02 Known By Our Delights

Jodie Foster

In 29 TV shows - 27 Movies - Produced 7 – Directed another 4

12 Actress Awards - Nominated for 17 more

Golden Globe awards, lifetime honoree

"Jodie Foster was here, I still am, and I want to be seen, to be understood deeply, and to be not so very lonely."

Lance Armstrong

Worth $125 million – Best Sportsmen of the year – 1999-2003

Best Male Athlete, Best Comeback Athlete, Appeared in 3 films

- Now 11 Grand Tours withdraw=ssn

- Spent years vehemently denying using banned performance-enhancing drugs

- Cheated & lied

- Ruthless in using and abusing friends & teammates

- He was desperate for attention and money"

- Now without respect nor friends

Their delights left them empty

What Is The Law? – Ps. 19

Not the Mosaic, nor the ceremonial law

Wisdom of the Lord

- v. 7 Law (instruction Teaching) - How to know life right

- v. 7 Testimony (Giving Witness) – How to start life right

- v. 8 Statutes (Rules, directions to guide) - How to keep life right

- v. 8 Commandment – (Placing in order) - How to live life right

- v. 9 Fear (Respect, Reverence, Aw) – How to see life right

- v. 9-10 Judgments – How to enjoy life right - Determining what is right & best

Meditation?

- Is to focus one’s thoughts on Christ : To reflect on or ponder over Him

- Proverbs 23:7 (AV)

7 For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: …

- “The reason we come away so cold from reading the Word is because we do not warm ourselves at the fire of meditation.” (Thomas Watson)

Biblical Meditation

Ps. 1:2 meditation is not associated with yoga, TM, relaxation therapy, or the New Age Movement.

- Biblical meditation differs in several ways from its worldly counterpart.

1. The world says “empty your mind” – The Bible says “fill your mind with God’s Word”.

Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom;.....

2. The world calls for mental passivity – “disconnect” - The Word calls us to mental activity – “connect with the truth”.

3. The world’s mantra is “create your own reality” - God’s mandate is to think on “whatsoever things are true” – Phil. 4:8

How Do You Respond to God's Word?

- Mt 13:1-9 - A return to where the Word is sown

- Four Types of Responders:

• The Mistaken Mind

- Hard , unbelieving mind no time to mediate or study & grow roots

- No foundation or knowledge of God's promises

- Without meditating we don’t apply what we hear.

• The Muddled Mind.

- Gets excited but faith is temporary

- Superficial mind involved with the culture

- There is difficulty to withstand the harshness of life.

• The Misinformed Mind.

- The focus is here & now

- A preoccupied mind has little or no room for God's Word to sprout and thrive.

- Full of clutter worries of life are to the Christian heart what briers, thorns, and thickets are to a garden.

• The Meditating Mind.

- Open to receive

- Committed to the obedience of the Word

- God can do great things through someone whose mind is like fertile soil.

- The most intellectual person in the world, if not teachable, will miss the truth of the gospel, whereas even a young child who is willing to listen and learn will be transformed.

The Promise Results of Meditation.

1. Promise of Stability

Psalms 1:3

And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

2. Promise of Fruitfulness – Psalm 1:3

“...that bringeth forth his fruit in his season;...”

3. Promise of Perseverance– Psalm 1:3

“...his leaf also shall not wither...”

4. Promise of Success

“...whatsoever he doeth shall prosper

Joshua 1:8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth;

but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

Meditation gives wisdom to our choices, it strengthens our faith bringing nourishment; and renewed to our heart