Meditation opens our minds to understanding
“As an eagle stirs up its nest, hovers over its young, spreading out its wings, taking them up, carrying them on its wings.” Deuteronomy 32:11
We have so far learned how to read and study the Word of God. I suppose you have already started to practice what you’ve been learning these past days. Friend; our aim is to stir you into the sky.
I am aware that sometimes we come so rough that you resolved to delete the next message we sent you before you read it. Beloved; rough as we might sometimes sound; know that we are doing it with the right spirit. We are doing it with love. We are hoping to stir your nest and persuade you to fly. Our desire is to squeeze out the gifts that are embedded in you. The purpose of these messages is to encourage you to FLY. Yes, yes, yes! You can fly? You will not be alone up there when you make your first attempt. Never forget what He said. “I will never leave you nor forsake you” Hebrews 13:3
Let us, for one moment, take a side-walk and come back quickly. I can only imaging that you realise that we are encouraging you to fly into the right spiritual atmosphere. Many people are already flying, but most of them are flying in questionable atmospheres. It is true; these lessons, once applied, will unlock the treasures of this world in your favour. However, this is not the atmosphere we are leading you into. We hope to lead you into an atmosphere of a sound and meaningful relationship with God where you will seek God first. How I wish we won't end up with what this world offers instead of what God promises to supply. I will be terribly disappointed if our effort will only provide an earthly consignment instead of a spiritual shipment. Paul says to Timothy; “…people of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain. From such withdraw yourself” (1 Timothy 6:5)
Knowledge is important. God says in His word, lack of it destroys people. “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” Hosea 4:6. He goes on to say in Isaiah; “Therefore my people have gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge” Isaiah 5:13. Lack of knowledge holds people captive. Ignorance limits people’s ability to develop and change the world around them. That’s why Jesus in John 8:32 said; “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” It is knowledge of the truth that sets people free.
However; a lot of knowledge without application is as splendorous as a lightning which flashes across the sky, followed by a deafening thunder rumbling with a frightening sound that fills the whole atmosphere just to disappear in seconds. Thousands of voltage has gone to waste - just like that. The sight is spectacular but with no effect. May we not engage ourselves in the acquisition of the knowledge of God’s Word just to look spectacular and sound thunderous without any substantial outcome. God help us! James in his epistle says we will be deceiving ourselves.
In today’s teaching we are going to look at the next step that follows after reading and studying the Word. We have fed on the Word and now we must stew cud. We must meditate on the Word we’ve just studied. The word “meditate” means thinking carefully about something. It is the practice of reflection or contemplation. After reading and studying the Word, we need to take time to think carefully about what we’ve been reading or studying. We need to take time to reflect back or contemplate what we’ve just read. We do this by reflecting in our minds and talking to ourselves about what we’ve been studying. We not only think about; we recite to ourselves in our own words what we’ve just read. This helps us increase our understanding of the subject matter and widens our retention capacity. Meditation is talking to one’s selves.
We find a cluster of very good examples of David’s application of this word in the book of Psalms. One of such examples is this; “I will meditate on Your precepts, and contemplate Your ways. Your statutes I will not forget” Psalms 119:15-16. The impression we get from this Scripture reading is that the more I meditate on God’s Word, the more I remember what it says.
A good picture of meditation is what we go through every night before we go to sleep. It is the same with me and I want to believe that almost every one of us go through the same process before we disappear into the unknown world of sleep. I would take about ten to fifteen minutes at most; the time depends on how tired I am. I would take a considerable amount of time thinking about the activities of the day. I would reflect back certain issues in my life and turn them around and around. Again David says in Psalms 63:6 “When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches.” The Spirit through David gives us a better perspective. Instate of spending time on fantasies, lets remember the Lord and meditate on what His Word says. This works better when we have just read something from the Bible before we sleep. Our minds would be having a chunk of what we have just been reading and will have something to meditate upon.
Most answers to prayers come while we meditate upon the word of God. You will remember that David spent a lot of time alone out there under the canopy of the night sky tending his father’s sheep. He had a lot of time to reflect back who God is and what He has done for Him. Give yourself time and go through the book of Psalms; you will realise what a wealth of information there is in there regarding this subject. Listen to this verse; “I meditate within my heart, and my spirit makes diligent search.” Psalms 77:6. Our spirits makes a diligent search. This happens when we are quiet and our minds are engaged in the rolling over and over of a piece of Scripture. It is in this state that our spirits link with the Spirit of God who searches the deep things of the heart. When the Holy Spirit searches your heart, He must find the word of God therein. When this happens He blends the Word of God which is already in your heart with the circumstances you are in. Out of that, He formulates an answer to your question or request. Remember that the answer to our prayers and the direction we may be seeking from the Lord will only come from the Word of God. The more we engage in this practice, the better position we will be in to receive the answer or even direction from the Lord.
Remember who God’s word says He is and what He has done and meditate in it. Bring back the glorious splendour of His majesty and His wondrous works and just lie there and soak it up in deep meditate. Listen to this masterpiece; “I remember the days of old; I meditate on all Your works; I muse on the work of Your hands. I spread out my hands to You; My soul longs for You like a thirsty land.” Psalm 143:5-6. As we look into what the Scripture says about meditation, our confidence grows to the level where we are encouraged to depend upon the Word of God. We will learn to read and meditate - study and meditate. We will awake in the night and watch and meditate on His Word. How wonderful this is!
Paul in Philippians 4:8 wrote; “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. Where do we get all this things from? In the word of God; of course. When we study the Word we find these kind of things in there. When we see these qualities in other people, let’s think about them.
Our success as Christians or in life in general depends on our careful consideration of the Word of God – to think about it and to practice it without which, every move we take, every decision we make is based on speculations and assumptions. When we make the reading, the studying of the Word, and the meditation thereof our way of life; success comes with less toil. “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” Joshua 1:8
Over and over in the Word God reminds us of the importance of this process. “Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all. Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you” 1Timothy 4:15-16.
He that has an ear let him hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches.
I WILL READ THE WORD
I WILL STUDY THE WORD
I WILL MEDITATE UPON THE WORD AND
I WILL FLY
No comments:
Post a Comment