442 - Meditating on His Words Day and Night Makes Everything Prosperous#
(JP Text Group - shalom compilation)
Dear family, peace in the Lord, and welcome to your arrival.
The topic of sharing is: Meditating on His Words Day and Night Makes Everything Prosperous.
Read this passage from the Book of Joshua, Chapter 1, verses 1-8:
1 After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord spoke to Joshua son of Nun, Moses' assistant, saying: 2 “Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them, the children of Israel. 3 Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, as I said to Moses. 4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun shall be your territory. 5 No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. 6 Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. 7 Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. 8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.
Let us pray together
Heavenly Father, thank You for preparing this wonderful time for us. We come before Your Word to gain strength and provision in truth. As the new week begins, let us first receive strength from You to live. Your words can make us prosper in all things, and I desire to meditate on Your words as the strength in my heart, gaining more revelation and provision through this passage and this truth. All glory belongs to You. In the name of the Lord Jesus, I pray, Amen.
Looking at this passage, it is after the death of Moses that God speaks to Joshua. Joshua was Moses' assistant and had followed Moses for many years. Therefore, how Moses did things was in Joshua's heart, just like training disciples. Disciples not only learn some truths but more importantly, they follow their master to see how he applies the truth. Just like reading the Bible, it is not just about learning what God says, but more importantly, seeing how Jesus loves and serves people, and what the relationship between Him and the Father is like. Through these, we apply God's words in our lives.
It is clear that Joshua had never independently led this group of people before. He knew very well that this group was not easy to lead and seemed to lack the ability to do so. Therefore, God first gave him a promise. When he worked with God's promise, he gained confidence.
Today, God has also given us promises, but many believers do not know how to use these promises. It seems that the Bible is the Bible, and it is separate from life. How do we apply these to ourselves? Through today's sharing, I hope to bring some help to everyone.
The first point of sharing: When you find yourself unable or without a way, remember to wholeheartedly seek God's promises.
Although it is said that we should seek God in everything in life, many people generally do what they can do themselves, and only when they really cannot do anything do they think of listening to God's words and seeking God's truth, which is actually a bit late.
Now we should admit that we have no ability, and our own methods may not always work. When you think this way, you will wholeheartedly seek God's promises. Joshua was in this situation. After Moses died, he did not know how to lead this group of people. This team was not easy to lead and might even be life-threatening. But now the heavy responsibility of leading the people had fallen on his shoulders. At this moment, God spoke to Joshua, saying: "Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise."
God first told him what he needed to do: now you must arise and cross this Jordan with all the people to the land which I am giving to the children of Israel. Through these verses, it can be seen that no matter who leads the Israelites, the destination is the same. It is the same for us; no matter whose preaching you listen to, the destination should be the same, which is to help us know Jesus more and experience Jesus. If the direction is wrong, following people will definitely lead to loss.
God told Joshua: you are to lead the Israelites across the Jordan River to the land of Canaan, and every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon, I have given to you as I promised Moses.
This is a promise, stating that the place you are going to in the future has already been given to you, but the people have not yet received this promised land.
We seem to be at this junction as well. God has already given us promises, so we experience His promises every day. Because of Jesus, God has already given us all kinds of beautiful blessings. In the spiritual realm, God's people have already received them. What is to be done? Cross the Jordan River and inherit this land. Amen.
Looking further at the blessings God gave to Joshua: Just as I was with Moses, I will be with you. Thank the Lord, God is a covenant-keeping and loving God. What He says will surely come to pass. Although Joshua had never led the people, the promise had already been given to him, so he did not need to worry anymore; he could just move forward.
What we need now is to fully believe in God's words. Hallelujah! God said He would bless the Israelites according to the promises made to Moses. Joshua must first believe this. Through Jesus, God has already given you all kinds of spiritual blessings. Can you believe this promise?
Psalm 33:4-9:
4 For the word of the Lord is right, and all His work is done in truth. 5 He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord. 6 By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth. 7 He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap; He lays up the deep in storehouses. 8 Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. 9 For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast.
