Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long. 98 Your commands make me wiser than my enemies, for they are ever with me. 99 I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on your statutes. 100 I have more understanding than the elders, for I obey your precepts. 101 I have kept my feet from every evil path so that I might obey your word. 102 I have not departed from your laws, for you yourself have taught me. 103 How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! 104 I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path.

Add to the above another passage from Hebrews 5:13-14: For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. 14 But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.

Read the word of God. Fill your mind and your heart with this spiritual food. Meditate on it; that is, let it digest. Then put it into practice. Actually let it guide you and let it determine what you say or don’t say, what you do or don’t do. Remember, it is not just about leaving off bad things or just doing a lot of good things, it is more often the priorities we give to things in our lives. For example, you probably don’t plan to commit murder, or rob a bank, or commit adultery today. But will you find time to study God’s word and time to spend in prayer?

Will you have time to say a word of encouragement to someone who needs it so much? Will you be patient with that person who annoys you so much? Will you practice righteousness? Jesus said that we can know his disciples by the way they love each other. Are you loving to others? James said that pure religion is to show concern and help orphans and widows who need our help. John said it is easy to love in word only but we are to love in word and in action.

I once heard of a family who had daily Bible reading each morning. They would then meet again that evening and each one would tell how they had applied what they read that morning. This is how we grow spiritually – by practicing what we learn.

O God, please give me strength to keep my commitment to study your word more and to spend time with you in prayer. Help me to have wisdom to know how to apply what I study and faith to actually trust you in doing it. Fill my heart with your Spirit so that I might become more like you. I pray in the name of Jesus who has shown me how to love.

May God bless each of us as we grow up in him (Eph. 4:15).