, meditation, worship, and authentic community with other believers.

Make sure you are filling your mind and spirit with the right mix of ingredients that are profitable for your soul. Divert your attention to things that are holy, healthy, and helpful so that you might grow to become more effective in your walk with God.

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Keshia Billups

I was just speaking with a friend about our thoughts. How there is power in our thoughts and how it is important to think positive even when it is extremely hard and everything surrounding you is negative. This is devotion is confirmation and encouragement for me. In encouraging others to be positive I realized my thoughts in my life were becoming negative. I was tired and needed refueling. I am so excited for this fast! I need the refueling for my spirit, mind and body. Thank you Derin!

Posted on Fri, Jan 1, 2021 @ 12:14 PM CST

Victoria Clegg

Great start to the year!!!

Posted on Fri, Jan 1, 2021 @ 2:36 PM CST

Victoria Clegg

Great start to the year!!!

Posted on Fri, Jan 1, 2021 @ 3:28 PM CST

Deanna Kelly

Great Word

Posted on Fri, Jan 1, 2021 @ 3:31 PM CST

Cathy Austin

I was casting down the wrong imagination before I started reading this scripture. I commend you in the way you made it so plain to understand. I got to intentionally direct my thoughts to healthy thinking. Great point to highlight.

Posted on Sat, Jan 2, 2021 @ 8:13 AM CST

Brenda Madison

Thank you so much for those words so well spoken. We input so much information in our heads on a day-to-day basis that for me it gets to be overwhelming. So I have to shut down my brain to the news, radio and other modes of repetitive communication. I don't need to hear the same news over and over again in the same day. I change the channel and put on something more light and uplifting. What we put in our minds definitely has an impact on our well being. Thank you for that message. God Bless.

Posted on Sat, Jan 2, 2021 @ 6:14 PM CST

Barbara Love

How blessed to start consecration off meditating on the goodness of Jesus Christ our Lord! I was truly blessed with this devotional... Thank you Minister Dickerson

Posted on Sun, Jan 3, 2021 @ 3:20 AM CST

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Finish Well, Finish Strong
Jan 31 12:38 AM

Finish Well, Finish Strong

Jan 31 12:38 AM
Jan 31 12:38 AM

By Loretta Shelton and Pastor Marlin Harris

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”

2 Timothy 4:7

The Apostle Paul uses an illustration in 2 Timothy 4:7 reminiscent of competing in the Roman Olympic games in order to demonstrate the Christian believer’s life of faithfulness.  He says, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”

What is remarkable is that Paul makes these comments while imprisoned in a Roman jail knowing he is at the end of his life, and consequently at the end of his God-given mission.  Throughout Paul’s Christian journey, he remained steadfast and loyal to his calling, despite the unimaginable obstacles and perils that he faced.  Paul remained faithful to his ministry for the sake of Christ by fighting what he called “the good fight of faith” (2 Timothy 4:7). This means he maintained a godly character, lived by Biblical principles, and was unwavering in his faith and trust in God.  This characterized Paul’s life regardless of the unpleasant circumstances that he was often attacked with.  He did not rely on his past service, but he persevered and served God until crossing the finish line at the end of his ministry on earth.

Like the Apostle Paul, we must live this Christian life with the same convictions and fortitude as the athletes who were competing in the Roman games.  Christians must run the race, fight the good fight, and endure hardships valiantly, in order to receive the prize of an incorruptible crown that never fades away. The qualifications required to receive this coveted prize are to run lawfully and diligently until we finish. Running this race means honoring God with our hearts and bodies, developing a character that looks more and more like Christ each day, and living a life that pleases our Father, and is worthy of the great redemption that we have been graced to receive.   We must start, run, and then finish the race.  We will finish, because no believer ever runs the race of his life alone.  The Lord Jesus Christ runs with us, and He will get us to the finish line, if we stay the course and “finish well and finish strong”. 

When you are running the race of life there are a few things you want to be sure to do.  First of all, you must be spiritually prepared for the journey.  This spiritual preparation is impossible without being filled  with the Holy Spirit, for which there is no substitute.  The scripture is clear that we are to be empowered by the Holy Spirit if we hope to accomplish anything in this life that brings glory to God. The Spirit of God empowers us with wisdom, strength, and godliness that causes the blessings of God to rest upon our journey.  He alone conditions our hearts to endure the pain of the race, and to not turn back or give up before we reach the finish line.

Secondly, we must endure the necessary disciplines needed to prepare us for the rigor of the race we are to run.  When runners prepare for lengthy marathons they will often spend months preparing themselves physically for that one race.  They will attempt smaller races and work their legs and test their endurance with exercise regimens.  They do this so that when they are in the ‘big’ race, they will have the strength to finish.  Finishing our Christian race is more about the strength of our spirit than it is about the desire we may have in our hearts.  Many people start out with Christ, and they desire greatly to finish, but they have not developed the spiritual strength to endure the trials and tests that befall them along their journey and they, sadly, fall away. 

Jesus speaks about this reality in Matthew 13:1-9 when He shares the Parable of the Sower, where he outlines four different scenarios of seed-planting.  One of his 4 scenarios involves a farmer who sowed his seeds in soil that was cluttered with rocks. He says that the soil received the seed quickly, but because the ground had not been tilled and prepared, the rocks were too numerous in the soil and made the soil depth shallow.  Soon the seed died in the soil because there was no depth created by tilling.  This is what happens to any of us who set out to run this Christian race, and we have not had the hard, stony rocks in our hearts, minds, and habits broken up and tilled away.  Without the discipline of dedicated study of the Word of God, the daily practice of prayer, and regular worship and thanksgiving to God, we will not be able to break those hard rocks that have settled into our hearts and have made them resistant and impervious to the convictions and truths of the Word of God.

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, every sincere believer must have an ardent and passionate desire to finish their race well.  God placed that desire in your heart when you gave your hearts to the Lord Jesus Christ.  The only way to satisfy that aching and longing in your soul to finish well is to daily discipline your life with the Spiritual practices of prayer, worship, and time in the Word.  As you attend to the things of God, He will attend to the cares and desires of your heart.  Let’s lay aside the weights and the many distractions, and run this race with all we have so that when we are finished, we will feel our Master’s embrace and hear him say, “Well done”.

PRAYER

Holy Father, we all have our own individual race to run.  May You grant us the strength and the conviction to run our race well.  Remove the hindrances from our path, and unchain our feet from the heavy weights and burdens that have weighed us down.  Lord, grant us the freedom to run and not get weary, and to walk and not faint.  In Jesus’ Strong Name, I pray.  Amen.

SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINE

Spend today surveying your life to determine what are those weights and distractions that make it difficult for you to finish your race well.  Consider those challenges, temptations, and tests that you are engaged in daily, and actively name them before the Lord, and make the decision to do whatever is necessary to lay them aside.  Seek the Lord for His strength and lean upon the Holy Spirit for His guidance.

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