Jessica Albritton, NextGen Minister LHBC
Psalm 119:9-16
9 How can a young man keep his way pure?
By guarding it according to your word.
10 With my whole heart I seek you;
let me not wander from your commandments!
11 I have stored up your word in my heart,
that I might not sin against you.
12 Blessed are you, O Lord;
teach me your statutes!
13 With my lips I declare
all the rules of your mouth.
14 In the way of your testimonies I delight
as much as in all riches.
15 I will meditate on your precepts
and fix my eyes on your ways.
16 I will delight in your statutes;
I will not forget your word.
My family has been involved with foster care for over half of my life. In this time we have cared for over 50 kids, adopted 4, and currently my parents have 3 foster kids in their care. But my parents don’t really make a big deal of it. It’s just our families way of life. It’s like second nature.
Growing up I can remember a handful of Sundays after church where our (very large) family would venture out to the Wal-Mart. It was a big deal for a family of our size. In the very small town that I grew up in we would inevitably run into someone my dad grew up with. Many would have the same reaction when they saw the lot of us all making our trek through the store like a small army. “Wow! Scooter! Are these ALL yours?” My dad would always respond the same way, “yep, they sure are!” There were several times when a baffled onlooker would slap one of the kids on the shoulder and exclaim, “Oh my word! This one looks just like you!” Unbeknownst to them they would almost always be referring to one of the foster children.
Regardless of who they were referring to my dad always had the same response. “If you feed a kid long enough they start to look like you.” It’s a funny thing to say, but there is a ton of truth in that statement and it has always reminded me of the spiritual aspect of our relationship with Jesus. The passage in Psalm 119 starts off with a question of how a young man can keep his ways pure. Essentially its asking how we can be more like our Father. The answer to the question is simple: seek God in His Word, meditate on Scripture, and hide Gods’ Word in your heart. The word meditate in verse 15 can be translated as think deeply or carefully about, to consider, contemplate or ponder. When we meditate on Gods’ Word daily and begin to let scripture permeate we begin to change into more of Christs’ likeness. Ultimately, the more we are feeding on Gods’ Word the more we look like Him.
This year let’s get in the game by feeding on Gods’ Word and imitating Him. And may it be said of us that we look just like our Father!
PRAYER FOR TODAY:
Father God, thank you for your Word that teaches us all about you. Lord I pray that as I read your Word daily I will continue to look more and more like you. I pray others see you in me and that I can live a life that truly exemplifies you. In Jesus name I pray, amen.
MEMORY VERSE OF THE WEEK:
2 Peter 3:18
But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.