Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful…  Psalm 1:1 (NKJV)  The Amplified Classic translation describes blessed as “happy, fortunate, prosperous and enviable.” And who is blessed? It’s someone who doesn’t keep company with ungodly, sinful or scornful people. That means the people you’re hanging with can affect the blessings in your life. For example, you can lose your passion for your spouse by listening to someone who has a scornful attitude toward marriage.   Now, who falls into the “ungodly” category? We immediately think it’s unbelievers, but not all believers follow God’s ways. They place their kids’ happiness, their marriage or their finances ahead of seeking …

…So that you will not be [spiritually] sluggish, but [will instead be] imitators of those who through faith [lean on God with absolute trust and confidence in Him and in His power] and by patient endurance [even when suffering] are [now] inheriting the promises.  Hebrews 4:12 (AMP)  For most new believers, their first year is the most exciting as they grow and learn about Jesus. But as they continue on their faith journey, instead of growing up, many begin to head down into boring, stuffy, rule-based religion.   It’s unfortunate because growing up or constantly maturing in the Word is a wonderful way to live. It’s when we stay immature that we make unwise decisions or cause avoidable hurt. In fact, oftentimes, the pain we experience …

Jesus said, “How can I describe the Kingdom of God? What story should I use to illustrate it? It is like a mustard seed planted in the ground. It is the smallest of all seeds, but it becomes the largest of all garden plants; it grows long branches, and birds can make nests in its shade.”  Mark 4:30–32 (NLT)  Consistent meditation on God’s Word throws the enemy a one-two punch. One, it produces a spiritual harvest in our lives, and two, Satan can’t stop it.   In Mark chapter 4, Jesus shared a parable to explain the power of ongoing Biblical meditation. In the first part of the chapter, He talked about a farmer who planted a crop. Some of the seeds (God’s Word) fell on a path (an unprepared …

“The thorny ground represents the hearts of people who listen to the Good News and receive it, but all too quickly the attractions of this world and the delights of wealth, and the search for success and lure of nice things come in and crowd out God’s message from their hearts, so that no crop is produced.”  Mark 4:18–19 (TLB)  Satan tempts us with many things to distract us from meditating on God’s Word. He can’t afford to have believers knowing who they are in Christ and growing in their relationship with God. So, he constantly tries to keep you out of the Word through distractions, troubles or temptations.   If you’re single, his temptations might come in the form of a new person you are interested …

“A farmer planted seed… Some fell in the gravel; it sprouted quickly but didn’t put down roots, so when the sun came up it withered just as quickly.”  Mark 4:3, 5–6 (MSG)  Satan knows that meditating in God’s Word is crucial for believers to grow. It’s why he invests so much effort trying to keep believers out of it!  One technique he uses is bringing trouble and persecution against you to get you offended and angry. Jesus explained that this tactic works well because many immature believers “fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word” (Mark 4:16–17, NLT).   You see, the more you grow in the Word, the greater threat you become to the enemy. So, Satan will try …