Part 9 (1/2)
Meditate on These Things Transcendental Meditation. Yoga. New Age. Eastern Religions. Hearing these terms causes many Christians to fear the word meditation so much they never realize it was G.o.d's idea first. They're afraid if they meditate they will be part of the occult or some type of pagan wors.h.i.+p. What we need to remember is how often the Bible urges us to meditate.
It is not meditation that is wrong; it is what one meditates on that could be wrong. We can explain biblical meditation in a number of ways, but the one I find most helpful is to think of it as expressed in the Bible. If we read verses such as Psalm 63:56, ”My mouth shall praise You with joyful lips when I remember You upon my bed and meditate on You in the night watches,” and Psalm 119:97, ”Oh, how love I Your law! It is my meditation all the day,” among many others, we see three significant things about meditation in the Word.
First, the Scriptures refer to more than a quick reading or pausing for a few brief, reflecting thoughts. The Bible presents meditation as serious pondering. Whenever the Bible refers to meditation, it speaks to serious, committed followers. This isn't a word for quick, pick-me-up Bible verses or Precious Promises. I'm not opposed to those, but this is a call to deeper, more serious concentration.
Second, the biblical contexts show meditation as ongoing and habitual: ”It is my meditation all the day.” G.o.d told Joshua to meditate on the law day and night (see Joshua 1:8). Psalm 1:2 says that the G.o.dly person meditates on G.o.d's law day and night. The Scriptures give us the impression the people who spoke of meditating did so very seriously and fully applied their minds to it.
Third, meditation has a reward. It's not just to meditate or go through a religious ritual. In most of the biblical pa.s.sages where the term occurs, the writer goes on to point out the results. Again in Joshua 1:8: ”For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall deal wisely and have good success.” Psalm 1 describes the G.o.dly person who meditates day and night on G.o.d's law (or Word): ”And everything he does shall prosper [and come to maturity]” (v. 3).
Despite what I've pointed out, we don't talk or teach very much about meditation today. It's hard work! It demands time. Meditation also demands discipline and undivided attention.
If you want to win the battle for the mind, meditation is a powerful weapon for you to use. You must focus on portions of G.o.d's Word. You must read them, perhaps repeat them aloud, and keep them before you. Some people repeat a verse again and again until the meaning fills their mind and becomes part of their thinking. The idea is that you won't put the Word of G.o.d in practice physically until you first practice it mentally. Meditation is a life principle because it ministers life to you, and your behavior ministers life to others through you.
I could go on and on about the subject of meditating on G.o.d's Word, because it seems there is no end to what G.o.d can show me out of one verse of scripture. The Word of G.o.d is a treasure chest of powerful, life-giving secrets G.o.d wants to reveal to us. I believe these truths are manifested to those who meditate on, ponder, study, think about, practice mentally, and mutter the Word of G.o.d. The Lord reveals Himself to us when we diligently meditate on His Word. Throughout the day, as you go about your affairs, ask the Holy Spirit to remind you of certain scriptures on which you can meditate.
You won't put the Word of G.o.d in practice physically until you first practice it mentally.
You'll be amazed at how much power will be released into your life from this practice. The more you meditate on G.o.d's Word, the more you will be able to draw readily upon its strength in times of trouble.
This is how we can stay filled with the Holy Spirit-stay with the Lord through meditation and through singing and praising. As we spend time in His Presence and ponder His Word, we grow, we encourage others, and we win the battles against the enemy of our minds.
CHAPTER 37.
The Blessings of Meditation G.o.d not only frequently tells us to meditate-to ponder seriously-His Word, but He frequently promises results. It's as if G.o.d says, ”Okay, Joyce, if you meditate, here's what I'm going to do for you.” The writer of Proverbs 4:2022 used the words ”attend to my words” which is another way of exhorting us to meditate. ”My son, attend to my words; consent and submit to my sayings. Let them not depart from your sight; keep them in the center of your heart. For they are life to those who find them, healing and health to all their flesh.”
In this pa.s.sage, the promise is life and health. Isn't that amazing? It's even a promise that contemplating and brooding over the Bible will affect your physical body.
We've known for a long time that filling our minds with healthy, positive thoughts affects our body and improves our health. This is just another way of repeating this truth. Or take the opposite viewpoint: Suppose we fill our minds with negative thoughts and remind ourselves how frail we are or how sick we were the day before. We soon become so filled with self-pity and self-defeating thoughts we get even sicker. Why not look at it like this: ”I'm going to think about something, so it might as well be the Word of G.o.d because it is full of life and power”?
Psalm 1 and Joshua 1:8 tell us that prosperity will come from meditating on the Word. I believe by prosperity G.o.d means we will be enriched and prosper in every part of our lives. It isn't a promise of mere material wealth, but an a.s.surance of being able to enjoy all the wonderful blessings we have.
We often forget G.o.d wants our fellows.h.i.+p, our company, and our time with Him. If we want a deep relations.h.i.+p with our heavenly Father, we have to make room for time with G.o.d. We all want special times with G.o.d, but they won't happen if we never make time for them.
D. L. Moody once said the Bible would keep us from sin, or sin would keep us from the Bible. That's the principle here. As we concentrate on G.o.d's Word and allow it to fill our thoughts, we will push away all desire to sin or to displease G.o.d in any way. We become more deeply rooted in Him. Again, think of it in the negative. When our minds remain focused on our problems, we become consumed with them. If we meditate on what's wrong with others, we see even more flaws and faults. If what we concentrate on becomes bigger to us then just imagine how big G.o.d and His promises will become as we meditate on them. They will become so big they will crowd out everything trying to destroy us.
We all want special times with G.o.d, but they won't happen if we never make time for them.
No matter which translation or paraphrase of Philippians 4:8 we read, the statement and message in it is powerful and describes exactly what we need to do to condition our minds for victory. Here's Eugene Peterson's paraphrase in The Message: ”Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, n.o.ble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious-the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse.”
CHAPTER 38.
Truth in the Inner Being King David sinned with Bathsheba by having s.e.x with her and then he even went so far as to have her husband murdered to cover his sin. He married Bathsheba and tried to ignore his sin for a year. G.o.d sent Nathan the prophet to confront him and one of the things he said was, ”G.o.d desires truth in the inner being” (see Psalm 51:6). It is vital for us to be truthful with ourselves, with G.o.d, and with others. Only the truth can set us free.
G.o.d's Word is truth, and when we love it and obey it we are set free from bondages that have held us captive. David was miserable even though he was trying to ignore the real reason why. Many people blame their misery on everything and everyone, and some never get around to facing the truth that they are simply disobeying and ignoring G.o.d.
Don't ever be afraid of truth. It brings light into your life and dispels darkness. Don't be afraid of the light. True, it is a little difficult to look at if one has been in the dark a long time, but we adjust quickly and realize it is much better to live in the light than it is to live in the dark. The Holy Spirit is given to us after we receive Jesus as our Savior, so He can consistently teach us and reveal truth to us. It is an ongoing process in our lives and one that can and should be exciting. G.o.d never shows us anything wrong with us for the purpose of making us feel bad, but He wants to deliver us and make our lives better. In order to do that, we must see and accept the truth, be sorry for our sins, and be willing to turn away from the dark to the light.