“Blessed is the man
who does not walk in the counsel of
the wicked
or stand in the way of sinners
or sit in the company of mockers.
But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on His law he meditates day and
night.
He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.”
Psalm 1:1-3 NIV
Meditation is
a word that is not often used in contemporary Christianity. The art or act of
meditation is not too frequently spoken about among believers in Christ Jesus.
In fact, many people sort of view meditation in a negative way possibly because
the term is now more associated with “mystical religions”, Buddhism, Hinduism,
yoga, ESP, astral travel, Christian Science and the likes.
The fact that
so many other religious groups use the term and practice the act in some way
does not mean that we should completely abandon it. There is a biblically
prescribed act of meditation and as Psalm 1 points to us, meditating on the
word of God is vital to our fruitfulness.
While Eastern
forms of meditation teach people to empty their minds, stressing the need for
detachment from the world, meditation as taught in the Holy Scriptures is an
act of focusing the mind on one subject. Biblical meditation does not mean we
are to sit and think infinity, rather it is object oriented-reflective thinking
on a particular subject.
“When I remember Thee upon my bed and meditate on
Thee in the night watches…”
Psalm 63:6 KJV
“I will meditate also of all Thy work, and talk of
Thy doings.”
Psalm 77:12 KJV
Particularly,
the Scriptures teach us to meditate on the word of God. This refers to times
when we think deeply, dwell on, ponder over, and thoroughly masticate on the
word of God to properly digest the truth. Rather than a casual cursory glance
at His word, it is an act in which we give careful attention to internalize and
personalize God’s word. It is in the place of meditating on the word of God
that realities of His truth dawn upon our hearts. Convictions are changed and
firm decisions in obedience to the truth are made.
Not only is
meditation vital for our fruitfulness as believers, it is also a very important
part of our transformation. Romans 12: 1 & 2 speak of how we are
transformed by the renewal of our minds and renewal of our minds only occurs
when we focus our minds on the proper things.
Dr Merril
Unger wrote in his book “Pathway to Power” in the early 1950s:
“Meditation
upon God’s Word is fast becoming a lost art among many Christian people. This
holy exercise of pondering over the Word, chewing it as an animal chews its cud
to get its sweetness and nutritive virtue into the heart and life, takes time,
which ill fits into the speed of our modern age…”
If this was
true then, it is so much truer now almost 70 years after. We are a generation
of hustle and bustle. Some people are so busy they don’t even have time to go
for medical check-ups! Rest, relaxation and sleep are almost a luxury for some
people. Deep reflection is now a thing of the past.
However, we
must follow the example of people of God who walked with Him and made a
practice of meditation:
“I will meditate in Thy precepts, and have respect
unto Thy ways.”
“Princes also
did sit and speak against me: but Thy servant did meditate in Thy statutes”
“My hands also will I lift up unto Thy
commandments, which I have loved; and I will meditate in Thy statutes.”
“Mine eyes prevent the night watches, that I might
meditate in Thy word.”
Psalm 119:15, 23, 48, 148 KJV
Someone once
said about the devil and his activities, “our adversary majors in three things:
noise, hurry, and crowds.” All three are present in our world in alarming
ubiquity. We need quietness, stillness and solitude to meditate on God’s word.
This week, as we muse on this Psalm, may God’s Spirit awaken in us the right
desire that will be matched by the required diligence to create the time and
find the appropriate places to meditate on the word of God.
My song for
the week is “Breathe” by Jonny Diaz.
