Maintaining Spiritual Vitality

            One of the questions that comes up fairly consistently is the question of how to remain spiritually vibrant all the time. If we are honest with ourselves, we all at some points in our lives struggle with this issue, even those in church leadership ask these questions from time to time.

            I believe, even though it is a difficult question, it can be answered in the Bible, which is where we ought to be able to turn in these times, and I will show you what is said about it. It seems those of old struggled with the same things but they had found how to live this out.

The passage I am referring to is Psalm 1:1-6. The writer is this passage begins by telling how to be happy, and where to find it. The writer starts off by saying to be happy don’t follow the advice of the wicked. The word wicked in the Hebrew means those who have been declared wrong, or who follows sinners. Happy is not found in those ways of life, so don’t look there.

Then the writer goes on to say that happiness comes as we delight in Yahweh’s (God’s) instructions. The word instruction in the Hebrew means Torah, and the writer says we need to mediate on them day and night. The word, “mediate” in the Hebrew means, not only to ponder, but to murmur as well. We are to not only think about His instructions, but we are to speak it as well.

This is interesting because this implies that we are not only to speak them to ourselves but to one another as well. As we look at the rest of this passage it tells us that the instruction also means the flow of water, which goes back to being cleansed by the washing of the word found in Ephesians.

This means I can become vibrant in my life when I do this, but I can also help others become vibrant by murmuring Yahweh’s instruction to them as well. We become a blessing to one another, and those around us become a blessing to us as they speak Yahweh’s instruction to us. We help each other grow as we keep His instructions, not only in our hearts, but on our lips as well.

The writer telling in the rest what life looks like when we do this and what happens to those that don’t. It is vitally important for ourselves as well as those around us that we ponder and murmur His Word and His instructions. This takes work, and discipline, and we need to look at the benefits that will result from this passage. I challenge you to look at this passage yourself, consider the benefits and apply this to your life.