Many people only regard Jesus as a healer and comforter. Through the Old Testament, we can see the greatness, power, and holiness of this God. The word of the Lord is right; what does this mean? It means that whatever He has promised, He will surely accomplish. As long as it is what He has said, there is no need to doubt; He will surely fulfill it!
Some may ask, what if it doesn't come to pass? Not coming to pass does not mean that God will not fulfill it. Perhaps the timing is not right. Sometimes God wants to bless us, but we must first be prepared; otherwise, when the blessing comes, we cannot bear it! We must first prepare our hearts. No matter what, we must believe that God's promises are for His children. He will not show favoritism or neglect any of His children!
Since Jesus has already shed His blood for our sins, our relationship with the Father has been reconciled. We should believe that what He says will surely come to pass, and what we need to do is to fully believe. What does it mean to fully believe? It means to remain hopeful regardless of whether it is fulfilled or not.
Many times, after praying for a while without results, people start to find their own solutions. This is not seeking God's promises because there is a fallback. Truly seeking God's promises means: You are my only way out!
Look at our God; He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord. This means that you may encounter deceitful people in the world, but God will not be like that. What He says He will give you, He will surely give you. His promises are written in the Bible, and they are meant for you. The world is created according to God's command, and everything operates by the breath of His mouth. The changing of the seasons and all things changing are all upheld by God's mighty command!
He said, "Let there be," and there was; He commanded, and it stood fast. Many times, people are too anxious and do not trust God. Brothers and sisters, when you seek God, you must first believe that He is willing to bless you. Look to God's promises wholeheartedly, set aside your own thoughts, and seek God alone. See what His promises say, and hold on to that promise.
Now look at the promise God gave to Joshua: Just as I was with Moses, I will be with you; I will not leave you nor forsake you.
Joshua saw how God was with Moses. At least during those forty years, Joshua saw how God used Moses. Moses had a characteristic of being extremely humble and completely trusting in God. This is something we need to learn from Moses. Although he was under the law, he had a very good point as our example: to believe in God and obey Him in everything. Although he had his weaknesses and failures, when the people conflicted with him and felt wronged, he did not vigorously argue for himself but turned to God in prayer. This is what we need to meditate on and practice.
Now God says to Joshua: Just as I was with Moses, I will be with you. This means: no matter what, I will not forsake you. Do not feel pressured or burdened. Although the people are hard to lead, I am with you; I will not leave you nor forsake you! Do you have such a promise? Yes!
John 14:15-17:
15 “If you love Me, keep My commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever, 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.
When Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins and rose from the dead three days later, His redemptive work on earth was completed. He then returned to the right hand of the Father. After He returned, knowing that we would worry and be afraid, just as Joshua was unsure of what to do after leaving Moses, Jesus sent the Holy Spirit, the Helper, to be with us forever. This means that as long as a person accepts Jesus and believes that Jesus shed His blood for his sins and rose from the dead on the third day, the Holy Spirit will enter his heart and be with him forever. For how long? There is no time limit; He is always with him. We need to meditate on this part!
Believing in God's promises should be kept in our hearts. The Holy Spirit dwells in your heart forever. No matter where you go, the Holy Spirit is with you. No matter what you do, the Holy Spirit is with you. However, many believers do not allow the Holy Spirit to work. This means that the Holy Spirit is not active in their hearts. When faced with problems, they rely on themselves. When troubled, they sigh and complain. After failure, they become discouraged, as if the Holy Spirit has not played a role.
What should we do? We need to learn to converse with the Holy Spirit in our daily lives. The simplest way is to pray in tongues. Another way is to meditate on God's words, as if the Holy Spirit is your old friend. You can silently converse with the Holy Spirit in your heart. He can communicate with you, but we need to quiet our hearts. Quietness is a rest of the heart; it does not mean you must find an absolutely quiet environment. This can work, but you will gradually find that the Holy Spirit communicates with you regardless of the external environment. He is always with you. Since He is with you, you need to learn to rely on Him and converse with Him.
