CHRISTIAN MEDITATION
TEXT: PSALM 143:5 **READ**
INTRODUCTION:
THE PSALMIST OF OUR TEXT IS DAVID. GOD SAYS OF HIM THAT HE’S A MAN AFTER GOD’S OWN HEART" (I SAM. 13:14). TO MAKE CLEARER THE LORD'S OPINION OF DAVID, HE SPOKE THROUGH THE APOSTLE PAUL SAYING: "HE (GOD) RAISED UP…DAVID TO BE THEIR KING…AND SAID, I HAVE FOUND DAVID THE SON OF JESSE, A MAN AFTER MY OWN HEART." ACTS 13: 22.
IN OUR TEXT, THE WORD TRANSLATED AS "MEDITATE" IN THE TEXT IS THE HEBREW WORD: HAGAH (HA-GA'), WHICH MEANS: “TO PONDER.“ THE WORD TRANSLATED AS "MUSE" IN THE TEXT IS SIYACH (SEE'-ACH) THAT MEANS: TO CONVERSE WITH ONESELF. SO, THIS MAN AFTER GOD'S OWN HEART, IS LITERALLY SAYING, "I PONDER ON ALL THE WORKS OF GOD," AND," I CONVERSE WITH MYSELF ON THE WORKS OF GOD'S HANDS."
THESE SAME ADMONITIONS ARE REFLECTED IN THE NEW TESTAMENT ALSO. CONSIDER THE WORDS OF THE APOSTLE PAUL TO TIMOTHY. AFTER WRITING TO HIM REGARDING THE THINGS HE SHOULD BE DOING, PAUL SAYS: "MEDITATE UPON THESE THINGS; GIVE YOURSELF WHOLLY TO THEM THAT YOUR PROFITING MAY APPEAR TO ALL." I TIM. 4: 15. THE WORD TRANSLATED AS "MEDITATE" IS THE GREEK WORD: MELETAO (MEL-ET-AH' O), WHICH MEANS, "TO REVOLVE IN ONE'S MIND."
AND AGAIN TO THE PHILLIPIANS HE SAID, "WHATSOEVER THINGS ARE TRUE, HONEST, JUST, PURE, LOVELY, AND ARE OF A GOOD REPORT, THINK ON THESE THINGS." PHP. 4: 8. THE KEY COMMAND HERE IS: THINK ON THESE THINGS.
IN MY 42 YEARS AS A CHRISTIAN AND 33 YEARS AS A PREACHER, I NEVER HEARD A MESSAGE ON MEDITATION. YET, WHEN I READ THE BIBLE, THE MIND AND THINKING IS ALL OVER IT. SUCH AS, **ROM. 12:1,2 READ** PINK, AND PHP. 4:8: “…WHATSOEVER THINGS ARE TRUE, WHATSOEVER THINGS ARE HONEST, WHATSOEVER THINGS ARE JUST, WHATSOEVER THINGS ARE PURE, WHATSOEVER THINGS ARE LOVELY, WHATSOEVER THINGS ARE OF GOOD REPORT; IF THERE BE ANY VIRTUE, AND IF THERE BE ANY PRAISE, THINK ON THESE THINGS. THE APOSTLE PAUL SAYS IN I COR. 2:16 THAT CHRISTIANS HAVE “THE MIND OF CHRIST.” WE’RE ALSO TOLD IN PHP. 2:5, TO “LET THIS MIND BE IN YOU, WHICH WAS ALSO IN CHRIST JESUS…”
BACK TO OUR TEX; DAVID WAS A MAN AFTER GOD’S OWN HEART, AND IT WAS BECAUSE HE THOUGHT ON GOD. LET’S EXAMINE THIS TOPIC MORE DEEPLY:
I. MEDITATION: WHAT IS IT?
A. A DICTIONARY DEFINITION OF MEDITATE IS: TO REFLECT UPON; STUDY; PONDER; TO THINK DEEPLY AND CONTINUOUSLY.
1. SO, MEDITATION IS A MENTAL EXERCISE -- A PROCESS OF THOUGHT. ACTUALLY, MEDITATION IS NOT A MEANS, BUT AN END.
2. MEDITATION IS A RESULT OF, OR HAPPENS AS THE EFFECT OF, PROLONGED CONCENTRATION OF THE MIND UPON ONE SUBJECT, OBJECT, OR THING, TO THE EXCLUSION OF ALL OTHER SUBJECTS, OBJECTS, OR THINGS
B. SO, MEDITATION IS A SPONTANEOUS HAPPENING RESULTING FROM PROLONGED CONCENTRATION OF THE MIND ON ONE THING. AS WE FOCUS AND CONCENTRATE OUR THOUGHTS ON ONE THING, WE CAN EVENTUALLY ENTER A STATE OF MEDITATION, WHERE ARE THOUGTS ARE TOTALLY CAUGHT UP IN AND ABSORBED WITH THE TOPIC OF OUR MEDITATION – IN OUR CASE: GOD!
C. SOME MAY ASK: "IS THIS DIFFERENT THAN PRAYER?"
MOST OF THE TIME, WHEN WE THINK OF PRAYER, WE THINK OF THE PROCESS OF ASKING GOD FOR THINGS, MATERIAL AND SPIRITUAL.
