Psalm 19:14 (NIV) May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.
Philippians 4:9 (NLT) And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.
Yesterday we looked at the first four words, and we identified selective readings to help us remember how to focus on these attributes. Now let us consider the remaining four words. Again, I will add my initial thoughts and key verses that help me, and I encourage you to find verses that are helpful to you. Here are the Eight Words again:
True – Honorable – Right – Pure – Lovely – Admirable – Excellent – Praiseworthy
When I think about things that are lovely, one of my first thoughts is the beauty of all creation. I enjoy the beauty of sunrises and sunsets, the clouds and all the colors of the skies. The intricate details of plants and animals...even the antics of squirrels and the longs necks of giraffes...all creation amazes me. (Psalm 19:1; Psalm 104:24)
When I think about things that are admirable, I think of the talents others are willing to share. I admire the hard work and hours spent practicing and developing those talents be it professional skills, military skills, music, speaking, teaching, cooking, cleaning, or encouraging others. (Galatians 6:9-10; Hebrews 6:10; 1 Peter 4:10)
When I think about what is excellent, I think of something far beyond the ordinary. It is going above and beyond “good” or even “great.” It is the wisdom of King Solomon, but it is also the widow’s mite. It is giving your very best effort in everything you do, as if you are doing it for your Heavenly Father, because ultimately you are serving him. (Colossians 3:17, 23)
When I think about something praiseworthy, I am always drawn to my Heavenly Father. For truly he alone should receive all praise, glory, and honor. (Psalm 69:30; the latter part of Revelation 4:8)
And now, two well-worn phrases come to mind... “scratched the surface” and “tip of the iceberg”. There are so many more scriptures we could find in God’s word to help us stay focused on those things that are pleasing to him.
Gracious Heavenly Father,
Once again, you tell us not to just be hearers of the word, but to be doers also (James 1:22). Forgive us where we fail you and guide us to become more Christlike in our daily lives.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
The devotional Checking Eight Words – Part Two appeared first on Write From My Heart at
https://writefrommyheartblog.blogspot.com
Email: Dotty Willmon, writefrommyheartblog@gmail.com
Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®, Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
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