After praying in tongues for a long time, you will have thoughts that communicate with the Holy Spirit. Just like we talked about before, Elijah did not encounter God in the great sounds, but he heard a small voice speaking to him after the gentle whisper. This is what we call the voice of the Holy Spirit. We need to let our hearts be quiet. Do not be too restless; do not become anxious when encountering difficulties, and do not become agitated after failure. This is not right. No matter what happens, you should calm your heart and pray to the Holy Spirit.
The Spirit of truth, what does this mean? This Holy Spirit has the same power as God. No matter what happens, when you pray to the Holy Spirit, He will help you. How does the Holy Spirit help us? It is simple. Since He is the Spirit of truth, and Jesus Christ is the truth, when we read God's words and meditate on the truth that Christ gives us, the Holy Spirit will reveal these truths to us.
Many believers do not read the Bible. They hope the Holy Spirit will reveal things to them, which is a very contradictory situation. It is like you love your child very much and want to hear your child's voice, but you are unwilling to converse with him. How can that be realized?
The Spirit of truth, brothers and sisters, first let God's truth exist in your heart. What is the suggestion for everyone? Read three chapters of the Bible every day, and you can finish reading the entire Bible in a year. First, store God's words in your heart.
Some people say they have read it, but they do not understand many of the words. They find it hard to comprehend! It does not matter; what matters is repeatedly placing these words in your heart. As for what you do not understand at the moment, just let it go. First, store these words in your heart. When you encounter situations, the Spirit of truth will reveal to you certain passages. During the process of reading the Bible, some verses will resonate with you immediately, and you will feel that this passage is written beautifully and is meant for you. As for the others that you do not understand, they may not be very helpful for your current situation. If you do not understand now, just let it go and continue reading. Do not think that you must understand the entire Bible before moving on; that will prevent you from continuing. Just keep reading repeatedly, in order, and store these truths in your heart, and the Holy Spirit will be able to reveal them to you.
Before reading the Bible, you can say: Holy Spirit, please guide me and help me understand the truth I need to understand at this moment! This is what sets us apart from the world. The world can learn a lot of knowledge, but when they apply it, they do not have the Holy Spirit. They rely on their own experience and judgment, as well as others' suggestions, which are all unreliable. But the Holy Spirit is different. The revelations the Holy Spirit gives you are meant to help you understand God's truth and His promises!
Some people read but then forget. This is also not important. Why? Because another function of the Holy Spirit is to remind us of everything Jesus has said to us. This means that even if you read and forget a while later, these things are already in your heart. When you need them, the Holy Spirit will remind you of certain scriptures.
Brothers and sisters, do not feel burdened; meditating on God's words is like this. First, you need to develop the habit of reading the Bible and then communicate with the Holy Spirit. This will reveal to you the words of the Bible. The world does not have the Holy Spirit, so when they feel anxious or lost, they will think about past failures and the hurts others have caused them, and the more they think, the worse it gets.
You are different. You know the Holy Spirit, and this Holy Spirit is always with you and dwells in you forever. Remember, you are not alone; the Creator is with you, living inside you. At any time, do not lose heart or despair, and do not feel lonely. The Holy Spirit is with you. Hallelujah! You must firmly remember this promise in your heart, just as God told Joshua: Just as I was with Moses, which you have seen, I will be with you; I will not leave you nor forsake you.
Hebrews 13:5-6:
5 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” 6 So we may boldly say: “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”
The author of Hebrews quotes the passage we just read, where God said to Joshua: I will never leave you nor forsake you. The author here says, “For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’” So this is how we use God's promises. This is meditating on God's promises. Although it was given to Joshua, it is also for you because this is the promise!
Apply this verse to yourself and boldly say: “Lord, this word is for me. I believe You will never leave me nor forsake me!” When you encounter difficulties and obstacles in life, or when people make you feel wronged, you can say: “Lord, I know You will never leave me nor forsake me. You will vindicate me and open the way before me. Amen, the Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”
So verse 6 is the application of the previous verse. God said He will not leave you nor forsake you, and then it says: “I know You are my helper because You will not leave me nor forsake me. You are my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” This is how to apply and meditate on God's words. You should learn to meditate like this. Thank the Lord.
