Stevemidkiff's Blog

Meditation engages the mind

with God’s revealed truth

in order to inflame the heart

with affections towards God

And transform the life to obedience.

Thomas Hooker defined it like this:

“Meditation is a serious intention

of the mind whereby we come

to search out the truth

and settle it effectually

on the heart.”

The direction of our minds

reveals the truest love

of our hearts and so,

Hooker said,

he who loves God’s Word

meditates on it regularly

Ps. 119:97

Meditation is not repeating

a sound, emptying the mind,

or imagining physical sights

and sensations,

but Meditation

is a focused exercise of

thought and faith on the Word

of God.

When Proverbs 4:23

tells us to guard our hearts,

it’s not saying,

“Lock them up because

they’re really criminal to the core”;

it’s saying

“Defend them like a castle,

View our heart

as the seat of our strength

We don’t want to give away our heart

We protect our heart

We preserve our heart

We police our heart

We fill our heart with God’s Word

Romans 10:17 says

“Faith comes by hearing,

hearing by the word of God.”

But we need to know something else:

Doubt comes by hearing also.

That’s why Jesus said,

“Be careful what you are hearing…”

Mark 4:24, The Amplified Bible

What we plant inside our heart

grows—always.

Doubt will grow and keep us bound.

Truth will grow and make us free.

So be careful what we’re hearing.

Listen to the Word of God.

As Proverbs 4:21 says,

“Let [God’s words] not depart

from your eyes;

keep them in the middle of your heart.”

God’s Spirit says,

listen well to My words;

tune your ears to My voice.

Keep My voice in plain view at all times.

Concentrate!

Learn it by heart!

Those who discover these words live,

really live

Prayer isn’t manipulating God’s

reluctance but seizing on His

willingness.

He implores us to verbalize our

trust in Him.

An attitude of silence reveals

a disconnect of doubt toward

His loving care.

God answers our prayers not

based on our perfections.

He cares for us based on our

imperfections and total need of

Him.

We come to Him in our insecurity.

We come to Him in our weakness.

We come to Him in our pleading cries.

We don’t know what is best.

But we yield to Him knowing

He is the only One that has our best

In a contagious world, we naturally

keep our distance.

If we get too close to those who

are suffering, we might get infected

by their pain. It‘s not convenient or

comfortable to cope with others

hurts, and loses.

Gratefully Jesus is not that way.

He is full of grace

He comes close to us.

It’s only when we get close enough

to catch others hurt that they will

be close enough to catch Jesus

love and grace in us

O God, hurry and deliver us;

O LORD, race to our side.

Let those who seek our harm

be thwarted entirely.

Let every adversary of our soul

be utterly frustrated.

Let those who would gloat

Let those who exult

over our defeat be defeated.

But let all who seek You

Cause all who long for You

Make us who rejoice

to see Your design accomplished

dance and jump and sing for joy.

Let all who love your salvation

constantly exclaim, “Praise God!”

We‘re beat up

We’re lowly in heart.

We need You badly.

Run to our side, O God!

You’re the help we need,

You’re the one who saves us;

O LORD, hurry please.

Psalm 70 personalized

“He opened not His mouth.”

Isa. 53:7

Grace is required to endure

a misunderstanding

Grace is essential to receive

any unkind rejection!

Nothing exhibits our character

than to have some evil thing

said about us.

Its those unusual caustic critics

that verify if we’re pretentious

or the real deal.

If we could just grasp each

positive blessing concealed

in our trials

we‘d exclaim in praise

“Let them curse; it may be…

that the Lord will reward us good

for this cursing.”

We can get off track from God’s

design of blessings

When we erupt in grievances

against opposition.

We can become petty

and whirl into outrage

These conflicts.are like

a nest of hornets.

We may expose the nest,

at the price getting stung,

Who needs the swollen welts

God give us The Spirit of Jesus,

“who, when He was reviled,

reviled not again”;

but “committed Himself

to God who judges righteously.”

Help us meditate on Him

who endured the extreme abuse

of ridicule against Himself.”

Enjoyed the study in 1 Samuel this morning

From September 1963 to August 1967. David Janssen starred

as Dr. Richard Kimble, a physician who was wrongfully convicted.

I enjoyed that series when I was in my teens.

The drama of being on the run was incredibly intriguing.

