What has become your way of "doing business" everyday? If you are me, your first stop is likely going to be somewhere in the kitchen to make your morning beverage of choice - coffee, tea, cocoa, or perhaps a smoothee. Then you may head to your favorite spot to enjoy it and read, contemplate, or commune with a family member for a while. Eventually, you might get around to a little time of prayer, reading, and listening to God. Hopefully you make him part of how you 'do business' everyday! Following his decrees is just going to make your 'business' be a whole lot better!
Your decrees have been the theme of my songs wherever I have lived. I reflect at night on who you are, O Lord; therefore, I obey your instructions. This is how I spend my life: obeying your commandments.(Psalm 119:54-56)
David had made following God's decrees (his Word) his way of "doing business". He had a lot of choices (as do we) in dealing with the stress of life, as do we. His choice was to turn to God. Wherever he was "living" - there God was in his midst - right down to the songs he sang. Have you ever noticed how easy it is to remember a passage of scripture when it is set to song? Think about some of the praise and worship songs you sing in your church. Many come from the psalms and are really portions of scripture. We are moved by those songs - because the Word of God was meant to be rehearsed until it had impact in our lives. Songs will do that - they get into the core of our being. That is why we find ourselves hearing a little bit of a song and then we "can't get it out of our head".
David reflects often and frequently on God's Word. It is in this reflection that most of the impact is made in his life. This is the idea of "pondering" - turning over, reconsidering, taking it in time and time again. It is in the "pondering" that the reflection of Christ becomes evident in our lives. To reflect is to allow the reproduction of what is beheld. As we take the time to behold our Lord, we will begin to notice that there is evidence of that reflection apparent in our lives - it is evident in the actions that reflection produces. A mirror is meant to return a reflected image of what is beheld. Look long enough into the Word and you will begin to see the image of God - not just there, but beginning to reflect in your life actions.
Reflection helps to get us to the point of obedience. The product, or result, of reflecting upon Jesus is a change in our activity. We move from a place of self-direction into a place of absolute reliance upon God. We gravitate toward choices that will build up our spirit rather than tear or weigh it down - things that end up damaging us and keeping us bound no longer appeal to us. We tend to display love and mercy, as it has been displayed to us in the reflection we see of Christ. I will make no excuses for myself here - obedience is not always my first choice in life. Neither is it yours! It is in the continual reflection upon God's Word that my choices are changed - it can work for you, as well.
Life doesn't just happen; it is orchestrated and planned out in the moments we take in reflection upon God's Word. Look again at what David says - your laws are the songs I sing where I am living. We need an "orchestra" leader to pull together all the parts of our lives into some ordered symphony of praise! Without some "leadership", the "parts" are just that - parts. When God leads our lives, the "parts" become a "symphony" of praise and adoration - they bring honor to the one who orchestrates the parts! The 'orchestra' doesn't just play - there are lots and lots of times of 'rehearsal' - times when they think through the music and begin to practice it until it is perfect. We need times of 'rehearsal' - reflection helps us notice when a 'note' is just out of tune in our lives.
Reflect upon who God is. Not just on what God does, but on who he is. When we come to understand the character of God, we often see the flaws of those we have been influenced by in our past living. Those influences may not have produced good things within our lives, but God always does! It is one thing to think highly and praise someone for doing good stuff. It is quite another to appreciate, honor, and reverence someone because of the good that makes up their character. David got to know the character of God in the wee hours of the night - in the times of quiet reflection upon what he experienced that day. In the failures of our day, God's reflection returned back to us is always that of mercy. In the moments of anger or frustration, God's reflection back to us is peace and love. In the times of wrong choices, God's reflection back to us is a new start. No wonder David finds reflection such a rewarding and uplifting pursuit!
