This is post #4 of a nine blog/podcast series entitled WHO ARE YOU…REALLY? Together, we’re exploring this important question of who we really are in the eyes of Jesus…women and men of great value in the economy of God’s Kingdom. Here’s the homepage for the entire series.

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Our Lectio Divina Reading for Today: Psalm 119: 9-16 (MsgB)

How can a young person live a clean life? By carefully reading the map of Your Word. I’m single-minded in pursuit of You; don’t let me miss the road signs You’ve posted. I’ve banked Your promises in the vault of my heart so I won’t sin myself bankrupt. Be blessed, God; train me in Your ways of wise living. I’ll transfer to my lips all the counsel that comes from Your mouth; I delight far more in what You tell me about living than in gathering a pile of riches. I ponder every morsel of wisdom from You, I attentively watch how You’ve done it. I relish everything You’ve told me of life, I won’t forget a word of it.

So once you and I know how valued we are as children of God, understanding and embracing the fact that at the core of our being, God, our Creator, sees us as good; there must be a response inside of us that agrees with that same goodness. In other words, it’s one thing for me to be called “good” by God, it’s another thing for me to live out my life in agreement with that statement, choosing to embrace that same goodness God sees inside me.

That’s why the Scriptures pay so much attention to the response you and I must have to God’s declaration of goodness over us. In the book of Romans, Paul pleads his case for his readers to have a right response to the goodness and mercies of God…

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – His good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12: 2 NIV)

In truth, so much of our success or failure in this life comes through the workings of our mind. Mankind, you see, has been made in the image and likeness of God, and one of the biggest blessings that is birthed through that likeness is that powerful tool that sits right inside your skull…

The brain.

This brain we have been given is a powerful instrument, indeed! Yet while modern medicine has learned much on how our brains work and function in our bodies, science has yet to unlock all the secrets of the mind and how it controls so much of who we are, how we act, and why we are the way we are. And as we’ve discussed earlier in this blog series, the battle over our minds is a strategic one, indeed!

Thus the Psalmist gives us some great advice on how to train up this wonderful creation called the brain. Let me just dissect our verses today, giving these action-steps to you in a bullet-point format…

• carefully reading the map of God’s Word.
• being single-minded in our pursuit of God.
• not missing the road signs God has posted.
• banking God’s promises in the vault of my heart.
• being trained in God’s ways of wise living.
• transferring to my lips all the counsel that comes from God’s mouth.
• delighting far more in what God tells me about living than in gathering a pile of riches.
• pondering every morsel of wisdom from God.
• attentively watching how God has done it.
• relishing everything God has told me of life, and not forgetting a word of it.

Yowsers. Now that’s real transformation!

It seems to me that if I want to be in agreement with what Paul calls the renewing of my mind, there’s no better place to start then to take each of these ten bullet points from Psalm 119 and get to work re-programming this wonderful creation God has given me (my brain) using these valuable words of wisdom.

And here’s the good news. With the indwelling and empowering work of the Holy Spirit, it truly is possible to re-train my brain, putting into practice these ten action steps that are recorded for me in God’s Word.

So this week, let’s practice together, the renewing of our minds, for the sake of Christ! If Paul is right, it’s this work that will bring true transformation for us…moving from the old, fleshly way we’ve lived our lives, to the Spirit-directed, Christ-centered life God has for His beloved sons and daughters!

My prayer: Thank You, Father, for the amazing gift of my brain. It is truly one magnificent creation. So now, with Your help and guidance, I choose to train it properly for the glory of God’s Kingdom. For Your name’s sake. Amen.

My questions to ponder: So which of the ten action steps found in Psalm 119 stand out for me today as practical ways I can work with God in the transformation and renewing of my mind? What simple steps can I take today in walking out this holy transformation?

So what is God speaking to you today as we ponder on this theme of Who Are You…Really?

Thank you for joining us on this 9-session journey we call Who Are You…Really? We suggest you bookmark our blog/podcast homepage for this series to keep all the blogs and podcasts in one place for your future reference.

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