Blessings from daily abiding in the Word

[anna274]

Molly's reply on the Weekly Spiritual Discipline thread greatly encouraged me and so decided to start a thread that I've been mulling for a few days...  it's based on one of my zillion favorite verses John 8:31-32

I'd like to begin what I believe will be a very long list of blessings received through daily reading/meditating on the Word (Ps 1:2  Blessed is the man who meditates on the Word day and night...)

Blessings:

1. 

[Molly]

Nice thread.  :HeartThrob:

Here's one.
Blessings:  Our prayers are answered. [I'm not above waiting days, months, or even years because I know they will be answered eventually.]

7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

John 15:7

[ded2daworld]

I recommend
http://www.biblegateway.com/
it's what I use, there is a variety of translations, really great other stuff and even a read through the Bible or new testament in a year plans
it's all free too. My first criteria :laughing7:   I'm called cheapo but I consider it being a good steward of the Lord's money. :Peace2:

[anna274]

Thank you Molly...

At a time when I really needed to believe and trust in God's mercy, love, grace...I wrote in my journal Rom 10:17  Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

I was a full-time business instructor at that time and  so I had to devise a plan whereby I would consistently and daily be "hearing" the Word of God in a short period of time.

My plan:  Read five Psalms a day, copy one verse that really spoke to my mind and heart; one Proverb a day, copy one verse; one chapter from John's gospel, copy one verse...    A perfect plan in one month, I read/meditated on all 150 Psalms; all 31 Proverbs; and completed the book of John...  and had so many faith-building verses on which to meditate.  AND I liked the plan so much, I actually continued it for 2 years....  I started this plan again in February, 2013...

so my blessing from daily abiding in the word:  faith-building and "storage" of the word in my heart and mind  (Ps 119:11 Thy words have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against Thee)

[sheila]

    I have a kind of routine,myself.  Each morning after prayer..into the scriptures I go.  My relationship

  with God is the biggest priority in my life.  I need Him..and I know it,and am not ashamed

to acknowledge it.

[anna274]

    I have a kind of routine,myself.  Each morning after prayer..into the scriptures I go.  My relationship

  with God is the biggest priority in my life.  I need Him..and I know it,and am not ashamed

to acknowledge it.

Thank you Sheila, for sharing ... I've been reading your posts for a couple of years and have always thought... "That woman really knows the Scriptures"...  now I know why!!! Can I list your blessing:  An intimate ongoing relationship with God -- a relationship that I am not ashamed to acknowledge.

[sheila]

 :thumbsup:.... :girlheart:

[lomarah]

Confirmation of what the Lord is doing in me/speaking to me.  :cloud9:

[anna274]

Confirmation of what the Lord is doing in me/speaking to me.  :cloud9:

Oh yes-- What a great blessing  He has provided for us through His written Word.
Jesus uses the phrase "It is written" three times--recorded in Matt 4:4, 7, 10   Thank you for sharing, Lomarah

Another blessing from daily abiding in the Word-- that is becoming increasingly glorious to me:
Growing/rejoicing  in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ; Savior of ALL men.

Psalm 119:64 The earth, O Lord, is full of Thy mercy:  teach me Thy statutes.

Matt 4:4 It is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

From studying, meditating, praying on Psalm 119 I have learned that God's word can come by way of a statute, a commandment, law, precept, a prophecy,  etc.

In the NT,  He speaks to us by His Son, (Heb 1:2) Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh... the Living Word

[anna274]

I saw this hymn as I was looking for a hymn to post on the God of our moments thread...   it's by one of my favorite songwriters:  Fanny Crosby...physically blind but oh such spiritual sight!!! and this hymn really speaks to abiding in the Word...

PRECIOUS BLESSINGS   Fanny Crosby, 1901

Precious blessings we receive,
When on Jesus we believe,
And are walking in the Spirit day by day;
When His word is our delight,
And our path is growing bright,
While by faith we learn to trust Him and obey.

Refrain
O praise the Lord, for He is good;
O praise the Lord, our God above,
For He keeps us every hour,
And upholds us by His power,
While we dwell within the sunshine of His love.


