Meditating When You Need God’s Wisdom
|
|
|
|
Today's inspiration comes from:
|
|
|
|
|
Today's inspiration comes from:
|
|
|
|
|
In quietness and trust is your strength. — Isaiah 30:15
Never in history has so much information been at our fingertips. In several ways, this can be beneficial. One of the downsides, however, is our minds are constantly flooded with information. A twenty-four-hour news cycle, along with constant alerts to our phones, and never-ending social media posts can be overwhelming. To complicate matters, much of the news and information we receive is conflicting and it’s hard to tell truth from error. So much of the information we receive is misleading or, in some cases, not true at all. But history reveals that God’s people have always been faced with this challenge.
I recently pondered Jeremiah 23, a chapter in which the Lord condemned the false prophets who deceived the people of Judah. These bogus preachers claimed to have a message from God.
But which of them has stood in the council of the Lord to see or to hear his word?
asked verse 18 (emphasis mine). A bit later, the Lord said,
I did not speak to them, yet they have prophesied. But if they had stood in My council, they would have proclaimed My words to My people.
— verses 21–22, emphasis mine
I was struck by the concept of standing in the council of the Lord. As a Bible teacher, I’ve wondered what that looks like and feels like. In my mind, this is how I picture it:
Sitting at a table with my opened Bible, I see myself, as it were, approaching a vast domed archive. It’s a treasury built of the finest Makrana marble, gleaming and grand, sitting in the center of a manicured estate.
Pressing through lacquered doors, I enter the rotunda and find myself in a vast library. Thin windows of beveled glass look out onto green meadows and still waters. High above, a golden dome anchors a chandelier. Between the windows are towering shelves filled with leather volumes. The room is richly paneled in gleaming wood, and a tall desk stands at its center.
I’ve entered the world’s most perfect library, and every volume is at my disposal. But there are only sixty-six books. Climbing a ladder, I reach up and grab Genesis, or Ruth, or Psalms, or Proverbs. The prophets occupy adjacent shelves. Nearby are Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Across the way are the epistles of Paul. On the next shelves are James, Jude, Hebrews, and Peter. Occupying a spot on a shelf by itself is Revelation, held upright by bookends of marble cherubim.
Grabbing one of the volumes, I take it to the desk in the center of the room. Opening the book, I begin to read, each word flaming into gold as my eyes fall upon it. I remember, then, what I saw engraved in the marble of the entranceway:
The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul.
The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.
The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes…
They are more precious than gold. — Psalm 19:7–8, 10
|
|
|
|
In quietness and confidence shall be your strength.
|
In quietness and confidence shall be your strength.
|
|
|
|
Even as my visit draws to a close, and I return the book to its shelf and leave the archives, I don’t leave the words behind, for they’ve been transcribed onto the walls of my own internal library. I take them with me to ponder, to picture, to personalize, to practice, to preach.
This, to me, is standing in the council of God, the Wonderful Counselor who promised,
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with My loving eye on you. — Psalm 32:8
We need to be people who know how to seek out the wisdom and council of God. When you are faced with uncertainty, God’s Word is a source of stability. When you are in search of truth, the Scriptures are the answer.
Elena Chevalier is a journalist—the former copy editor of a New England newspaper—and a pastor’s wife in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. She recently told me something that happened twenty years ago during a period of stubborn discouragement.
“I remember sunlight glistened off the soap bubbles as I filled the kitchen sink that Tuesday morning,” she said. “It was a glorious day outside, but my heart couldn’t relate. I scrubbed the dirty breakfast dishes and rinsed them mechanically. Tears spilled down my cheeks blurring my sight.
“For nearly two decades my husband and I had served in a large, prosperous New England church. Then a series of unfortunate events caused Wayne to resign his position as associate pastor and principal of the school our three children attended. His pastor wanted him to reconsider his resignation and stay, but we knew the differences were irreconcilable.”
The aftereffects of that decision lingered. Elena’s heart was invested in her husband’s calling, but now they felt like wanderers in the wilderness. That morning as Elena prayed over the dirty dishes, the Lord drew near. “With a sun-sparkled, soapy hand on the faucet—I can still see it now—I sensed the Father’s still, small voice speaking to me, reassuring me our lives were in His hands. If He wanted, He could easily cause someone to contact us even that very day.”
That’s just what happened.
|
“The letter arrived in the mail that afternoon. Goosebumps rose on my skin as my husband and I read the letter from a friend offering him a position as principal of a newly reopened school. The timing seemed so incredible. And yet, there were important concerns causing us to hesitate. Was this truly God’s perfect will for us? We decided to pray and wait on God for absolute assurance.
“I went to the Scriptures as I always do, and there I found my answer in Isaiah 30:15.
For thus saith the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength...’”1
Elena highlighted that verse in her heavily marked Bible, and in the margin she wrote:
Major life-changing decision to move and resume fulltime Christian service. Within our hearts is peace that passes understanding: quietness and confidence in our Father in Heaven, and in our own hearts.”
