“Good Meditation”

Scripture:

Philippians 4:8
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. (NKJV)

Observation:

The apostle Paul is telling the believers in Philippi that living in this out-of-control world has a way of distracting our thoughts away from the glory of God and His will for our lives. As imperfect people being bombarded daily by the lies of the Enemy, most of our anxiety really comes from not trusting in the truth that is found in the Lord our God, Jesus Christ. Because of our many natural weaknesses most of us tend to trust more in the things of this fallen world rather than trusting in the Creator of life. All things that are true and noble and just and pure and lovely originated from the LORD Himself, for these are the characteristics that radiate who He is and His perfect attributes will never change.

Application:

It is these kinds of godly characteristics that He wants us to develop for both our benefit and for the sake of His Kingdom. Because this ungodly world thrives on deceit and untruths, and the world’s dirt and scandal, and sexual immorality and perversion, and shameless self-seeking gain, it has never been, nor will it ever be an easy task to meditate only on those things that are truly praiseworthy--that is, the admirable things of God. Satan and this fallen world will do everything in their power to draw us away from the goodness of God and all that He stands for. But the truth is, my friends, when you praise the Lord and glorify His mighty deeds, praying for His sovereign power to help you stay focused on those things that edify His character, He will put deep into your heart the desire to become the kind of person that He wants you to be. And in the process, the anxiety and worry that once consumed both your thoughts and your life will steadily be lifted away and replaced with the joy and peace that can only come from Heaven; praiseworthy things that you will find hard to keep to yourself (Psalm 31:1-5).

Prayer:

I ask You, dear Lord, to help me keep my eyes on You, the giver of life and all that is good. You have given me the wisdom to know that I need to rely on You alone to survive in this world that hates You, Your followers, and everything You are. I know that because of who You are and what You have accomplished that I, too, can overcome this hard and difficult world to find true peace and joy that will get me through anything this fallen world can throw at me.

Amen