By Bro. Michael Tang
But his delight is in the law of the Lord , And in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.
Psalms 1:2-3 NKJV
http://bible.com/114/psa.1.2-3.NKJV
→If we want to be more spiritual, we have to spend more time reading the Bible.
▷Meditate God's words day and night
So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord .
Deuteronomy 8:3 NKJV
http://bible.com/114/deu.8.3.NKJV
→How do we have more time meditating God's words? Taking Daniel for example, he, as a busy official of Persia, still tried to squeeze some time out of his busy schedule to pray 3 times a day. He also benefited from the prayer because it helped him calm down and focus on God.
▷Rely on God
For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the river, And will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, And will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit.
Jeremiah 17:8 NKJV
http://bible.com/114/jer.17.8.NKJV
→Time of heat and drought are like difficulties and tribulations in our life. If we are like the tree planting by the river (be near to God), we will still face drought and heat days (tribulations). But as we spread out roots by the river (rely on God), we will no longer be afraid and can endure through the trials.
*Two well known year of drought in Bible:
1. Time of Joseph - Joseph received notice from God and was able to prepare for the drought in advance.
2. Time of Elijah - Even Elijah was beat by the drought and God provided food to him.
I will say of the Lord , “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.”
Psalms 91:2 NKJV
http://bible.com/114/psa.91.2.NKJV
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
Romans 8:35, 37 NKJV
http://bible.com/114/rom.8.35-37.NKJV
→It's not tribulation which separates us from Jesus' love. People usually tend to rely on God more to pass the trials.
▷Pursue the fullness of Holy Spirit
Then he brought me back to the door of the temple; and there was water, flowing from under the threshold of the temple toward the east, for the front of the temple faced east; the water was flowing from under the right side of the temple, south of the altar. He brought me out by way of the north gate, and led me around on the outside to the outer gateway that faces east; and there was water, running out on the right side. And when the man went out to the east with the line in his hand, he measured one thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the water came up to my ankles. Again he measured one thousand and brought me through the waters; the water came up to my knees. Again he measured one thousand and brought me through; the water came up to my waist. Again he measured one thousand, and it was a river that I could not cross; for the water was too deep, water in which one must swim, a river that could not be crossed.
Ezekiel 47:1-5 NKJV
http://bible.com/114/ezk.47.1-5.NKJV
He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
John 7:38-39 NKJV
http://bible.com/114/jhn.7.38-39.NKJV
→ There are different levels of fullness of Holy Spirit as mentioned in Eze 47. If we are not able to get rid of our old self, we will not proceed to be more filled with Holy Spirit. But if we can submit to God and let Holy Spirit fill our heart, we can reach a higher level of spiritual life like apostle John and James.
