Psalm 119:97 - How To Meditate All Day Long.
Psalm 119:97 - How To Meditate All Day Long.
Psalm 119:97 (NKJV) Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation
all the day.
Psalm 119:97 (NIV) Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all
day long.
Psalm 119:97 (MSG) Oh, how I love all you've revealed; I
reverently ponder it all the day long.
One of the highest priorities in order to stay spiritually
fresh is to cultivate the art of Scripture meditation.
For some reason, Bible meditation has become a lost art in
our day. A survey conducted among Christians in the United States
showed that only one in ten thousand knew how to meditate on the
Scriptures.
What, then, is the art of Scripture meditation? Is it reading
parts of the Bible as slowly as possible so that every word sinks in?
No. Is it studying a passage with the aid of a commentary so that
one understands exactly what the Scripture is saying? No. Is it
memorizing certain texts and recalling them to mind whenever one has a
spare moment? No. You can do all of these things and still not know
how to meditate.
Andrew Murray describes it as "holding the word of God in
your heart and mind until it has affected every area of your life."
My own definition is this: meditation is the process by which we
place the Word of God into the digestive system of the soul, where it
is transformed into faith and spiritual energy.
Psalm 1:2-3 paints a picture of amazing freshness and
vitality: "His delight is in the Lord's instruction, and he meditates on
it day and night. He is like a tree planted beside streams of water
that bears its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither." What
is the secret of this amazing freshness? It is simple--meditation.
To draw from Scripture the inspiration and power we need to stay
spiritually fresh, we must do more than read it, study it, or even memorize
it--we must meditate on it.
O Father, I want so much to learn the art of meditation.
Quicken my desire to hide Your Word in my heart so that it becomes the
hidden springs of action and determines my character and my conduct. In
Jesus' name. Amen. [Every Day With Jesus Bible with Selwyn Hughes
devotional]
"To get the best out of life," said Pascal, "great matters
have to be given a second thought." Meditation is just that - giving
biblical truths a second thought. If you have been thinking that the way
to get the best out of the Bible is by reading it, studying it, or
memorizing it, then I urge you to think again. I have found that the way to
get the best out of the Bible is by meditating on it.
Reading, studying, and memorizing the Bible are, in the main,
intellectual exercises which bring spiritual results. Meditation is not
primarily an intellectual exercise but a devotional exercise, a way by
which the Word of God is carried into the spiritual digestive system
so that it can be translated into spiritual nourishment and energy.
Be careful that you do not misunderstand me here. I am not
saying that reading, studying, and memorizing the Bible are not
important spiritual exercises. I strongly advocate them. But, it is
possible to do all these things and yet fail to draw from the Scriptures
the spiritual nourishment that God has put within them. This comes
largely from meditation.
To ensure that this matter is crystal clear, let's go over it
again: meditation is the process by which we take a text, thought, or
phrase from the Word of God and roll it around in our mind, passing it
backward and forward, letting it go out of conscious thought, bringing it
back again into consciousness, prodding it, absorbing it, admiring it
over and over again until its inherent power pervades our whole
personality. God has gone into His Word, and God has to come out of it.
Meditation is the way.
O Father, if great matters need a second thought, then help
me to slow down and take time to meditate on the truths that are
contained in Your precious word. For Jesus' sake. Amen. [Every Day With
Jesus Bible with Selwyn Hughes devotionals]
Meditation means "to think deeply and continuously about
something." For a Christian, this means remaining in the presence of God and
pondering each truth He reveals about Himself until it becomes real and
personal in your life. This takes time. In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus
accused certain would-be followers of calling Him "Lord" and yet never
doing what He told them (Lu 6:46). They had the correct truth in their
heads, but it had never translated into obedience. When you meditate on
Scriptures, the truth moves from your head to your heart and results in
obedience. As the Psalmist said: "Your word have I hidden in my heart, That
I might not sin against You" (Ps 119:11).
