Bill Gothard teaches that you can meditate by focusing and thinking about each major word in a scriptural passage. For example, consider the passage, For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23)

To meditate I can have a conversation something like this:

FOR - What's that word there for? For? I think it means this verse depends on what comes before this verse - and maybe after:

 21But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— 26he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

OK, now ALL - who does that include. Jesus sinned? Naw. The rest of the Bible clarifies that. But ALL includes me. It includes Mother Teresa. It includes Billy Graham. And Rick Warren. And Marc Pearson. And Mom and Dad. No one else is left out. O me. Father forgive me. I'm a sinner.

HAVE - It probably means I keep doing it. God could have said, "All sinned." But He added "have." It's still happening.

SINNED - What does that mean? Hey! I'm not so bad. Other guys are worse than me. I never murdered anyone. Oooohhh. I thought about it once. "Little" white lies. Guilty. Thinking of myself as superior. Oops, that's me. Putting a brother down. Been there. Done that.  Displeasing God. Being separated from Him. Being out of fellowship. Demanding, consciously or subconsciously, to be my own god. Acting like I create my own little world. I'm in control, I set the standards. I choose what part of the Bible I choose to believe. And not believe. Demanding my own way. I'm a sinner all right. Why do I naturally want to do the wrong thing? This verse has me nailed. I sinned. God forgive me.

FALL - Boy, that sure describes it. I fall off the wagon. Some say I fall from grace. Wow! I certainly don't climb UP to new heights by sinning. It's always a fall to a lower level. To the bottom. To the dregs. To the sewer.

SHORT - Yup! When I sin, I get the short end of the stick. I sell myself short. I'm a day late and a dollar short. I'm in a race and I fall short. When I do that I'm a loser.

GLORY - God's purity. God's brightness. His presence. His power. God is Light. Jesus is the Light of the world. I want to be under the spout where the Glory pours out! O Father, put Your glory on display! I better look it up in a Bible dictionary. GLORY means all this:

Abundance, wealth, treasure, honor, dignity, can include the mind or heart, splendor, brightness, majesty of Jehovah, the glorious moral attributes, the infinite perfections of God. Jesus is the "brightness of the Father's glory." The bliss of heaven. The phrase "Give glory to God" is a Hebrew idiom meaning, "Confess your sins." The words of the Jews to the blind man, "Give God the praise" (John 9:24), are an adjuration to confess. They are equivalent to, "Confess that you are an impostor," "Give God the glory by speaking the truth;" for they denied that a miracle had been wrought.

GOD - My Creator, my Lord, my Father, my Daddy, my Savior, my King, my Provider, my Comforter, my Hope, my Love, my Source of Joy, my Rock, my Anchor, my Healer, my Forgiver, my Mercy, my Inspiration, my Motivator, my Example, my Source of Wisdom...
- Dave Harris

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