That was two decades ago, and the Bible Elena used now resides in a retirement home for old Bibles in her bookcase, replaced by a newer one. But as she reviewed the story for me, she retrieved the older Bible and turned to Isaiah 30:15. She said, “Seeing the verse highlighted in restful aqua blue in that Bible instantly brought me back to that sun glinting off the soap suds in my sink and the time our Father taught me to return my worried thoughts to Him and to rest in Him.”2
In quietness and confidence shall be your strength.
Eight words. Two qualities. One result. What a great formula for decoding the events in life! That phrase says it all: In quietness and confidence shall be your strength. When we’re loud and rattled, we’re weak—which says something about the state of the world right now. An empty box rattles, and an unlatched gate beats against the post. But a silent river runs deep, and a quiet and confident person stands out like a giant sequoia among the pines.
The quiet confidence of Isaiah 30:15 can carry us through many hardships, but how did that verse come to be in the Bible in the first place?
Continue reading on our blog…
|
- Isaiah 30:15 KJV.
- Elena Chevalier, personal interview with and correspondence with the author.
Excerpted with permission from Meditating God’s Way by Robert J. Morgan, copyright Robert J. Morgan.
*
|
|
|
|
We need to be people who know how to seek out the wisdom and council of God. Is that you? When you are faced with uncertainty, do you go to God’s Word to find stability? When you are in search of truth, the Scriptures are the answer.
~ Devotionals Daily
|
|
|
|
A roadmap for people who are searching for tools that build strength and resilience
|
Meditating God's Way: A Christian Path to Strength and Resilience
|
|
|
|
Memorial Day Sale
FREE shipping over $25
with code MAYFS25
|
Originally adapted from Reclaiming the Art of Biblical Meditation and The Strength You Need Morgan identifies key passages from Scripture to help believer’s face life’s challenges and practical instruction on how to get the most out of biblical meditation. Morgan’s approach connects each of these passages to real-life scenarios, offering practical and spiritual encouragement for Christians seeking to rely on God’s strength in every aspect of their lives. Each strength addresses pressing issues that many people face today, making them deeply relevant and impactful.
“Imagine a university where the library is open only on moonless nights and all lights are prohibited. The students have access to all the books, desks, and study carrels, but they must pursue their studies in total blackness. Expensive volumes fill the reading rooms—some of them rare and valuable. Students are free to move among the bookshelves and remove any resources they want. But everything is done in darkness—no lamps, no candles, no flashlights, no light of any kind. Total blackout. That’s a pretty accurate picture of a world trying to learn, trying to think, and trying to meditate without the light of the life of Christ.” --Robert Morgan, from Chapter One.
|
|
|
|
This book is perfect for:
- Christians seeking mental and emotional resilience tools within a Scriptural framework.
- Readers of Christian self-help or personal growth genres who are open to philosophical influences.
- Young professionals and leaders balancing faith and high-stress lives.
- Counselors and ministry leaders looking for resources to address the mental health needs of their communities through faith-aligned practices.
|
|
|
|
Memorial Day Sale
FREE shipping over $25
with code MAYFS25
|
|
|
|
100 Days to Be Still and Know
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Way of the Wildflower
|
|
|
|
The Lie You Don't Know You Believe
Online Bible Study
|
The Lie You Don't Know You Believe Online Bible Study
|
Are you burdened by a quiet voice that says you're helpless, unlovable, or worthless?
In The Lie You Don't Know You Believe Bible study, Jennie Allen defines the three core lies that distort our identities and influence our decisions. Journey with her into Matthew chapter 4, where Jesus faced the enemy’s temptations and revealed a decisive truth: God’s Word holds the power to silence every lie that comes against us.
Join The Lie You Don't Know You Believe Online Bible Study and get access to six teaching videos and other helpful tools—all FREE when you sign up!
|
|
|
|
this devotion with someone who needs it today
|
|
|
|
*Sale price ends on 06/30/26 at 11:59 PM.
*Offer valid May 21–June 1, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. CST or while supplies last. Offer valid online and by phone only. Receive free standard ground shipping on non-rush orders over $25 with promo code MAYFS25, valid within the 48 continental United States or to an FPO/APO address; offer does not apply to Alaska, Hawaii, the U.S. Territories, rush orders, or expedited shipping methods. Offer only available to customers in the United States age 18 and older. To redeem offer, enter promo code during online checkout or provide the code to a representative during phone orders. Cannot be redeemed for cash or combined with any other discount offer. FaithGateway reserves the right to deactivate the promo code in the event of fraud or technical issues and limit quantities of individual items eligible for purchase with this discount. Void where prohibited, taxed or restricted by law. Not valid for resale.
|
|
|
|
|
No comments:
Post a Comment