Precious blessings that descend,
When before His throne we bend,
And the glory cloud is resting o'er us there;
Every heart with joy is filled,
Every wave of sorrow stilled,
While we feel the hallowed bliss of answered prayer.  (Note Molly's blessing above)


When the world is overcome,
And its battles fought and won,
When we see our Lord and Savior in the sky;
How our hearts will overflow,
While the joy we shall know,
When we meet Him in His kingdom by and by.

[marie glen]

To me our daily Word is what Jesus was referring to when He spoke of the "bread and the wine" on the eve of His crucifixion.. I believe it is daily bread/the Word, and daily (new) wine of God's Spirit/Presence, and we do this in 'remembrance of Jesus' a joyous communion! And it will keep us steady and straight and not easily led astray. I've never been one to read a lot of commentary or books, etc about the Word, but much prefer the Word itself. [I went through many grievous things during childhood and neeed(ed) and still do, the Lord and healing. He sat me down, so to speak, and 'told' me, there are four seasons and three parts of every day in which to seek and to worship Him and that seeing this frame would aid healing and growth.]

There are 4 seasons, and 4 gospels. I read through the Bible, usually in the order it was written.. and psalms I usually read according to the month, jan = 1-20; feb=20's; march = 30's, etc until dec = 120-150. It's not an absolutely rigid schedule but it keeps me plugging along without too much distraction.

If I don't start my day with Quietude, which is prayer and God's Word and God's voice and, or inspiration, my day is not the same!!! :smile: So I can relate to all you and everyone is saying..

[anna274]

To me our daily Word is what Jesus was referring to when He spoke of the "bread and the wine" on the eve of His crucifixion.. I believe it is daily bread/the Word, and daily (new) wine of God's Spirit/Presence, and we do this in 'remembrance of Jesus' a joyous communion! And it will keep us steady and straight and not easily led astray. I've never been one to read a lot of commentary or books, etc about the Word, but much prefer the Word itself. [I went through many grievous things during childhood and neeed(ed) and still do, the Lord and healing. He sat me down, so to speak, and 'told' me, there are four seasons and three parts of every day in which to seek and to worship Him and that seeing this frame would aid healing and growth.]

There are 4 seasons, and 4 gospels. I read through the Bible, usually in the order it was written.. and psalms I usually read according to the month, jan = 1-20; feb=20's; march = 30's, etc until dec = 120-150. It's not an absolutely rigid schedule but it keeps me plugging along without too much distraction.

If I don't start my day with Quietude, which is prayer and God's Word and God's voice and, or inspiration, my day is not the same!!! :smile: So I can relate to all you and everyone is saying..

Thank you for sharing Marie.  It seems to me that your blessing(s) from abiding in the Word are healing, growth, and a by-product=worshipping God.  As I was reading your reply, my thoughts kept going to a couple of verses that I want to study in greater depth:
Eph 5:26-27 (NLT)
to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God's word.  He did this to present her to Himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish.  Instead, she will be holy and without fault.

[Watch/Pray]

John 8
v 31 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed on Him, If you continue in My word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
v 32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

v 36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

Blessing from abiding in His Word? We are His disciples-- know the truth, and the truth makes us free. 

Let us pray for each other that we may continue to grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, to Him be glory both now and forever.

[Watch/Pray]

from Daily Overcoming Devotional by Ray Prinzing   based on John 15:7 If ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

Abiding does not indicate a feverish activity, nor does it indicate a passive state, it is simply a state of being of living in Him.  There is a beautiful example in the record of Mary and Martha (Luke 10:38-42)  Mary sat at His feet, to hear and receive what He had to say.  Martha was troubled about doing, while Mary was abiding.  For all of Martha's strenuous activity, she did not hear a word of what the Master taught Mary.  Methinks, that some people get so involved in their religious labours that they know less of the mind and purpose of God for this day, the harder they work in their programs.  If our occupying is in harmony with abiding and waiting upon the Lord, then our understanding will be developed progressively, and we shall truly "grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ."

One day Simeon "came by the Spirit into the temple,"  (Luke 2:27) and saw the child Jesus, and recognized that this was the Salvation of the Lord.  We specifically note the word "by" from a Greek word translated three ways, in, with, and by,  He did not start his abiding after he came into the temple, but he came WITH the Spirit, IN the Spirit, and BY the Spirit, thus his abiding was continuous.  Had the God of Israel purposed for him to have met Mary and the child Jesus on the steps of the temple, he would still have known it was the Salvation of the Lord, for location did not alter his abiding.