In 1 & 2 Samuel we see David as a fugitive.

First he was running from his unstable jealous father in law Saul

Later in life he’s on the run from his own kids.

It’s amazing how God sovereignty protects and provides for David.

Many of the Psalms are poetic journaling of David’s feelings of lament

but also of his gratitude and praise for God’s rich care.

Some of his poetry is despairing.

Some of the expressions are his acknowledging his bad decisions.

But all of his Psalms are a phenomenal display of his love for the Lord.

We live in a season where the potential for us being fugitives is multiple.

There are so many things that can hound us. Do we flee? Do we escape?

Do we hide? Or is Jesus our escape and hiding place?

We can sit down in God’s presence in nonstop continuous un-interruption,

We can spend every night in El Shaddai’s shadow,

GOD, is our refuge. We trust in Him and we’re safe in His love!

He rescues us from hidden traps,

He shields us from deadly hazards.

His huge outstretched arms protect us—

In Christ’s care we’re perfectly safe;

He rescues us from all harm.

We don’t have to Fear anything—

not predators,

not drive by shootings,

not disease that prowls and stalks us as we age,

not disaster that skydives in on us unannounced.

We’re surrounded by many that succumb,

But in Jesus no harm will destroy us.

In His care we’re untouchable,

When we stumble, he catches us;

God’s Spirit takes His job seriously and He keeps us from falling.

We walk unharmed when we walk in the Spirit as He clears the path for us.

Swamp us in Your measureless love

We are Your workmanship

Help us reflect on Your individuality

In designing our individuality

Your hands have formed us,

Let us understand Your design

for us

Discipline us to humble our soul

and body to you

Put the mind of Jesus in us

Help us be of no reputation

Discipline us to bow and serve You

Make us contrite in heart and spirit

We fall before Your

heavenly majesty

For he satisfies the longing soul,

and fills the hungry soul

with goodness.

Psalms 107:9

Have you ever been lost

There’s no paths out,

There’s no tracks to follow,

There’s no signposts,

There’s no shelter for comfort,

There’s no food,

There’s no water,

There’s no hope

We feel distant from everyone

We’re far away.

This is what the psalmist describes

a place destitution

“they wandered in the wilderness”

“they found no city to dwell in”

They had no supplies

“hungry and thirsty

their soul fainted.”

That is what life is like

out of the will of God.

Israel was like a person

lost in the desert,

but God found them

and led them back home

“Oh that we would praise

the Lord …

for His wonderful works

to the us and those we love!

For He satisfies

the longing soul,

He fills our hungry soul

with goodness.”

The exquisites beauty of our

Great Grand Son and

Grand daughter

Oh that we would praise

the Lord

He’s exceptional

He’s amazing

He’s perfectly beautiful

in every way

He came and made Himself

of no reputation

When you’re harangued

When we’re disparaged

When we’re discredited

When we’re slandered

When we’re blamed

We’re just slightly experiencing

what Jesus felt

He was despised

He was rejected

And He still is

He’s the source of all life

He gives us every breath

we breath

Everything we are and have

comes from Him

How much credit do we

give Him

And He makes Himself of

No reputation

He emptied Himself

He stripped Himself

Jesus embraced a

incredibly humbling process.

He didn’t claim special privileges.

Instead, he lived a selfless life

He then died a selfless death

and Jesus death was the

worst kind of death that

can ever be imagined

He died for every sin

The was ever committed

He was discredited

He was disgraced

He was dishonored

He was disbelieved

He was denigrated

He accepted it all

He endured it all

For us

Prayer is the soul’s sincere desire,

unuttered or expressed,

the motion of a hidden fire

that trembles in the breast.

Prayer is the burden of a sigh,

the falling of a tear,

the upward glancing of an eye,

when none but God is near.

Prayer is the simplest form of

speech that infant lips can try;

prayer the sublimest strains

that reach the Majesty on high.

Prayer is the contrite sinners’ voice,

returning from their way,

while angels in their songs rejoice

and cry, “Behold, they pray!”

Prayer is the believers’ vital breath,

the faithfuls’ native air;

their watchword

at the gates of death;

they enter heaven in prayer.

O Thou, by whom we come to God,

the Life, the Truth, the Way:

the path of prayer thyself hast trod;

Lord, teach us how to pray!

James Montgomery