Sermon Central
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Meditation
Contributed by Colin Coombs on Oct 2, 2005 (message contributor)
Summary: Encouragement to meditate on the Lord
Progressive Meditation
My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the LORD.
Meditation means active contemplation, not wandering reverie. It depends on purposeful concentration of the mind on the subject of meditation, and deliberate expulsion of discordant thought and images.
(J S McEwan ‘Theological Word Book of the Bible’.)
Hebrew: To speak with oneself, to muse, to give thought to . . .
To turn over in ones mind.
This is the opposite to what is taught by some of the false doctrines, they teach that we should empty our minds. Beware!
What should we meditate upon?
A level that we can all start with is to
I. MEDITATE ON HIS WORKS
I remember the days of long ago; I meditate on all your works and consider what your hands have done. [NIV]
I remember the days of old. I ponder all your great works. I think about what you have done. [NLT]
The Psalmist would remember the deliverances that God wrought for is people:- from Egypt; through the wilderness; into the land of promise. He would also remember his own deliverances:- from the jaw of the bear; the paw of the lion; the wrath of Saul.
He would remember the wonders of creation; the beauty of nature; the splendour of the heavens.
We can meditate on the ‘Works of God’ in daily supplying our temporal needs, and for His provision of our needs ‘in Christ’. Salvation; Justification; Acceptance; Righteousness; etc.
From His Works we move on to
II. MEDITATE ON HIS WORD
Psalm 119.148
My eyes stay open through the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promises. [NIV]
In the night watches I am awake, so that I may give thought to your saying. [BBE]
The Psalmist would have been very limited in the amount of God’s Word available to him.
The Pentateuch; possibly Joshua and Judges, maybe Ruth and perhaps Job. At the most eight or nine books, yet he delighted in God’s Word.
Take note of the blessings that the Psalmist stated would be the portion of those who mediate on God’s Word, {Psalm 1}
Like a tree - Strength
By a river - Sustenance
Bringing forth fruit - Fruitful
Leaf not withering - Evergreen
His deeds prospering - Prosperity
Through His Word we move on to
III. MEDITATE ON THE LORD
When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches. [NKJV]
On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night. [NIV]
I lie awake thinking of you, meditating on you through the night. [NLT]
Oh, to be taken up with the Lord Himself!
Psalm 63.2 – 5
2 I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory.
It is in the House of God that we will see the Lord in His beauty and glory, and know something of His love.
3 Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.
As we meditate on the Lord Himself we shall be moved to praise and worship.
4 I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands.
5 My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you
This particular Psalm (63) was written while fleeing from Absalom, his own son, who sought, not only his throne, but his life! Yet David did not leave off praising God because he was in trouble. He may have been in the wilderness, but he was not in a wilderness experience! His experience was fruitful and God glorifying. He encouraged himself by meditating on the Lord.
Meditation means active contemplation, not wandering reverie. It depends on purposeful concentration of the mind on the subject of meditation, and deliberate expulsion of discordant thought and images.
Philippians 4:8 —if there is any virtue or anything deemed worthy of praise—cherish the thought of these things. [JBP]
Greek: Think (meditate):- to attend to carefully,
to revolve in the mind.