"The upright shall dwell in Thy presence,"  (Psalm 140:3).  Thus, abiding implies a fixedness in our position and relationship with God.  Most of man's wishy-washiness is not in his activity, but in his thinking.  "A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways." (James 1:8).  One day he is sure he is in the will of the Lord, the next day he questions it.  There is need today to learn to dwell in His presence, to know that "Lo, I am with you always," both in God's being with us, and that we are with Him, for in Him we live, and move, and have our being."

[mplsfitter539]

 :iagree:

[jabcat]

Me too :)    :dsunny:

[reFORMer]

...He sat me down, so to speak, and 'told' me, there are four seasons and three parts of every day in which to seek and to worship Him and that seeing this frame would aid healing and growth.]

There are 4 seasons, and 4 gospels. I read through the Bible, usually in the order it was written.. and psalms I usually read according to the month, jan = 1-20; feb=20's; march = 30's, etc until dec = 120-150. It's not an absolutely rigid schedule but it keeps me plugging along without too much distraction.

If I don't start my day with Quietude, which is prayer and God's Word and God's voice and, or inspiration, my day is not the same!!! :smile: So I can relate to all you and everyone is saying..

While it's perhaps more than you might expect, if you read 14 chapters a day you can read through the Bible in a little under 3 months.  If it is possible to find the discipline to accomplish it, as an 8 hour job, 5 days a week, listen to it read in any of several versions on DVD's and you can complete it in less than 2 weeks.  Various audio versions are about $15 from 1-800-CHRISTIAN  www.Christianbook.com 

I used to tell people to put a marker at Genesis, another at Psalms, and one at Matthew.  Every time you read a chapter in one place, read one in the other two locations.  Advance the ribbons or markers 3 chapters at a time.  When you come to the end of each of the 3 sections, start over.  You'll read the NT a little more than twice for every once through the OT.

Now I suggest they just put the marker at two places, Genesis and Matthew.  Read 2 chapters in the Old Testament for every one in the New Testament.  Go forward 3 chapters at a time.  Again, this way you'll read the NT about twice for every once you read the OT.

Always read expecting to come into His presence.  Scripture is a tool for the Holy Spirit to minister unto us, revealing God to us.  When He shows up, stop and wait upon Him, letting Him draw you into Himself.

[Watch/Pray]

Blessing:  overcoming temptation like Jesus did

The temptation in the wilderness (as recorded in Matthew and Luke)

Matt 4
v. 4  But He answered and said "IT IS WRITTEN..."
v. 7  Jesus said unto him, "IT IS WRITTEN..."
v.10 Then saith Jesus unto him, "Get thee hence, Satan: for IT IS WRITTEN..."


Luke 4
v. 4 and v 8  Jesus says "IT IS WRITTEN..."
Interesting!! v. 10 it is satan who says "IT IS WRITTEN..."

[anna274]

Blessing:  To know the Lord in a deep and mighty way


from Daily Open Windows for April 25  (TASparks)

1 John 5:20  (ESV)  WE KNOW THAT THE SON OF GOD HAS COME AND HAS GIVEN US UNDERSTANDING, SO THAT WE MAY KNOW HIM.

It is of the greatest importance for the Lord's children to recognize fully that, above all other things, His object is that they should know Him.  This is the all-governing end of all His dealings with us.  This is the greatest of all our needs...

Our minds are so often occupied with service and work; we think that doing things for the Lord is the chief object of life.  We are concerned about our lifework, our ministry.  We think of equipment for it in terms of study and knowledge of things.  Soul-winning, or teaching believers, or setting people to work, are so much in the foreground.  Bible study and knowledge of the Scriptures, with efficiency in the matter of leading in Christian service as the end in view, are matters of pressing importance with all.  All well and good, for these are important matters; but, back of everything the Lord is more concerned about our knowing Him than about anything else.  It is very possible to have a wonderful grasp of the Scriptures, a comprehensive and intimate familiarity with doctrine; to stand for  cardinal verities of the faith; to be an unceasing worker in Christian service; to have a great devotion to the salvation of men, and yet, alas, to have a very inadequte and limited personal knowledge of God within.

