Meditate, Ponder & Chew

I've been reading the book of John, and have literally been in the first two chapters for like a week! I'm once again amazed at the depth of God's word...

One of my favorite verses is Psalm 1:2 -
"But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night."

Here's how the message version puts it -
"Instead you thrill to God's Word, you chew on Scripture day and night."

I recently discovered this great quote..."Reading the Bible without meditating on it, is like trying to eat without swallowing." - Anonymous

If we dont' stop to ponder, meditate, chew, contemplate, consider and reflect on God's word, we can't be nourished by it.

As I read John chapter 1 vs 14 jumped out at me.
"So the word became human and made his home among us. He was FULL of unfailing love and faithfulness."

First of all, "the word became human and made his HOME among us"...I could spend a lifetime pondering that and still not get the depth of it! God didn't just come to visit us, he came and made his HOME among us!

But the part of the verse I spent some time considering is how John describes Jesus. Here's a man who walked pretty closely with Jesus, and saw him in all kinds of different situations. Yet he doesn't just say that Jesus was loving and faithful, he kicks those two attributes up a notch by saying that Jesus was FULL of Unfailing love and Faithfulness. He didn't love a little, he gave it out in abundance.

He gave it to people who society had deemed unlovable

He gave it to people who didn't deserve it

And he didn't just give them love, he gave them a love that never fails, never stops. A love that continues to give no matter the circumstance.

After reading that verse, I am challenged to do the same. To be so full of love that it just pours out of me, and touches everyone that I come into contact with. To love people that society tells me are undeserving of love. To stick with and lavish love on people who annoy me! To let unfailing love define me...