Building my life on Gods Word Part 4 (Mind)

We kicked off our NEW series this past Sunday "40 Days in the Word." You can listen to the podcast at http://www.wyandottefamily.com/listen.html or you can download it from iTunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/wyandotte-family-church/id478735158We talked about using our five senses to build our lives on the Bible. We spent the morning going over “hearing God’s Word or receiving it with our ears.” 

The previous 2 BLOGS were about receiving God's word through our “Sight, Hands & Mouth” TODAY lets take a look at receiving Gods word with our mind.

The fourth way to build my life on the Bible is I review and remember with my mind.

I review the Word of God and I remember the Word of God with my mind.

The Bible says this in James 1:25 “The man who looks intently [that’s reading] into the perfect law and continues to do this, [that’s reviewing] not forgetting what he’s heard… [that’s remembering] he will be blessed in what he does.”

If you’re going to be blessed in what you do you’ve got to learn how to review and remember with your mind. 

Review – you continually do this, you’re pondering, you’re thinking about it over and over and you’re remembering, not forgetting.

If you’re serious about being spiritually strong and mature, you don’t want to be a spiritual baby any more.  You don’t want to be a spiritual wimp.  You don’t want to still be on the bottle ten years from now and dependent on others feeding you.  If You want to be a godly man, you want to be a godly woman.  If You want to be spiritually and emotionally strong.  The single greatest habit you can develop is the habit of memorizing Scripture.  By hiding the Word in your heart.  By putting it in your mind.

Why?  Because when you need the Bible, it’s never around.  When you’re tempted you don’t have a Bible open or by your side. Even if you have the YOUVERSION app on your phone or tablet, it probably won’t get open quick enough.  When you’re talking to others about Jesus and sharing your faith, when you’re under stress, when you need comfort, when you have a crisis there’s often not a Bible open. However, if you have it in your mind, you can remember it, review it, pray it and speak it right then.

What if you say,” But I have a terrible memory.  I can’t remember anything.”  The reality (which I hate by the way) is that we often remember what’s important to us and what we work hard for.  We remember the phone numbers that are important to us.  We remember the dates that are important to us.  Somebody says, “I can’t remember anything!”  But you can quote me songs from the 1970s, 1980’s or 1990’s.  Or you know a baseball statistics on your favorite player.  Or you know stock quotes. We often remember what’s important.

Memory is a skill that you can get good at.  We’re going to teach you some simple ways to improve your memory during the 40 Days in the Word Home Groups.  Memory is like a muscle and you can actually get better at it.  You may have a terrible memory but you can improve your memory.  Actually memorizing Scripture will cause your brain to have a stronger memory in other areas.  Study after study has shown this.  That if you will learn to memorize Scripture it actually develops your memory.  You’ll have a better memory in other areas too.

During 40 Days in the Word we’re going to memorize one simple verse a week on the weekends together so that you know these.  Because when you need them then God can call them to mind. 

You can’t review it unless you remember it.  In other words, if I get in bed at night I can think about it because I’ve remembered that verse.  If I’m driving to an appointment I can think about it because I remember that verse.  But if I haven’t memorized any verse then I can’t remember and review it.

In the Bible there’s a word for what we’re talking about here.  The skill of remembering and reviewing is called “meditation.”  That’s all mediation is.  Meditation is simply remembering and reviewing the Scripture in your mind.  That’s all it means.

This word is so misunderstood.  Many people don’t understand meditation.  They’re scared of it.  Like it’s some New Age thing.  No.  No!  Even some well-meaning Christians have said we shouldn’t meditate.  They’re talking about a time when you sit in a lotus position and put your mind in neutral and contemplate the lint in your navel and go ommm.  That’s not going to get you where you want to go.  But if you learn to remember and review the Bible then you can do it anywhere.

Why this is so important? 

Joshua 1:8 “Do not let this Book of the Law [that’s the Bible – God’s law, God’s Word] depart from your mouth;[that means talk about it all the time] meditate on it [how often?]  day and night, [circle the word “meditate.”  God tells you, God commands you to mediate on the Bible day and night, in other words when you’re eating, when you’re sleeping, when you’re drinking, when you’re playing, when you’re running...] so that you will be careful to do everything written in it.  Then you will be [underline these] prosperous and successful.”

The only promise of prosperity and success in the Bible is this verse.  And God says if you do what I tell you to do in this verse you will be prosperous.  You will be successful.

I didn’t say that!  God said it.  You will be prosperous and successful. And what does he say?  If you meditate on my Word day and night.  In other words you remember it and you review it.  If you remember it and review it, you will be successful in all you do.

This is so important.  In our home groups we are going to teach you the six ways to meditate on Scripture.  So you’re going to want to be in a home group to get that.  Because that’s the key to being prosperous and successful – meditating on the Word of God so then you can do it, so you think about it constantly.

This blog was adapted from Rick Warren’s thoughts from the 40 Days in the Word Campaign