The sharing we had about Ecclesiastes in my Through the Bible reading group — as well as my life at the moment — caused me to go searching in The Purpose Driven Life for a favorite part (chapter 11):
But meditation is simply focused thinking — a skill anyone can learn and use anywhere.
When you think about a problem over and over in your mind, that’s called worry. When you think about God’s Word over and over in your mind, that’s meditation. If you know how to worry [Robin raises her hand and nods], you already know how to meditate! You just need to switch your attention from your problems to Bible verses. The more you meditate on God’s Word, the less you will have to worry about.
The deepest level of worship is praising God in spite of pain, thanking God during a trial, trusting him when tempted, surrendering while suffering, and loving him when he seems distant.
Daniel 3:17-18
“If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”Job 13:15
“Though He slay me, I will hope in Him.
Nevertheless I will argue my ways before Him.”Habakkuk 3:17-19
Though the fig tree should not blossom,
And there be no fruit on the vines,
Though the yield of the olive should fail,
And the fields produce no food,
Though the flock should be cut off from the fold,
And there be no cattle in the stalls,
Yet I will exult in the LORD,
I will rejoice in the God of my salvation.
The Lord GOD is my strength,
And He has made my feet like hinds’ feet,
And makes me walk on my high places.Deuteronomy 10:21
He is your praise and He is your God, who has done these great and awesome things for you which your eyes have seen.[All verses above from the NASB]
So that’s where I’m at today. Jesus is my praise and He is my God, and I will praise Him, no matter what.
In the grip of His grace,
Robin
