Godlike or Godly?

Special Devotional: Read Psalm 1: 1-3

A long time ago, I once heard an old preacher share from the pulpit, these words that still stick with me today; "The higher and deeper that you go, the lower you bend your knee and the tighter you clasp your palms!" They were simple, yet they made such a profound affect on my life.

In today's world, we find many Christians being elevated to celebrity status and right there into the spotlight because of looks, charisma and charm. Music artists, Worship Leaders, Pastors, Influencers, all across the social media who 'profess' Jesus have suddenly popped up like dormant seed in a desert, waiting for the rain, and you get them a 'dime a dozen', literally! Many have begun to fall away or go awry, concocting their own brand of theology or re-interpreting scriptures to suit their modern day lifestyle. Thus with the arrivals of such controversy, mediocre and wrong teachings, what then do we need to do? How can we sift through the tempting inaccuracies of prosperity teachings, the denial of the Trinity and so forth?

Today's passage reminds us that a steadfast and sure-focused heart can never be moved and the conditions of such a disciple: "He delights in the Law of the LORD"; "On THAT Law he meditates day AND Night!".

In my early years I struggled to figure out what "day and night" meant. Did I have to quit my job and sign up to join a silent retreat and lock the door forever behind me? Or did I run away to some obscure place and get lost forever, just to be with the LORD?

I believe the key is in verse 3, which firmly tells us that we must be "like a tree, planted by the streams of water..." Such trees, are always refreshed and growing because they are always so close to the continual source of water. Such trees begin to sink their roots so deep into the earth that they become stable and sturdy and cannot be moved. Thus to meditate "day and night" is not a call to quit your job but rather to spend real quality time with Him, to delight in God's Word, so much so that when you set off for work or whatever you need to do, we are still chewing on what we read in our devotions and worship. THINK of a cow chewing on its cud. (Did you know a cow spends 8 hours a day chewing their cud? That's around 30,000 chews per day! She is regurgitating a bolus of food in her mouth, which she re-chews and re-swallows over and over.)

Think it over

How far have your sunk your roots in His Word? Can you say you're actually growing? Is spending time with the LORD a chore or do you delight in doing it? If you feel repelled to draw closer, seek out a fellow Christian who can walk alongside with you and help you grow.

but his delight is in the law of the Lord,

and on his law he meditates day and night.

Psalm 1: 2