The second point of sharing: How to practice God's words, the answer is to meditate repeatedly.
Look at verses 6-7 of this passage:
6 Be strong and of good courage, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. 7 Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go.
This is the secret. Although Joshua was very worried and afraid in his heart and did not know how many difficulties he would encounter on the road ahead, after God told him the promise, He said: “Be strong and of good courage!” Why? Because God had given him the promise. If he did not have the courage to act on it, all of this would become empty. God has given you the promise. If you do not take steps to act on these words, these words will remain in the Bible and will not benefit you at all. God has already told Joshua: You are to lead the people into the promised land! Now He emphasizes again: “For you shall cause this people to inherit the land.” What does Joshua need to do now? Be strong and of good courage! This means to have faith and take action to practice God's words.
Verse 7 emphasizes again: “Only be strong and very courageous.” How can Joshua do this? He must meditate repeatedly on God's words: God will not leave me nor forsake me! Just as God was with Moses, He will be with me! He just needs to meditate repeatedly, and he will be strong and courageous. Amen. With this faith, life will change accordingly. You cannot just have faith and do whatever you want; that will also lead to failure. The second half of verse 7 says: “Observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you.”
This includes the Ten Commandments and the statutes. In other words, the words given to Moses back then are now given to Joshua. God's principles of blessing have never changed. God tells Joshua: You must observe these statutes and also teach the people to do so.
Thank the Lord, why does God require them like this? Because the previous people lived in Egypt, and their ancestors had lived there for over four hundred years. Many of their habitual thoughts were those of the Egyptians, such as idol worship and various corrupt ideas. They learned a lot from the Egyptians. Now God wants them to inherit the land and the promises, but first, He needs to renew their thinking. If their thinking does not change, even if they enter Canaan, they will only create a second batch of the seven Canaanite nations, which are extremely corrupt. The sins of the seven Canaanite nations had already reached their fullness, so God allowed the Israelites to enter and drive them out and destroy them. If the thinking of the Israelites does not change, entering Canaan and obtaining that land will be the same as theirs.
Brothers and sisters, if we believe in the Lord but our thinking does not align with God's words, we will have no distinction from the world. Although we are saved by faith, our behavior will be exactly the same as that of the world. God does not want His people to live under a curse like the world. If He wants them to be blessed, then first they must observe and obey all of God's words.
Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, meaning do not add anything or take anything away. Do as God says. Amen. This can solve a confusion that many Christians face: “I have believed in the Lord and declared every day, so why do I still fail? Why am I still not prosperous in many things?” The reason is simple; perhaps they only have a strong and courageous heart but do not obey God's words. Maybe their lives are exactly the same as the world. The world is greedy, and they are greedy too. The world seeks profit, and they seek profit too. Their actions are the same as the world, and thus their failures will be the same as the world.
How do we solve this problem? By acting according to God's words and not turning from it to the right hand or to the left. How to understand this? It means that whatever Christ has said, we should try to obey. This is not the law; it is that God has already accepted you. He says He will not forsake you nor leave you. He wants you to act according to His words. Then you will know what a victorious life is and what a blessed life is.
We are not blessed by doing things; we know we are already blessed people. We are willing to do what the Lord wants, and we will see that His words are true. It is really that simple; we experience His words joyfully every day.
Back then, God told Joshua: “You shall observe to do according to all the law which My servant Moses commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go.” This means that he goes with God's authority and words, and wherever he goes, it is victorious and prosperous. The enemy is nothing, and difficulties are nothing. Amen.
Verse 8 gives the specific method: “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”
Actually, God has been repeating this. He is telling Joshua how to live a victorious life and how to overcome difficulties and problems in the future. That is: “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth.” First, you must read it.
“Meditate in it day and night” means to read it aloud or softly. This is essential for our Bible reading; we must develop the habit of reading the Bible every day. Then you meditate, which means to quietly murmur God's words in your heart, repeatedly meditating on a passage, seeing how this word can be applied to us. Remember, only meditate on the promises; do not meditate on the curses or the words of punishment, as they do not relate much to you. Those are for disobedient people and those who violate the law.