If we struggle with "getting to" a place of obedience in our lives, perhaps we could begin where David did - in times of reflecting upon God. He clearly says that obedience was an outcome of seeing things through God's eyes - that is what reflection really is. When you look into a mirror, you are seeing what others see! When we look into Jesus, we are seeing what he sees! So, gaze on! Reflect until the reflection you see is that of Jesus in you! Just lookin!
Your decrees have been the theme of my songs wherever I have lived. I reflect at night on who you are, O Lord; therefore, I obey your instructions. This is how I spend my life: obeying your commandments.(Psalm 119:54-56)
David had made following God's decrees (his Word) his way of "doing business". He had a lot of choices (as do we) in dealing with the stress of life, as do we. His choice was to turn to God. Wherever he was "living" - there God was in his midst - right down to the songs he sang. Have you ever noticed how easy it is to remember a passage of scripture when it is set to song? Think about some of the praise and worship songs you sing in your church. Many come from the psalms and are really portions of scripture. We are moved by those songs - because the Word of God was meant to be rehearsed until it had impact in our lives. Songs will do that - they get into the core of our being. That is why we find ourselves hearing a little bit of a song and then we "can't get it out of our head".
David reflects often and frequently on God's Word. It is in this reflection that most of the impact is made in his life. This is the idea of "pondering" - turning over, reconsidering, taking it in time and time again. It is in the "pondering" that the reflection of Christ becomes evident in our lives. To reflect is to allow the reproduction of what is beheld. As we take the time to behold our Lord, we will begin to notice that there is evidence of that reflection apparent in our lives - it is evident in the actions that reflection produces. A mirror is meant to return a reflected image of what is beheld. Look long enough into the Word and you will begin to see the image of God - not just there, but beginning to reflect in your life actions.
Reflection helps to get us to the point of obedience. The product, or result, of reflecting upon Jesus is a change in our activity. We move from a place of self-direction into a place of absolute reliance upon God. We gravitate toward choices that will build up our spirit rather than tear or weigh it down - things that end up damaging us and keeping us bound no longer appeal to us. We tend to display love and mercy, as it has been displayed to us in the reflection we see of Christ. I will make no excuses for myself here - obedience is not always my first choice in life. Neither is it yours! It is in the continual reflection upon God's Word that my choices are changed - it can work for you, as well.
Life doesn't just happen; it is orchestrated and planned out in the moments we take in reflection upon God's Word. Look again at what David says - your laws are the songs I sing where I am living. We need an "orchestra" leader to pull together all the parts of our lives into some ordered symphony of praise! Without some "leadership", the "parts" are just that - parts. When God leads our lives, the "parts" become a "symphony" of praise and adoration - they bring honor to the one who orchestrates the parts! The 'orchestra' doesn't just play - there are lots and lots of times of 'rehearsal' - times when they think through the music and begin to practice it until it is perfect. We need times of 'rehearsal' - reflection helps us notice when a 'note' is just out of tune in our lives.
Reflect upon who God is. Not just on what God does, but on who he is. When we come to understand the character of God, we often see the flaws of those we have been influenced by in our past living. Those influences may not have produced good things within our lives, but God always does! It is one thing to think highly and praise someone for doing good stuff. It is quite another to appreciate, honor, and reverence someone because of the good that makes up their character. David got to know the character of God in the wee hours of the night - in the times of quiet reflection upon what he experienced that day. In the failures of our day, God's reflection returned back to us is always that of mercy. In the moments of anger or frustration, God's reflection back to us is peace and love. In the times of wrong choices, God's reflection back to us is a new start. No wonder David finds reflection such a rewarding and uplifting pursuit!
If we struggle with "getting to" a place of obedience in our lives, perhaps we could begin where David did - in times of reflecting upon God. He clearly says that obedience was an outcome of seeing things through God's eyes - that is what reflection really is. When you look into a mirror, you are seeing what others see! When we look into Jesus, we are seeing what he sees! So, gaze on! Reflect until the reflection you see is that of Jesus in you! Just lookin!
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