Meditating on God's word day and night

With a fresh new year, I have been re motivated to get back into a better discipline of reading my Bible ever single day. I want to persevere this year and not slack off. I will need God's help in that area. Especially if I do this in addition to my Bible study class which requires a good bit of homework. In years past I have chosen a reading plan that reads straight through form Genesis to Revelation, but this year I am trying a new plan where I read from a different part of the Bible each day alternating between the the law and books of history, the Psalms and poetry books, prophesy, the gospels, ect.
Today my reading was definitely motivation to keep up on my plan. I read in Joshua and came across this verse...Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Joshua 1:8 This is a commandment about staying in God's word, followed by the reward that will come from being obedient. I know I long to be prosperous and successful, this verse tells me how to do it!
Then, I moved on to Psalms ( I am a little behind, so I had to cover 2 readings today) and came across this verse: Blessed is the man......(who)delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. Psalm 1:1-4

I am in awe at how God taught me the same thing in two different verses today. I will write these in my journal as a reminder of why it is so important for me to make God's word a priority this year, and the blessing that will come from being obedient.

Believe and not doubt

But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. James 1:6

This is the very next verse after the one I wrote about yesterday. I pondered on this verse and realized that is exactly how I feel when I ask for God's wisdom during a situation like the one I wrote about yesterday......like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind..
I feel as if I ask for God to help me, and then as I wait, my mind goes in a million different directions and I end up with nothing. I meditate on this all afternoon and prayed that God would show me why I do this. Last night it came to me.
While I am asking God for wisdom, my mind is going off and trying to figure it out myself. I start thinking about what so and so would do or how I think my other friend might handle this....have I read anything that tells me what to do in this situation?? Maybe I should as the pediatrician??? Call my mom???
All this after I just asked God for His wisdom. No wonder I can't hear Him. I have to learn to block out all the other outside influences, and believe and not doubt that He himself will give me an answer. I have to stop worry about what others will think or what they would do, and seek God and how he would want me to handle it.

Last night as we sat down for dinner I poured out Zack's medicine and handed it to him. I said I wanted him to drink it before dinner so we did not have to fight over it after eating. He took the cup from me and said...."ok, what can I drink after it?" I said "how about your milk?" He said..."no, some water." He poured a glass of water, drank down the medicine followed by his water and then sat down at the table to eat! My mouth dropped to the floor and I didn't know what to think!
Thinking about it later, I realized that God did not give me wisdom the form of a technique or a tactic to get him to take the medicine, but instead He gave me wisdom as to how great He is and sometimes He can just do it for me and I don't have to do a thing!

Lacking Wisdom

If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. James 1:5

I have been needing wisdom in so many areas of my parenting lately. Most of my frustrations come from not knowing the right way to handle certain situations. Some as simple as how to get my 7 year old to take his new medicine each night at dinner. I sit there each night and try all different tactics, none working.....I then think to myself...."ok Lord, I need wisdom....what do I do next?" After an hour of struggling, he finally took it, but only after much crying and frustration among all of us. I still don't feel like I received wisdom.
I guess because I feel like if I had done it the right way it wouldn't have taken so long or been such an ugly drawn out situation. I also feel like if I had received God's wisdom I would feel confident in how I will handle the situation again tonight. Guess I will keep praying about it today.


I have a long list of situations with my kids similar to this one that I think I lack wisdom....maybe I should write them all out so I can pray on them daily.

New Year New growth

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1:2-4

When you're a mom is it possible to ever have a day without trials of many kinds? It doesn't seems so in my household. It has been a crazy season around here, and some days I find it hard to keep up. As I meditated on this verse today I realized that all the struggles I face each day are always growing my faith and drawing me closer to God. Oh how I long to be mature and complete, lacking nothing. I know that will take time....and lots of trials, but I look forward to this new year and seeing how God will test and grow my faith. Drawing me closer and closer to lacking nothing. One hour, one day, one week, one month, one year at a time!