For many years, my son and I planted a small garden behind our house. We read each packet of seeds to see how far apart each seed needed to be planted as well as their depth. We planted different types of vegetables and marked the rows to help us remember. I wanted to teach him a few things by doing this. One is the law of sowing and reaping so he would know that he will only get what he plants. Another is the importance of planting seeds in the different gardens of his life. One of the most important gardens all of us need to tend is our mind. The seeds we plant there not only determine our thoughts, but also the direction of our life.
Psalm 1:1-3 says, “Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do” (NLT). I love these verses because they directly show the correlation between those who plant seeds of God’s Word in their mind and those who don’t. We plant the seeds by meditating on it. Meditating is simply working it into the soil of your mind, thinking about it, how to apply it, and growing it. When we do that, the psalmist reminds us later that it will keep us from sinning. More than that, it will produce harvest in our lives throughout life’s seasons.
Joshua 1:8 says, “Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.” If you’re struggling to defeat the enemy in certain areas of your life, meditate on God’s Word. If you’re looking to grow closer to the Lord, meditate on His Word. The difference between success and failure in so many areas of your life depends on you taking the time to go deeper into the Bible. Don’t just read it, think about it. Let words jump off the page and look them up. Look at the historical and cultural implications of what God says. Ask the Holy Spirit to open your eyes and to show you how to apply it. When you’re reading, give yourself time to pause and reflect throughout each passage. That’s how you plant it in your mind and find success.
Devotions by Chris Hendrix 