chewing on scripture

my mother is an intercessor. i know this, not because i witness her praying with my eyes but because
of the discerning capabilities she possesses. she carries a dedication and passion to know the lord in such an intimate way that you would be foolish to be her friend and try to hide a life of lawlessness that contradicts the word of the lord. the lord is sure to tell her things for your benefit.

trust me, i know this by experience...

as a teenager i was drawn to the spotlight. i loved being the class clown, or just having the capability to make people laugh. i recall one such opportunity on the last day of my 8th grade year during lunch in the cafeteria we were growing quite loud and restless waiting for the next period. the instructor in charge grew weary of the chaos and gave instruction for the entire cafeteria to be quiet (i attended a small private school so such announcements were common and likely). the teacher stated, quite emphatically, "i don't want to hear another peep!" so you can guess what i did..."peep!" the roar of laughter was not worth the consequence. this was the type of individual i was, within my comfort zone.

naturally i found the outlet i needed on the stage. i loved performing in shows and theatre. i did every show i could, and when i couldn't be in the show i worked as a stage hand and helped with set changes just to prove i could work behind the scenes as well. it was customary for the actors and crew, after the last performance, to strike the set and go out to celebrate. my high school friend and i were excited to do just that, oh and did i mention that i enjoyed the industrial buildings that hid my disobedience of smoking cigarettes? the final performance was over,  the strike was complete, and now on to the late night antics of food and fun but lets stop off real quick for a smoke. well...my pack of marlboro lights seemed a bit lighter than normal as i pulled them out of my pocket ready to light up. sure enough, not one square was found inside that pack. instead, in their place, was a note, elegantly stated...

numbers 32:23

...you have sinned against the lord, and be sure your sin will find you out.

i honestly had no idea as to who could have written this note. i had been able to hide things before and it seemed i had gotten away with it in the past. as it turns out, it was my mom who wrote this note. she informed me that the discernment of the lord led her to believe there was something i was hiding. needless to say, i was not happy that evening, but i was not happy mainly because i had gotten caught.

psalm 1 says that a man who is blessed

delights in the law of the lord

meditates on the law of the lord day and night 

never ceases to live accordingly to this word 

is always considering the profound influence of this word in his life

chews on scripture when he is seen and when he is not seen

i am a better man not because i was caught, not because i memorized psalm 1, not because i go to church but because my mom established herself as a woman of integrity and handed her devotion to the lord through prayer and the reading of his word to me. out of this devotion you too will find integrity established in your life as well.

integrity will not steer you the wrong way. in fact integrity will...

1. preserve you

we all have certain desires on our heart, some are good for us and some are not. we desire justice, success, or good reputation, and integrity preserves these so that the godly release will take place at just the right time.

2. protect you

wickedness is the normal thing these days. it is not popular to submit to god and obey his voice. the doubt and unbelief that creeps in is a result of pursuing your desires on your own terms. integrity protects you and your growth; it guides you into faithfulness.

3. provoke you

living a blessed life is not simply just doing the right thing but also ferociously and fervently walking away from the wrong thing. it is both not either or. lets be stirred in our search to find what we ought to be doing and at the same time aggressive in our contest with sin in our lives. running to god, running from evil.

read psalm 1, devour it and memorize it.