MEDITATION(Joshua 1:8, Psalms 1:1-3, Psalms 119:97 & Ps 104:34)

Meditation in Greek means (think): to attend to carefully, to revolve in the mind. In Hebrew, to speak with oneself, to ponder, to give thought to something… to turn over in one’s mind.

Meditation in the secular context is associated with emptying the mind & relaxing the body. On the other hand, Christian meditation is to hear God’s voice through the Holy Spirit, & to obey His words. (i.e. complete focus only to God). In meditation, we learn how to experience that still small voice of the Holy Spirit and we have a relationship with God.

Meditation in a nutshell means; to consider something, to remember, to ponder, and to rehearse something in the mind. Paul calls Timothy to rehearse in his mind all the things God has given him… (1Tim 4:12-15)

The point of meditation is to connect with God so that we can be obedient to Him as we actively listen to what God desire for our lives. God wants us to have a complete focus only on the person of the Holy Spirit, as we come face to face with God’s reality.

Richard Forster said, ‘meditation boldly calls us to enter into the living presence of God for ourselves. It tells us that God is speaking in the continuous present & He wants to address us’.

In meditation we create an emotional & spiritual space which allows Christ to build an inner sanctuary in our hearts. It opens spiritual doors & aim to bring the living reality into all of life. This inner sanctuary means that we create an intentional space, so we can experience God; not just occasionally but on a regular basis.

Joshua was to meditate on God’s word as a leader and as individual disciple of Christ, day and night. This was a natural habit for the saints in the OT, it must be same for us today. Just like Joshua, we are to chew on God’s words in our heart, minds & spirits. The key to meditation is the ability of effectively listening to the Holy Spirit.

Since meditation means focusing on God; one would need to find a quiet place as well as to quieten one’s mind, in order to avoid distractions. I know multitasking is the order of the day today, but one would not be able to give any task 100%, while trying to balance other things with something else. You see, minimizing one’s distractions while meditating on God’s word should improve their ability to focus on it.

Do not feel guilty if your mind initially wonders back to the day’s problems, but do not let your thoughts dwell in the problems either. As soon as one notice oneself getting side-lined by anxieties or other concerns. Take a moment to pause and consciously redirect our attention back to God, i.e. praying for redirection focus at that moment may be helpful.

Steps of meditations

Notice I am now you because of our different in absorbing things

1. Prayer; Spend time praying for guidance on your meditative effort, asking God to open your heart to the truth and wisdom lying within His words. Always ask the Holy Spirit to enrich your understanding while you meditate, this is essential because it is like you are speaking one on one with an author of a book. Who gives you more light or insight of his/her book.

2. Think a loud after several reading of the text: Even though your space (environment) & heart should be quiet, don’t be afraid to think out loud. Thinking out loud can help you process the information & work through its mysteries more effectively. The Bible is the ‘living word of God’; by the term living, it means the word is live and active. So you can & should interact with it. You should also respond honestly to the things you read.

3. Taking notes: During your rereading of the text, take notes on its content. You may wish to highlight, underline or write short notes directly in on the page, but you should also keep a dedicated journal so that you can take more extensive notes. Highlighting ideas can redirect your attention to key elements during later readings, but actually writing notes on each verse will make it easier for you to think fully on the words in front of you.

4. Memorize the words: Note this might not be feasible for the whole book or chapter. It’s often a good idea to memorize the passage word-for-word when meditating over short paragraph or single verses. You may want to consider using the building block method of memorization. Repeat one word or short phrase roughly six to twelve times.

5. Evoke emotional response: Try to pinpoint God’s desire as expressed through those words & attempt to align yourself with those desires. So you can feel some degree of what God feels. By allowing yourself to feel emotion alongside God, you can make the passage seem more real, which should create a richer experience. Because God’s word is alive, rather than a mere look like text on a page, God’s word would seem notably more meaningful-as-meaningful as they were always meant to be.

6. Rephrase the chosen passage: Spend some time writing out meaning of the passage in your own words. Get into much detail as possible, drawing out as much meaning as you possibly can in the process. In your paraphrasing, remember to stay true to the original meaning behind God’s words. The idea is not to alter or twist the truth but to access it in more familiar terms.

7. Apply the word into your life: Once you understand the depth of meditation, it’s then time to take action. Assess your own life & determine how you can apply the new understanding of God’s words to your behaviours & perspectives, then make the necessary changes immediately. Faith without works is dead says James (James 2:17)

Actions are a sign of faith & understanding, meditation on God’s word is a practice designed to improve both faith & understanding. So, action should be a natural result of effective meditation. Meditation is a spiritual discipline and as such we will need to continually & intentionally work at it to reap its full benefit.

Christian meditation should give us a greater understanding of what God wants from & for us, thereby providing us with guidance. God’s enrich promises gives us comfort in trouble times like today with covic-19. When we meditate, we are equipped with the wisdom we need to navigate through spiritual darkness.

Psalms 1:1-3 makes us to understand that there is a blessing for those who meditate on the word of God. Therefore, we should seek the blessings of it because it provides a renewed sense of calm, but it does not only end there, it extends to a deeper insight/wisdom.

My beloved in the Lord Jesus Christ, as we meditate, let us seek guidance, comfort, joy, reassurance and wisdom that comes from an enriched understanding of divine truth. Remember Jesus promised us saying ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you, know I am always with you till the end of times’ Hallelujah glory to God for ever more Amen.

Let our meditation be as sweet as stated in Ps 104:34 in Jesus

name Amen.