When you know God's Word in your mind but not in your heart,
it means that you have learned the principles and concepts and
doctrines of God, but you have not come to know Jesus personally. You can
reject a doctrine, or ignore a concept, or challenge a principle, but
it is much more difficult to ignore a Person. You can have
Scripture in your mind and still sin against God. There are those who can
recite long passages of Scripture and yet live ungodly lives. However,
you cannot have Scripture fill your heart and continue to sin
against God. When God's truth is allowed to touch the deepest corner of
your soul, the Holy Spirit will transform you into the image of Jesus
Christ. Don't just read your Bible, meditate on God's Word and ask Him
to change your heart. [Experiencing God Day by Day by Henry and
Richard Blackaby re Psa. 1:2]
Those whom God blesses are not delighted with what pertains to
sin and the world; they delight in the Word of God. It is love for
and obedience to the Bible that brings blessing on our lives. The
people God blesses not only read the Word daily, but they study it,
memorize it, and meditate on it during the day and night. Their mind is
controlled by the Word of God. Because of this, they are led by the Spirit
and walk in the Spirit. Meditation is to the soul what "digestion"
is to the body. It means understanding the Word, "chewing on it,"
and applying it to our lives, making it a part of the inner person.
[Wiersbe's Expository Outlines]
Everywhere among Conservatives we find persons who are
Bible-taught but not Spirit-taught. They conceive truth to be something which
they can grasp with the mind. If a man holds to the fundamentals of
the Christian faith he is thought to possess divine truth. But it
does not follow. There is no truth apart from the Spirit. A. W. Tozer
Trust Me enough to spend ample time with Me, pushing back the
demands of the day. Refuse to feel guilty about something that is so
pleasing to Me, the King of the universe. Because I am omnipotent, I am
able to bend time and events in your favor. You will find that you
can accomplish more in less time, after you have given yourself to
Me in rich communion. Also, as you align yourself with My
perspective, you can sort out what is important and what is not.
Don't fall into the trap of being constantly on the go. Many,
many things people do in My Name have no value in My kingdom. To
avoid doing meaningless works, stay in continual communication with
Me. I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I
will counsel you with My eye upon you. (Luke 10:41, 42; Psalm 32:8)
[Jesus Calling by Sarah Young]
I am calling you to a life of constant communion with Me.
Basic training includes learning to live above your circumstances,
even while interacting on that cluttered plane of life. You yearn for
a simplified lifestyle, so that your communication with Me can be
uninterrupted. But I challenge you to relinquish the fantasy of an uncluttered
world. Accept each day just as it comes, and find Me in the midst of it
all.
Talk with Me about every aspect of your day, including your
feelings. Remember that your ultimate goal is not to control or fix
everything around you; it is to keep communing with Me. A successful day is
one in which you have stayed in touch with Me, even if many things
remain undone at the end of the day. Do not let your to-do list
(written or mental) become an idol directing your life. Instead, ask My
Spirit to guide you moment by moment. He will keep you close to Me.
(1Th. 5:17; Pro. 3:6) [Jesus Calling by Sarah Young]
You need Me every moment. Your awareness of your constant need
for Me is your greatest strength. Your neediness, properly handled,
is a link to My Presence. However, there are pitfalls that you must
be on guard against: self-pity, self-preoccupation, giving up. Your
inadequacy presents you with a continual choice - deep dependence on Me, or
despair. The emptiness you feel within will be filled either with
problems or with My Presence. Make Me central in your consciousness by
praying continually: simple, short prayers flowing out of the present
moment. Use My Name liberally, to remind you of My Presence. Keep on
asking and you will receive, so that your gladness may be full and
complete. (1 Th. 5:17; John 16:24) [Jesus Calling by Sarah Young]
ILLUSTRATION
In a March 1, 1686, letter to his friend George Illidge, Matthew
Henry wrote ten little devotional thoughts, each tied to some passage
of Scripture. Then he said: "It would be of use to a Christian to
take some one such truth into his mind in the morning, and upon
occasion in the day, to be thinking frequently of it, and to say, 'This
is the truth of the day; this is to be an answer to this day's
temptations; this is to be a spur to this day's duties; and this is to be the
subject of this day's meditation, and of this day's discourse, as we
have opportunity.' I am apt to think such a course would be very
beneficial. Hereby a good stock of truths might be treasured up against a
time of need, and we might be able to bring forth things new and old
for the benefit of others." Williams, J. B.: Memoirs of the Life,
Character, and Writings of the Rev. Matthew Henry: P57 [Classical SB]
CLOSING THOUGHT
Proverbs 4:20-21 (NIV) My son, pay attention to what I say;
listen closely to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep
them within your heart;
Proverbs 4:20-21 (NLT) My child, pay attention to what I say.
Listen carefully to my words. Don't lose sight of them. Let them
penetrate deep into your heart,
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