Psalm 1:3 says that those who meditate will have their roots deep in the river of God. They will be fruitful, they will not wither, and whatever they do will prosper. God told Joshua that if he would meditate on His word, God would make his way prosperous, and he would have good success.

I encourage you to ask the Holy Spirit what verse He wants you to meditate on. Then write it out and keep it with you. Meditate on it for a full week and see what insights He gives you that you didn’t think about before. Meditating is pondering and considering. However, as we do, the Holy Spirit begins to compare Scripture with Scripture. Meditating on a verse is like looking into a spiritual kaleidoscope.

If you have an area of defeat, meditating will implant or embed His word. It will uproot and reveal what is keeping you from spiritual maturity. Psalm 63:6 says, “When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches.” Awake in the night? Meditate on God’s attributes. It will refresh you.

Proverbs 23:7. We become what we think about throughout our day.. As I meditated on Romans 6:4, I took it phrase by phrase. It filled my mind. If you noticed, the last devotionals have come from that verse seeded into my heart by the Holy Spirit. It gave Him the fodder that He needed to reveal the insights that I needed.

Philippians 4:8 says to meditate on these things that are noble, just, pure, lovely, good report, with virtue, and praiseworthy. Matthew 5:8 says that those with a pure heart will see God. Remember that Moses asked God to show him His glory. The Lord hid him in the cleft of a rock, and put His hand out to cover him as He passed by. Exodus 33:22.

Yet we see something amazing in God’s relationship with Moses. Aaron and Miriam tattled on Moses. God took them all out to the woodshed. Carefully read His commendation of Moses. Numbers 12:8 says, “I speak to him face to face, even plainly, and not in dark sayings; and he sees the form of the Lord…”

James 1:14 says that we are tempted, drawn away by our own desires, and enticed. Here’s another aspect of a hard heart to consider. Hebrews 3:13 says, “…lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.”

We are to live by the Holy Spirit’s guidance. However, when we harbor secret sinful thoughts in our hearts, we become insensitive to His promptings. Our hidden sinful desires become the trap’s door. We are lured into the trap, and then the door shuts fast behind us ~ ensnared through our own lusts.

Ephesians 4:22 says, “That you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts.” Remember every temptation is a deception. It looks good but it is a deadly trap.

Renewing our mind is a daily discipline that empowers us to fulfill verse 24. It says, “And that you put on the new man which was created according to God in true righteousness and holiness.”

Romans 13:14 says, “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.”

Romans 6:4 says, “…we were buried with Him through baptism into death…” Dead things are impervious to stimulation. Romans 6:6 says, “Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.”

Ephesians 2:2 is a great description of how we were enslaved. It says, “In which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now works in the sons of disobedience.” 

We were chained to satan’s slave block of sin. Sin was our lifestyle. We didn’t have control because we were controlled ~ like puppets on a string. Verse 3 says, “…conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind…” We sinned mindlessly.

Romans 6:7 says, “For he who has died has been freed from sin.” Do believers sin? Yes. Why? They are lured through deceptive temptations and they take the bait dangling in front of them. 

It is good to remember how God sees our self-righteousness. Isaiah 64:6 says, “But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; we all fade as a leaf.” In Matthew 23:25 Jesus rebuked the Pharisees. They cleaned the outside of their cup, but the inside was full of filth.

Verse 26 says, “Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also.” What cleans the inside? Ephesians 5:26 was written about the church, Christ’s bride. “That He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word.”

Psalm 119:9 says, “How shall a young man cleanse his ways? By taking heed according to Your word.” Verse 11 says, “Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.”

Psalm 12:6 says, “The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.” Psalm 19:8 says, “…the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.”

1 Samuel 16:7 says, “…For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” Matthew 15:8 says “These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me.”

I am so grateful that the Lord sees my heart. That means that I will never get away with anything, because He will confront me when I need it. Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?” The Lord does!

The person who is deceived does not recognize that they are. James 1:22 says, “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” Hebrews 3:13 says, “…lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.”

Psalm 66:18 says, “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear.” Hidden sin blocks our fellowship with the Lord. Therefore, as we spend time with Him in intimate communion, He reveals our hearts to us.

2 Corinthians 4:7 says that we are an earthen vessel that displays His glory from within. It reminds us that newness of life is internal, not external. Regardless of our circumstances, His Light is to be a shining witness to others. I think of Richard Wurmbrand, a Romanian pastor imprisoned for his faith. They had drugged him and beaten him senseless.

They threw him onto the cement floor of his solitary confinement cell. He said that he couldn’t even form words to pray. He said, “Jesus I love You.” Worship is a lifestyle not circumstantial. A worshiping heart is one who is walking in newness of life.

2 Peter 1:4 says, “By which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature…” At all times, and in every circumstance we are to exemplify His character. That means in public as well as behind closed doors.

Acts 4:13 says, “…And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.” Ask yourself: do others recognize that I am a disciple of Jesus?

His resurrection power resides IN us. Ephesians 1:19 says, “And what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power.” It is the same power that God used to raise Jesus from the dead ~ read verse 21.

Ephesians 3:20 says, “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.” Ask yourself: am I walking with the awareness that His resurrection power dwells in me?

Being led by the Spirit is walking in newness of life. It is imitating Jesus. Luke 4:1 says, “Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness.”

Romans 8:14 says, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God.” 2 Corinthians 3:6 says, “Who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.”

I was meditating on Romans 6:4. It says, “Therefore…” which means we have to go back to the verses before. Why do we keep sinning? Verse 3 says, “Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?” When we are tempted to sin, we often fail to recognize that we are dead to sin. Dead things have no ability to respond.

Verse 4 goes on to say of our salvation experience, “…we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”

What does newness of life look like? Let’s compare Scripture with Scripture. 1 Corinthians 2:13. In 1 Corinthians 11:1 Paul wrote, “Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.” 1 John 2:6 says, “He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.” 1 Peter 1:3 says that we are begotten again, “…through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”

I encounter unforgiveness in nearly every online mentee that I counsel. Unforgiveness is a universal sin. Check your own heart. Is there anyone that you don’t speak kindly to, or speak kindly about to others?

Colossians 3:13 says, “Bearing with one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.” Forgiveness is a command not an option. 

I have mentees that are emotionally tortured because of the unforgiveness in their hearts towards those who hurt them. Whether they are a believer or unsaved, the principle is the same. Matthew 18:35 says about torturers, “So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.”

Jacob was physically tortured in prison. Yet when one of his former guards heard him speak, the guard came up to Jacob after the meeting. Jacob recognized him, smiled, and stuck out his hand to shake the guard’s hand. Corrie Ten Boom did that also one time after she had spoken and a former guard came up. Forgiveness brings inner healing.