Now, God's words should not depart from your mouth. In your free time, take out a passage of God's promises or a piece of His words to meditate on. Think about how this word can be fulfilled in your life. This is what it means to meditate repeatedly.
“Meditate in it day and night” means that during the day and at night, whenever you have time, think about God's words. This way, your heart will be filled with joy, peace, and victory. Only when you meditate repeatedly can you obey God's words.
If you do not have God's words in your mouth and heart, then it is even more impossible to obey. Therefore, you must first learn to fill your mouth with God's words and your heart with God's words. In the natural course of life, you will naturally live out God's words, and many beautiful testimonies will happen. By repeatedly doing the above things, meditating repeatedly, and thinking in your heart, your way will be prosperous. What does this mean? It means that because you often meditate on God's words, the road ahead will be clear. It does not mean that you will not encounter difficulties or setbacks; it is not like that. Many people think that being prosperous means a smooth road with only good things ahead. It is not like that.
What does prosperity mean? It means that no matter what problems you encounter, you can overcome them. These difficulties will no longer suppress you. In the past, encountering some issues would cause you to lose sleep, become agitated, or feel anxious. Now these things can no longer overcome you. Some problems may still not be resolved at the moment, but they can no longer make you lose sleep or become very angry. Ultimately, you will see God's work every day and how these things are resolved by God!
Perhaps during your process of repeatedly meditating on God's words, God will give you wisdom and methods, and you will easily solve these problems. In the end, you will be very grateful to God because God is with you and has helped you. Hallelujah! Many people do not take action and let God do everything. This is not right. God works with us. First, your heart must be filled with God's words, allowing God to use you to achieve victory in life. This is the principle; you must follow the rules.
2 Timothy 2:5-7:
5 And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. 6 The hardworking farmer must be first to partake of the crops. 7 Consider what I say, and may the Lord give you understanding in all things.
What does this mean? God's blessings have principles. Many people do not want to do anything, are extremely lazy, and every day declare: “Lord, bless me, let me become a billionaire, bless me, let me have abundance in everything!” They think this way every day but do not want to work or go out to interact with people. In the end, they remain poor and destitute, and then complain that God's words are not correct, saying that their faith is wrong, or that certain people's teachings are incorrect.
In fact, if a person becomes so lazy, no truth will help him. What kind of teachings does such a person like to hear? Teachings that say they do not need to do anything, that God has prepared everything for them! They like to hear such words, but can such words help them? No, because God's blessings have rules. If you compete in athletics but remain still, how can you expect to be crowned?
We preach the gospel, serve God, or practice God's words because we are competing in athletics, and we must follow the rules. We must practice according to what God's words say to receive the crown and the reward. Sprinters each have their own lane; they cannot run into someone else's lane or run backward. If they do not follow the rules, it does not matter how fast they run; they will not be rewarded, right?
Since we are God's children, we need to follow God's words. First, learn to repeatedly meditate on God's words. If you really do not know how to act, look at these examples: look at Joshua, look at Moses, look at Paul, look at Peter. How did they do it? They did not understand everything at first; they all had a process. At first, they did not understand Jesus' heart, but after some time, they gradually understood how to serve.
God wrote these words in the Bible for us to see, so we can learn from these people and use their experiences as references to avoid going down the wrong path. Therefore, Paul told Timothy: “The hardworking farmer must be first to partake of the crops. Consider what I say.”
The farmer must work hard to plant crops, weed, fertilize, and finally harvest to receive the crops. This is what he deserves; this is called reward or crown! You are the farmer, but you do not plant, do not harvest, and do not weed, yet you declare every day and meditate on how much harvest you have. In the end, you will gain nothing. This is inevitable. Therefore, God's words must be repeatedly meditated upon, and after meditating, you must take action. This is correct. The Lord will give you understanding in all things when you encounter situations.
For example, if you are doing research, you can pray to the Lord when you encounter difficulties in this area: “Give me wisdom and understanding so that I can comprehend these things.” Although you are thinking about God's words, God can give you wisdom in your field of study to solve this problem. Then you can act and experiment. Amen! Therefore, repeatedly meditating on God's words is a very important part of practicing God's words.
