Meditation is Easy Part 2 ~ Week 5

Developing Confidence in the Word of God

We can absolutely develop confidence in the Word of God! God has even given us instruction in this week's lesson! I am so thrilled to share this!

We will start by looking at two different scriptures. Think of John 3:16, a verse we all know well. John 3:16 NIV For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

When you read this how does it feel? Now read Jeremiah 29:11-13. “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. Read each of them again slowly and see how you feel in your heart as you read. Now recite them each from memory. As you recite them out loud do you find a difference there? Do the words effect you the same in both scriptures? Have you ever meditated on John 3:16? We are looking at two scriptures in which one we know and have an understanding from meditation and the other we simply know from memory. Choose another scripture if you have a meditation understanding of John 3:16. We are looking for the outcome and benefits of meditation with this exercise. Once again recite without reading both scriptures, John 3:16 and Jeremiah 29:11-13. Do you find any differences when you say the words? Do you find God's voice stronger in Jeremiah 29:11-13? Do you feel your heart moved more in Jeremiah 29:11-13 and confident? Are you more confident in Jeremiah 29:11-13 than John 3:16? You know the words are true and know that salvation is based on John 3:16. But do you somehow feel that you learned it from the Bible or the author? Do you feel that Jeremiah 29:11-13 came to you directly from God? When I recite our Jeremiah 29:11-13 verses, as I have many, many times over the last few months, I somehow hear God's voice in it. When I begin to say, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord” I feel a certain confidence from my heart. It is strong enough that my mind is buying it. My mind has come in agreement with my heart. What did I just say? Meditation puts God's Word and promises so deep into my heart that my mind is on board. My mind is going with what my heart believes and knows. My mind wants to believe because my heart believes. That is amazing! Meditation put God's words into my heart. Now my mind wants to come into agreement with my heart. Is there still a battle with my thought life? Oh yes. You better believe it. Is it easy all the time to stop negative thoughts now? No. It is a continual battle. But that does not change the fact that we have grown in faith. It does not change the fact that we have progressed in God's Word. Look where we were before. I didn't know that verse so well or remember where it was located. I didn't know how to use it in my life. I didn't have this confident understanding and belief in it – like now! Honey I know that Jeremiah 29:11-13! I may even know Jeremiah at this point. And I know that I know that I know: God has plans for me and they are good and not harmful. That's the difference in a verse that I know from meditation and one I know from memory. That verse or verses that have come into my heart from meditation, they are confident. They are steadfast. Despite the obstacles that appear along the road of life, I know that God has a plan for me. Jeremiah 29:11-13 is stuck in my heart, and it is not leaving. My goodness it is so stuck that my mind decided to just go ahead and come in agreement with it. My meditation verses are my confidence. When asked the question: Where does my confidence lie? What do I really have confidence in day to day? I answered “God” but searched for other places to know what I might need to change in myself. It was difficult to acquire an answer. I was not sure where my confidence lies other than God. I do have a new found confidence in the words of Jeremiah 29:11-13. I do have a stronger faith and confidence in God's plans for my life. I am not sure what you learned when faced with that question, “Where is your confidence in life?” I learned that I want more confidence in life and my place here on earth. Faced with that question I realized I need more, much more. With the confidence God has given me based on Jeremiah 29:11-13, I see it is available to us. It is so very available. We just need to take it, and now we know how to take it. Meditation. Meditation is the answer. Meditation puts God's Word in our hearts. Then our mind comes to agreement with the words. So we must continue to learn more about meditation and continue to do it. We don't want to take this lesson and go on to something else. We want to incorporate it into our lives full time. We want meditation on God's Word to become a part of our day to day living. In Joshua 1:8, God told Joshua: Do no let this Book of Law depart from you mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. God wants us to meditate on his Word day and night. It will help us to be more obedient and careful to do what is says. It will help us because it will soak in our heart, and then our mind will come into agreement. Let's now return to Proverbs 3:5. Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. If trust is confidence, how do we obtain it? Well the answer is right in front of us. Confidence in God and his Word comes from hearing his Word and putting it into our hearts. Remember Romans 10:17 NKJV says: “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Confidence comes from knowing God's Word in our hearts. If we want to trust, we need his Word in our hearts. As we meditate on His words we are gaining that trust and confidence. As you meditate on the words, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart” you are actually gaining confidence in them. Just go one step further and begin to agree with this verse. Now say, “I trust in the LORD.” Say “I trust in the LORD with all my heart.” Say it no matter what you are facing, no matter what trouble has come. Say it. Say, “I trust in the LORD.” Why do I say it? Because God told me to do it. God's Word told me to trust him. He told me in Proverbs 3:5 to trust him. My first step will be to say it, declare it to be true. Do I completely feel it? No. I don't care about my feelings. I only care about God's Word. So I will declare his Word to be true in my life. As I say it more and more I will gain confidence in it. Just as I gained confidence that God has a plan for me by meditating and declaring Jeremiah 29:11-13, I will gain confidence in this as well. I know from recent experience that it works. There are no doubts in my mind that God really does have plans for me, to prosper me and give me success. I am so confident in those words in Jeremiah 29:11-13. So I know it will certainly work again. Trust comes from confidence in the Word of God. Hearing his Word and meditating on it gives you confidence in it. Trust in the LORD with all your heart. Trust in the LORD. This week know that the confidence gained from meditating on God's Word will grow your trust in Him. This week concentrate on declaring: “I trust in the LORD.” “I trust in the LORD with all my heart.” When events or trouble show up, say it. When it seems as if the rain will not stop pouring, say it. When any worry pops in for a battle, say it. When you encounter doubt and worry, as well as negative thoughts, and then you declare that you trust in the Lord, watch out. Satan can not stand it. He is not sure how to handle you now. You are declaring that you trust God despite anything. You are saying it out loud that you trust in the Lord with all your heart. Oh my, you have Satan surprised. You are showing him that his attacks don't matter. Do it! Show him! Show him you trust in the Lord. What are you going to do this week? You are going to speak these words: “I trust in the LORD with all my heart just like Proverbs 3:5 told me.” And each time I say it my confidence is growing in it. Each time I say it my confidence level goes up, my heart begins to accept it. As I say it and meditate on it, my heart makes more and more room for it to come in. Then before you know it my mind will come into agreement with my heart. Before you know it, I will trust in the LORD like I have never done before. My understanding of trust will got to a whole new realm. My trust in God will become stronger and stronger. My prayer life will be stronger and more confident. Answers to my prayers will be seen quicker and certain. Revelation will come more often. My life will start to have more meaning all because “I trust in the LORD with all my heart.” What are you going to do this week? Simple. Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Every day declare it. Often. Enjoy meditating on God's Word day and night and not letting it depart from you mouths. (Joshua 1:8)