So often the Lord has to take away our work that we may discover Him.  The ultimate value of everything is not the information which we give, not the soundness of our doctrine, not the amount of work that we do, not the measure of truth that we possess, but just the fact that we KNOW THE LORD IN A DEEP AND MIGHTY WAY.

[anna274]

Blessing:  To know the Lord in a deep and mighty way


from Daily Open Windows for April 25  (TASparks)

1 John 5:20  (ESV)  WE KNOW THAT THE SON OF GOD HAS COME AND HAS GIVEN US UNDERSTANDING, SO THAT WE MAY KNOW HIM.

It is of the greatest importance for the Lord's children to recognize fully that, above all other things, His object is that they should know Him.  This is the all-governing end of all His dealings with us.  This is the greatest of all our needs...

Our minds are so often occupied with service and work; we think that doing things for the Lord is the chief object of life.  We are concerned about our lifework, our ministry.  We think of equipment for it in terms of study and knowledge of things.  Soul-winning, or teaching believers, or setting people to work, are so much in the foreground.  Bible study and knowledge of the Scriptures, with efficiency in the matter of leading in Christian service as the end in view, are matters of pressing importance with all.  All well and good, for these are important matters; but, back of everything the Lord is more concerned about our knowing Him than about anything else.  It is very possible to have a wonderful grasp of the Scriptures, a comprehensive and intimate familiarity with doctrine; to stand for  cardinal verities of the faith; to be an unceasing worker in Christian service; to have a great devotion to the salvation of men, and yet, alas, to have a very inadequte and limited personal knowledge of God within.

So often the Lord has to take away our work that we may discover Him.  The ultimate value of everything is not the information which we give, not the soundness of our doctrine, not the amount of work that we do, not the measure of truth that we possess, but just the fact that we KNOW THE LORD IN A DEEP AND MIGHTY WAY.

[Molly]

Amen, Anna!   :HeartThrob:


The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend.

--Ex 33:11

[anna274]

Blessing:  bear much fruit

John 15:5
I am the vine, ye are the branches:  he that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit:  for without Me ye can do nothing.

Jesus has much to say about fruit...  check all four gospels "fruit"... we are known by the type of fruit we bear...

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

John 15:1-8
"The spiritual oneness of Christ and His people, and His relation to them as the Source of all their spiritual life and fruitfulness, are here beautifully set forth by a figure familiar to Jewish ears.   see Isaiah 5:1--

[irenic-inkwell]

Blessing: renewing of the mind

(Special thanks to marie glen for sharing her "brainstorming" on the Loads of questions...thread)

Romans 12:12 (KJV)
...be not conformed to this world: but be transformed by the renewing of your mind...

Romans 12:2  (NLT)
Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.  Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

[marie glen]

....my thoughts kept going to a couple of verses that I want to study in greater depth:
Eph 5:26-27 (NLT)
to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God's word.  He did this to present her to Himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish.  Instead, she will be holy and without fault.

Wow... we will be His own "...without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish.  Instead.. ..holy and without fault."

..this struck me as including w/o any false notions or beliefs, etc.. but more importantly, as I believe you, Anna, pointed out.. full of Love (for we "will know Him as He is"..) and all the knowledge or 'truth' if love is lacking, falls so short.. The great thing is to "KNOW THE LORD IN A DEEP AND MIGHTY WAY."  :thumbsup:
[you are SUCH an encouragement.. to so many!!] :smile: (as so many here are, because the know the Lord)

[mplsfitter539]

....my thoughts kept going to a couple of verses that I want to study in greater depth:
Eph 5:26-27 (NLT)
to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God's word. He did this to present her to Himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish.  Instead, she will be holy and without fault.

Wow... we will be His own "...without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish.  Instead.. ..holy and without fault."

..this struck me as including w/o any false notions or beliefs, etc.. but more importantly, as I believe you, Anna, pointed out.. full of Love (for we "will know Him as He is"..) and all the knowledge or 'truth' if love is lacking, falls so short.. The great thing is to "KNOW THE LORD IN A DEEP AND MIGHTY WAY."  :thumbsup:
[you are SUCH an encouragement.. to so many!!] :smile: (as so many here are, because the know the Lord)

my translation uses the word bride instead of church. I really love the term bride much better than church. Ekklesia was the original word but whatever church is a lacking term.