Look at the verse about prosperity, 3 John 1:2-4:
2 Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. 3 For I rejoiced greatly when brethren came and testified of the truth that is in you, just as you walk in the truth. 4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.
John, in his old age, had already understood God's love. He was also practicing God's love and experiencing God's love. So at the end, John tells us: “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health!” This is also God's desire.
Brothers and sisters, remember, God desires for you to prosper in all things and be in health, but what is this related to? Just as your soul prospers. In the original text, it refers to the prosperity of the soul. What does the prosperity of the soul mean? The soul here refers to intellect, emotion, and will, which are our thoughts, feelings, and actions. The degree of our prosperity and the degree of our health are directly related to what we think, feel, and do. If your heart is filled with God's words to fifty percent, then your prosperity will reach fifty percent, and your health will also be fifty percent. If your thoughts on God's words reach seventy percent, and they occupy seventy percent of your life, then your prosperity and health will also reach seventy percent!
Jesus clearly had a one hundred percent prosperity of the soul, so whatever He did was one hundred percent victorious, and His body was one hundred percent healthy. This is the reason. Therefore, we should spend time repeatedly meditating on God's words and then act on them.
Verse 3 says: “For I rejoiced greatly when brethren came and testified of the truth that is in you, just as you walk in the truth.”
Brothers and sisters, what a person holds in their heart will surely be acted out. Although we do not repeatedly emphasize that we must have good behavior, good behavior comes from correct faith. If a person's behavior is very poor, it is actually a result of incorrect faith. We must not only adjust our faith but also act according to the truth. Then we will experience God's joy, and the person serving you will also have joy.
There are often people who come to me with questions, and I give them some scriptures, telling them the truth: “Meditate on this truth and then act on it!” If they truly do this, their problems will be resolved, and they will have joy. We also have joy, and we witness the power of truth together.
But there are also some people who come to you with problems. You tell them the truth, but they cannot accept it and are unwilling to act on it. As a result, their problems remain unresolved, and they complain that what you said is incorrect! Brothers and sisters, this is where the problem lies.
John said: “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.”
God gives us truth. What is the ultimate purpose of understanding the truth? Isn’t it to act on it? If we only know the truth, it will not be very helpful or beneficial to us. Brothers and sisters, ultimately, repeatedly meditating on His words is to let us act on them. When we act on them, we will receive prosperity in all things. Thank the Lord, this is the result we all desire. But many people are unwilling to meditate. Isn’t this contradictory?
Now let’s look at the meditation on healing, 1 Peter 2:24:
24 Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.
Many brothers and sisters have illnesses and have tried many methods, but they do not work. For example, insomnia and depression—are these things very simple for God? Very simple! Because whether it is depression or other issues like insomnia, it may be due to excessive stress or being unable to let go of many past things, or focusing on oneself, feeling wronged, experiencing failure, and pain. These create a huge barrier in their thoughts, leading to being weighed down by these burdens, resulting in insomnia at night. You need to shift your focus to Jesus. Meditate on why Jesus was hung on the tree: because of our sins. The problems brought by sin are death, and death encompasses many things, such as diseases, pain, and failure. These are all forms of death.
We often see that the end of death is the end of life. Many people, before their lives end, are already experiencing death through many unpleasant, failing, and terrible things constantly eroding them. What should we do? We need to meditate on Jesus being hung on the tree for your sins. He has already taken your burdens, failures, grievances, and hurts upon Himself. You can say: “Lord, I give all of these to You. You have already borne my sins on the cross!” The reason is found in the passage we just read: He bore our sins in His own body on the tree.
