Question

How do you put your mind on good things of the Word of God?

Answer

Dear friend,

Let me begin with another question:  When in school or study, how do you put your mind on the valuable teachings of the science book or history text?   The answer is that you make a choice to pay attention, or set yourself down with a book and discipline yourself to focus on those things.  If you at that time have a radio blaring in your one ear, your little brother pulling on your arm you probably be very distracted.  So you pack up your stuff and find a quiet room.

When it comes to focusing our mind on the good things of God we encounter even more opposition and obstacles.  Satan will marshal all his devices together to discourage, hinder, distract and plug up our minds.  Our own hearts also can feel like lead and will absolutely resist to even think about the things of God.  Yet as Paul used the example of the athletes in 1 Cor. 9:24-27, so I would like to do that also. People in various sports push themselves beyond their limit; discipline themselves to exercise, place all kinds of restrictions upon their bodies in order to obtain a corruptible crown.  Listening to their stories, you hear how their muscles object, scream for rest and often they don't feel like doing one more push; yet they maintain their mind focus on the crown.  In that sense, the children of the world are wiser than the children of light.  The world realizes that nothing will come without  effort.   Do we also realize that in the spiritual aspects of life nothing will come without effort?  The Lord Jesus admonished to
labor not for the perishables of this earth but rather to labor for such things that endure.

In the parable of the sower was a section that was "the wayside."  The seed of the sower bounced off and went nowhere.  Jesus described in that soil (hearers!) a person who has a heard that is "packed down by many footsteps."  That's the person who immerse his mind the whole day to the stream of "footsteps" of information coming through the various communication sources.  It will be very hard to concentrate such a mind that is daily immersing itself in such activity on God.  Let me add that an over-stuffed agenda with all kinds of commitments, many which are voluntary choices, is another way to pre-occupy our mind with the things of this earth.  How hard to pull away our thoughts and focus them on God!  So, take a good look at your daily agenda as well as to what information you expose your mind all day and everyday!   Not too many veggies are going to grow in my plot if I allow everyone to walk over it all the day.

The way we need to keep our minds focused on God is by disciplining ourselves to the reading and studying of His Word: /daily sitting at His feet/.  That means we need to schedule the time slot somewhere in our day, each day for a start.  Without that discipline of making an agenda point to read and study the Bible, it will be pushed off.  Secondly, meditate on John 4:23, the last part.  It is an astounding revelation the Lord Jesus gave.  The Father is actually seeking such to worship Him!  He is the first for sure.  Therefore carry in mind that majestic saying of Luther, "We don't need to overcome God's unwillingness but are called to lay hold of God's willingness."   He seeks you as sinner that you would worship Him.  How often don't we come dreamily and drearily to the use of the means of grace instead of anticipating the meeting with a great God.  He may for many wise and just reasons keep Himself distant from us.  Mostly because He sees sins we aren't dealing with.  That always destroys relationships and certainly between a holy God and we unholy creatures.  Lastly, remember that God is seeking such that will worship Him.  We are always out to "get something out of it."  Yet our focus ought to be "to give God what He deserves, and that is worship."  Worship is expressed in various ways as singing, praise but also in repentance and obedience to His holy will.

Hope these thoughts answer your question.  May God bless you richly.

Pastor Vergunst