Last night I was meditating on “thorough work” from James 1:4 in the Amplified.  It says, “But let endurance and steadfastness and patience have full play and do a thorough work…”  Thorough means: complete with regard to every detail; not superficial or partial; all-embracing, all inclusive.

Each time we become impatient, we are interrupting His thorough work.  Impatience starts with our thoughts.  Luke 21:19 says, “By your patience possess your souls.”  Our soul is our mind, will, and emotions.  However our mind leads off, our will and emotions follow.

We can always be grateful the Lord Jesus did a thorough work on the cross.  Yesterday I wrote Hebrews 10:10 in my journal. It says, “By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”

Lord I ask You to help us remember that the next time we feel impatient we will stop and course correct.  Then embrace the thorough work You are doing to cleanse us from our fleshly reactions.

Last night I meditated on the word “assurance” from Colossians 2:2.  Assurance is that anchor of truth deeply imbedded in your heart that cannot be shaken by any circumstances.

Hebrews 6:18 says, “…we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us.”  Verse 19 says, “This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast…”  Our mind, will, and emotions are anchored by truth.

Consolation in the Greek is paraklesis.  Strong’s says: the paraklete is a strengthening presence, one who upholds those appealing for assistance.  We know the Paraklete who is the Holy Spirit.

Last night I was meditating on walking worthy of the Lord (Ephesians 4:1)

Luke 4:22 says that they marveled at His gracious words.  1 Peter 2:3 says that the Lord is gracious. Are you a gracious person?  Gracious means: courteous, kind, pleasant, considerate, thoughtful; friendly, amiable (warm).

The way we talk to another reflects what we truly think about them in our heart.  In order to be a gracious person, we have to dwell on gracious thoughts.

Proverbs 16:24 says, “Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the bones.”

Last night I meditated on “I learned contentment” from Philippians 4:11.  I wondered when Paul learned.  He went through such severe trials.  I rehearsed some of them: the shipwrecks, the beatings, stoned and left for dead at Lystra, the countless perils, etc.  Although the word doesn’t say, I wonder if it was when the Lord gave Paul the revelation that His grace was sufficient.

Contentment is an attitude which comes from our thoughts which comes from our focus.  Grace is an indescribable gift, freely and abundantly given to the humble who walks in the Spirit.  Therefore discontent is rooted in pride, focused in our fleshly way and time table.

Mark 4:19 says that the desire for other things are thorns that choke the word sown in our heart.  Yet John 15:7 says, “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.”  Abiding in Him and His word aligns our desires with His desires.  Ephesians 1:11 says, “…according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will.”  Masterful orchestration.

We are most content when we are in the center of His will.

Last night I was reading “Tramp For The Lord” by Corrie Ten Boom.  It was after the war and she had come to America as a missionary.  She was destitute and alone.  No one was asking her to speak.  She read Psalm 147:11 which says, “The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him, in those who hope in His mercy.”  She said, “It was a thin web–a tiny filament–stretching from heaven to my little room on 190th Street in New York.  I fell asleep holding onto it with all my strength.”  I love her word picture.  The next day the Lord opened doors for her.

I meditated on that verse last night.  He reminded me that the Hebrew word is “hesed” so I looked it up this morning.  It means: His persistent, unconditional tenderness, kindness, and mercy.  Jeremiah remembered that God’s mercies were new every morning.  Everything in his life seemed hopeless, but God’s mercies remained.  His mercy endures forever!

Last night I meditated on 1 Thessalonians 5:18 which says, “In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”  Grumbling and complaining is a fleshly reaction to a situation.  Gratitude is a response from our spirit to the Lord.  Same situation, but two different actions.

Philippians 2:13-14 says, “For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.  Do all things without complaining and disputing.”  The Amplified uses the words grumbling and faultfinding and complaining.

An attitude of gratitude aligns our will and thoughts with His.

Yesterday morning I wrote out Psalm 63:6 in my journal.  It says, “When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches.”  Then the Holy Spirit took me back to verse 5.  It says, “My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness, and my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips.”  When He put the two together, He broadened my understanding of meditating.

My margin says “fat” for marrow, and “abundance” for fatness.  Last night I meditated on fat abundance.  I wanted to know what He was saying to me.  My soul (mind, will, emotions) shall be satisfied with fat abundance.  How?

Psalm 107:9, “For He satisfies the longing soul…”  111 John vs 2, “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.”  Psalm 1:3, speaking of meditating, says that whatever we do shall prosper.  Joshua 1:8 says that we may prosper in all things.

Isaiah 55:11 says that the Lord will cause His word to prosper in the thing for which He sent it.  The word we meditate on causes us to prosper spiritually, physically, and emotionally.

Our health or lack thereof is affected by our thoughts.  Proverbs 23:7 says, “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he…”  Meditating changes our thought processes.  It REWRITES the old programming from our past!

Where are you emotionally on a scale of 1 to 10?  One being emotionally fragile, and 10 being emotionally robust.  Great question.

I was meditating on the beauty of holiness from Psalm 29: 2.  It says, “Give unto the Lord the glory due His name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.”  A note in my Bible says: the splendor of holiness is a greater beauty than even the glory of nature.

I thought about Niagara Falls, the Grand Canyon, Old Faithful, waterfalls, sunrises and sunsets, etc.  Then I thought about how His holiness is more beautiful than those.  Circuits hit overload.  I went to Psalm 8:4 in my mind.  “What is man that You are mindful of Him?”

That took me back to a mediation on Ephesians 2:7 which says, “That in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace and His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”

To contemplate the beauty of His holiness certainly took my thoughts higher.  In fact so high, it made me wonder how I could ever allow the crassness of my flesh to taint my thoughts and actions.

Psalm 103:1 says, “Bless the Lord, O my soul!  O Lord my God, You are very great: You are clothed with honor and majesty.”

This meditation is like a burning bush experience.  I must take off my shoes.

Last night, as I crawled into bed I began meditating on “inexhaustible riches.”  The Holy Spirit helped me understand something I never thought about before.  The words inexhaustible, unfathomable, immeasurable, boundless, and incalculable are rooted in the eternal.  There is nothing on this earth that can be attached to these words.

This immediately gave me a higher understanding of 2 Corinthians 4:17-18.  As we go through our trials we are to focus on the things that are eternal, not be distracted by the temporary things of this earth.  Verse 18 says, “While we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen.  For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”

This is His higher way of endurance.  We look to Him to meet every need according to His eternal riches.  A quick fix and a way out (temporary) appeals to our flesh.  His higher way through with rich insight (eternal) feeds and strengthens our spirit.