Meditate on This

I have been told to meditate on God's Word for the bulk of my life. Until recently, I never really heard what that meant. What does it look like to meditate on the Word of God?

 

Embarrassingly enough, the idea of meditation of any kind springs up a visions of me sitting cross-legged in a lotus style pose, chanting like a Benedictine Monk. Pretty sure this is not what they mean by meditating on the Word, but I know I am not the only one who thinks of chanting in a trance like state when they hear the word meditate.

Faith, As Far As You Know 

One of the topics in our studies has discussed the relationship of faith and knowledge. Knowledge cannot replace faith, but a lack of knowledge can certainly limit our faith. There are many things my Pastor and our church staff do well. Among those, they teach you practical application and encourage you to research what they say in the Bible. I have never heard one of them say trust me regarding the message in the Bible, they simply encourage you to dig in and see it for yourself. They share Biblical truth, knowledge if you will, so that the hearers faith will grow. (Faith comes from hearing, and hearing the Word of God. Romans 10:17)

 

There are areas that I have strong faith in. I fully expect my father to stop walking with a cane and be without pain. I am persuaded that God will and wants to heal not only me, but all His children. There are other areas I struggle. I believe God is my provider and wants me to prosper, but when I hit obstacles, I still find myself blaming my past for my current circumstances. For example, poor financial choices (big or small) have lead to some of these obstacles. The Word says God makes all things new, which means I can be delivered from my circumstances...if I stand on the Word and act in faith. (Work in progress)

 

My other area...control. I have not hid that I like to know what is going on. I like to have a plan or at least feel like there is a plan. The bulk of my fear and wavering trust comes from what is still unknown...it is worry. Fear and worry are negative faith according to Kenneth Hagin and I agree. My faith in salvation and healing is confident , without question. I exercise acts of faith regarding prosperity, but with hesitation. Do not misinterpret hesitation with unwillingness. I am willing to give of my time, money, and all God has given me. The hesitation comes from worry over what happens next. (Negative faith)

Meditation - Wednesday September 26

Recognizing these things in myself and a lot of prayer led me to the scripture I meditated on the first day. I woke almost a half hour before my morning alarm went off. I looked through some notes, thumbed through my Bible and in my journal Isaiah 12:2 seemed to jump from the page. "Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation". This is what I meditated on. I repeated it over and over, emphasizing different words, just has Pastor had suggested. When I started, I figured I would stop before my alarm ever went off. After almost thirty minutes, my alarm went off. I had meditated on that verse that long. (I also did not sound like a Benedictine monk or a bee hive.) Once my alarm alerted me to the time, I looked up different translations of the verse and found the New Living Version to be my favorite. "See, God has come to save me. I will trust in him and not be afraid. The LORD God is my strength and my song; he has given me victory."  (various translations)



 

This verse speaks deeply to "my issues". I found myself chewing on the words throughout the day and even as I went to sleep last night. When something that normally would have rocked me occurred, this verse pierced my thoughts and gave me great comfort. It gave me what I needed to comfort my husband over the same issue later in the day. One verse had an immense impact on my day. It kept my thinking from going to fear. It went from a mere verse I read to a confession that I was announcing over my life.

Meditation - Thursday September 27

"I keep my eyes ALWAYS on the Lord with Him at my right hand I WILL NOT be shaken." Psalm 16:8. I know the areas I struggle in. I try to figure things out and "help" God move my mountains. God needs my trust, wants my worship and thanksgiving...he does not need my help in these things. He needs me to be obedient, so he can bless me with all the blessings entitled to his children. He needs my focus on the Kingdom. He needs me to be his hands and feet...not his project manager.

No One Can Do It For You

Just like no one can get saved for you, there is no one who can cultivate your relationship with God except you. My pastors can quote scripture from now until Jesus returns, but that does not grow my personal relationship with Christ. I have to hear the Word, read the Word, and accept the Word for faith to grow. To see things happen I have to act on that faith.  Sometimes acting on faith is a simple as the words coming out of my mouth, confessing God's word over my life. This is why meditating on God's Word is so powerful.

So I set before you the challenge my pastor set before the ministry school students. Take a scripture and meditate on it for fifteen minutes. Say it out loud, emphasize different words, and think about what it means. It will make all the difference.