What happens after He bears them? It means that we have died to sins. Jesus died for our sins. When you give your diseases, pains, past hurts, and grievances completely to Jesus, He has already paid the price for your sins. So you have given them to Jesus, and they are no longer on you. This means that when you meditate, if you have a certain disease, you can say: “Now Jesus is on the cross. I know He has borne my sins. I give this disease to Jesus. Because I have problems, Jesus must go to the cross for me. I give this disease to Jesus. Since I have given it to Jesus, it is no longer on me.” You need to meditate repeatedly and truly believe that you have given it away, and you will receive healing. Thank the Lord! Now living in you is the Holy Spirit. Jesus is in you, and Jesus is sinless and healthy. Therefore, since He is in you, your body has already changed; it is already healthy!
“By whose stripes you were healed.” You can meditate on that process. If you really cannot meditate, watch the movie “The Passion of the Christ.” When you see Jesus being whipped, you will know that each whip represents a certain disease of yours! Just place your disease there; Jesus has taken it! This is the method of meditation. When you continuously meditate, healing will manifest in you.
Do not think about other things. The doctor's conclusions can be referenced, but do not take his words as the absolute standard. He can find out that you have a certain disease, but many times he is unwilling to take responsibility. So he explains all the things you should bear. We believe that his tests are correct, but we must also believe: “Lord, You can solve all the problems I have now. Amen!” By repeatedly meditating, you will receive healing.
Another situation is if there is someone you cannot forgive in your heart or something you cannot let go of, you must also give it to Jesus. If you cannot let go of this person because of the deep hurt they caused you, what should you do? “Lord, I give this person to You. I give this unforgivable matter to You. Help me forgive him and let go of this matter.” Then you can receive healing.
So these are two aspects: one is to think about Jesus bearing your disease; the other is to pray to God to take away the hurt caused by others when you encounter such people or situations that you cannot let go of. You can also receive healing.
Let’s look at a passage, James 5:13-16:
13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
In this passage, James presents another type of person who cannot receive healing. He has declared and meditated, but he still cannot receive healing. This may be the situation below: he is sick, and at this time, he should call for the elders of the church to anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. The oil here refers to olive oil. They should anoint him and pray for him.
The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. So brothers and sisters, generally speaking, anointing with oil and praying will heal the person.
And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Brothers and sisters, this is a completed matter. We should not condemn this person. Even if he has sinned, God has already forgiven him. This person must first receive this message; otherwise, he may feel that God will not forgive him and that he has not been forgiven, and thus he will not receive healing. Therefore, we must first tell others: No matter what you have done in the past, God does not remember your sins anymore. Let go of this and give it to the Lord so that you may be healed, for God has already forgiven you. Amen.
Verse 16: “Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another.”
What does this mean? When there are conflicts and hurts between people, confessing to one another means that many times, because people are unwilling to let go of the hatred in their hearts, the hatred binds them and causes great damage to their bodies. What should we do? Confess to one another. Find the person who hurt you, find the person who made you feel wronged in the past, and say: “Actually, I also have faults in this matter.” You must have problems; this issue cannot be one-sided. Confess to one another, recognize the problem, and admit your mistakes to others. Once this problem is resolved, praying for one another will lead to healing. Amen. Thank the Lord! So this is about meditating on healing. But regardless of whether it is about prosperity or healing, or any problems we encounter in life, meditating on God's words can make you prosper in all things!
Thank the Lord! When you encounter problems, find God's words to meditate on and repeatedly meditate until the problem is completely resolved. Develop the habit of meditating regularly. Thank the Lord! I hope today's words bring some help to everyone!
Let us pray together
Heavenly Father, thank You for giving us this truth. We are willing to meditate on Your words and experience Your victory. We are Your beloved children, and You are our Father. You desire for us to live out a victorious life on earth, to live out the life of Jesus. You have given us such words, allowing us to learn to rely on God in everything like Joshua, and to learn to rely on God in everything like Paul. We thank You, and we are willing to meditate on Your words day and night. Please help us, Holy Spirit, to develop the habit of meditation in our lives, keeping our thoughts and intentions focused on Jesus, always placing our focus on Jesus and on God's words. I believe that God's words are faithful and true, and what God says will surely come to pass!
Thank the Lord! As the new week begins, I look forward to experiencing God's words this week, experiencing Your victory in life, and becoming Your best witness! Thank and praise You. All glory belongs to You. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray, Amen.