Meditation

A.    Intro:

a.  Part of a series on building a closer relationship with God.

b.  Intentionally set before study, so that way when we study we see more of the need to study.

c. Meditate:

             i.  to focus one’s thoughts on : reflect on or ponder over  

             ii.  to plan or project in the mind : intend, purpose

d.  Both definitions are appropriate here. Sometimes we focus our thoughts on the scriptures for deeper insight. At others we may use meditation to take what we have learned from the word of God and plan or project how we will use it in our day to day lives.

B.     Body

a.  Meditation in scriptures:

            i.  Psalm 1:2 – The blessed man meditates on the word of God day and night. It is not an occasional once a month hobby, but something he devotes himself to continually.

            ii.  Psalm 77:12 – The Psalmist here proclaims that he will meditate on the deeds of God. He will meditate on all the things that God has done, and meditate on what He has done and why He has done it.

            iii.  Psalm 119:15 – Here the Psalmist says that he will meditate on the precepts of God. We need to spend time meditating on what God has commanded us to do.

            iv.  Psalm 143:5 – We see again that He meditates on what God has done. He will also spend time contemplating the work of His hands. It is good for us to meditate on creation and to see the great and glorious things that God has done. It teaches us about His wisdom when we see how wisely He created the earth and all the creatures on it. We see His glory in the beauty of the sunset.

b. How and why to meditate:

           i.  On God’s gifts: James 1:17

              1.      We need to take time to think about all that God has given us. Sometimes it is easy to be upset for God because of everything He hasn’t done for us, when we should focus instead on what He has done. Every good thing in our life has come from Him. As we spend more time thinking about all the good things Jesus has given to us, we might even get to a point where we ask, “What have I done to deserve this?” about the blessings in our life rather than the lack thereof.

              2.      It’s also important to understand that God has done so much for us and that we should have an attitude of thanksgiving. We always appreciate it when people do good things for us, why would we expect God to be any different.

            ii.  On the crucifixion: Luke 23:33

                 1. The crucifixion has many lessons, but we will focus on only two:

                        a.  Jesus love for us: When we encounter suffering, we may ask the question, “How      could God let this happen to me? Does He not love me?” Theologians have pondered this question and have come up with many intellectual reasons for suffering. However,in the midst of a crisis, they are exactly that, intellectual. They do not help our heart. However, if we meditate on the crucifixion, and all the pain and agony Jesus went through, it helps give us perspective. He went through that pain FOR ME. Even if I don’t understand what’s going on in my life right now, I can see clearly that Jesus going through that pain means that He does love me and care for me. I just have to trust that this will all work itself out, and if I serve Him heaven will have been whatever I have gone through here.

                        b.      On the same token, when we see and contemplate how much Jesus gave up for us, it should help us see our own selfishness when we continue in sin. “Jesus went through THAT for me? Surely I can give up ____ for Him!”

             iii.  On not lying: Ephesians 4:25,

                    1. Paul commands us not to lie. We can contemplate a few things from this command:

                        a.   How am I going to avoid lying in the future? What situations might I want to lie in? How do I avoid that? We also can resolve ourselves and role-play in our mind certain situations so that we are prepared to deal with them.

                        b.   We can ponder the meaning behind God given us this command. Granted, understanding is not necessary for obedience, but it seems like God expected the Jews to contemplate the Law in the Sermon on the Mount (i.e Matt. 5:27-28). He expected that they would know from the fact that God commanded them not to commit adultery they should not lust after other women. What was the point of the commandment? To preserve the sanctity of marriage? Does the lusting after another woman hurt the sanctity of marriage? YES! So they should have understood that was not correct. By pondering why God wants us to speak the truth to one another (i.e. trust is the cornerstone of all relationships) we can come to a better understanding about whether or not lies of omission or white lies are acceptable to God.

          iv.  The nature of Jesus: Hebrews 4:15

                    1.  We see that Jesus was like us but without sin. What does that mean?

                    2.  One example (of many) is that when Jesus talked to people, He never sinned. Not once did He say the wrong thing. That means that we can go back and meditate on how he talked to people and know that His discussions are an example for how we should have conversations.

C.     Conclusion:

a.       Meditation is a vital aspect of the Christian walk. We need to spend time daily meditating on the word of God, on His deeds, and on His creation. In doing so we grow closer to Him.

b.      Psalm 1:1-2 Blessed is the man who does this!