Psalms 39:1-13 – Meditation
October 18, 2006
A fellow Christian from my old church in California forwarded me this write up about meditation. Being one who tends to think way too much in that my brain rarely shuts off, I have been contemplating learning to meditate. The only concern is that half of the time I end up falling asleep rather than focusing on our Creator! So I thought I would forward this in case anyone else is desiring to learn about it.
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Today we ask ourselves: what are the benefits of Scripture meditation? They are beyond telling. Here, however, are just some of the benefits the Bible offers those who will take the time to meditate: (1) success – Joshua 1:8; (2) understanding – Psalm 119:99; (3) an ability to discern between right and wrong – Psalm 119:11. But the one that is most appropriate to our present theme is the one we have already looked at in Psalm 1 – spiritual freshness.
The psalm makes it clear that one of the secrets of staying spiritually fresh is to send one’s roots down into the Word of God by meditation. In my teens I knew a man, a miner by trade, whose spiritual freshness and radiance was responsible for turning many people to Jesus Christ. Just before he died, and in the company of several other Christians, I asked him: “What is the secret of your spiritual freshness? You always seem to be on top of things, always radiant ? tell me how you maintain this inner poise and power.” He replied in one word – meditation.
I pressed him for some further thoughts on the subject. This is not a verbatim quotation, but as far as I can remember, this is what he said: “Meditation is letting your heart become the workshop of the unseen Sculptor who chisels in its secret chambers the living forms that contribute to character development and an increasing likeness to Jesus Christ.” That old man, now in heaven, was one of the greatest illustrations I have ever known of the spiritual freshness and fruitfulness that comes from meditating on God’s Word. His experience can be ours – if we meditate.
O Father, help me to master the art of meditation, so that through the written Word and by the meditated Word, those around me may see the Living Word. Amen.
Rom. 10:1-9; Deut. 11:18; Prov. 6:23; 2 Cor. 3:3
What happens when the word is in our hearts?
What was Paul’s testimony of the Corinthians?