IT MAY BE THINGS WE THINK WE NEED OR THAT WE ACTUALLY NEED, AND THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE FOR OURSELVES OR FOR OTHERS, BUT THE FOCUS IS MOSTLY ON OURSELF OR OTHERS.
THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THIS. THERE ARE NUMEROUS EXAMPLES OF THIS IN THE BIBLE. JESUS HIMSELF TELLS US TO “ASK, SEEK AND KNOCK” IN ORDER TO SEEK AND RECEIVE HIS BLESSING, BUT LET’S GO A LITTLE DEEPER AND LOOK AT BIBLICAL MEDITATION.
II. CHRISTIAN MEDITATION: ITS NATURE AND FOCUS
A. ASKING FOR THINGS FOR OTHERS OR OURSELVES IS ONLY A PART OF PRAYER.
B. TO BE BIBLICALLY CORRECT, CHRISTIAN PRAYER SHOULD INCLUDE THE ELEMENT OF MEDITATION: CONCENTRATING ON, THINKING ON, AND PONDERING THE ACTS, THE NATURE, THE GOODNESS, THE ATTRIBUTES AND THE CHARACTER OF OUR GOD.
C. WE KNOW THAT GOD HAS SHOWN HIMSELF TO US THROUGH THE PERSON AND WORK OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. JESUS SAID: "I AND MY FATHER ARE ONE," AND AGAIN "THE FATHER IS IN ME, AND I IN HIM." JOHN 10: 30 & 38.
HE TOLD HIS DISCIPLE PHILLIP, "HE THAT HAS SEEN ME HAS SEEN THE FATHER." JOHN 14: 9.
C. THEREFORE, THE FOCUS OF OUR MEDITATION AS CHRISTIANS IS TO BE ON THE CHARACTER, ACTS, ATTRIBUTES AND NATURE OF GOD AS DISPLAYED IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, AS HE IS REVEALED TO US IN THE WORD OF GOD.
III. CHRISTIAN MEDITATION: A METHOD FOR FOCUSING OUR THOUGHTS
A. TWO IMPORTANT POINTS HERE:
1. FIRST, CONCENTRATING ONE'S THOUGHTS IS A VERY DIFFICULT TASK. WE SEE THAT EVEN WHEN WE TRY TO PRAY, WE FIND OUR MINDS ARE VERY UNRULY AND DRIFT OFF THE SUBJECT.
a. PAUL UNDERSTOOD THIS FROM EXPERIENCE AND WROTE TO THE CHURCH AT ROME:
**READ** ROM. 7:18, 23 **READ** BLUE
2. SECONDLY, IF OUR LIVES ARE TO BE TRANSFORMED, IT IS TO BE DONE BY RENEWING OUR MINDS; AND WE HAVE SEEN THAT A MEANS TO RENEW OUR MINDS IS TO MEDITATE, AND MEDITATION IS PROLONGED CONCENTRATION
3. AND SINCE GOD HAS REVEALED HIMSELF TO US IN JESUS, WE NEED A METHOD FOR CONCENTRATING OUR MINDS AND FOCUSING OUR THOUGHTS ON JESUS.
B. SECONDLY, THE BEST WAY TO FOCUS OUR THOUGHTS IS TO GO FROM THE GROSS TO THE SUBTLE.
1. BY GROSS I USE THE DEFINITION THAT MEANS "THAT WHICH IS EVIDENT AND OBVIOUS," AND BY SUBTLE I USE THE DEFINITION THAT STATES: "THAT WHICH IS NOT OBVIOUS OR DIRECT AND THAT WHICH REQUIRES MENTAL KEENESS."
2. IF WE DON'T HAVE CONTROL ENOUGH OVER OUR MINDS TO BEGIN BY SILENTLY FOCUSING OUR THOUGHTS, WE SHOULD START OUT BY VERBALIZING OUR THOUGHTS OF JESUS.
3. WE CAN SAY OUT LOUD THOSE THINGS THAT REMIND US OF HIM. WE READ THE BIBLE AND SEE HIM TEACHING HIS DISCIPLES, HEALING THE WOMAN WITH THE ISSUE OF BLOOD, LOVING HIS ENEMIES, AND PRAYING FOR THOSE WHO PERSECUTED HIM
AND WHAT IS THE BIBLICAL NAME FOR SAYING OUT LOUD, THINGS ABOUT GOD? PRAISE. BIBLICAL PRAISE IS AN OUTWARD, VISIBLE, VOCALIZED EXPRESSION OF LOVE, ADORATION AND WORSHIP, USING BIBLICAL WORDS,
THE NEW TESTAMENT TELLS US HOW WE SHOULD VOCALIZE OUR PRAISE: LUKE 19:27 SAYS, "AND WHEN HE WAS COME NIGH, THE WHOLE MULTITUDE OF THE DISCIPLES BEGAN TO REJOICE AND PRAISE GOD WITH A LOUD VOICE FOR ALL THE MIGHTY WORKS THEY HAD SEEN."
C. THE NEW TESTAMENT ALSO SUPPLIES SOME EXAMPLES OF WHAT TO SAY WHEN PRAISING:
1. BLESSED BE THE LORD GOD OF ISRAEL: LK. 1:68
2. BLESSED BE THE KING THAT COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD: LK. 19:38
3. "THEY LIFTED UP THEIR VOICE TO GOD WITH ONE ACCORD, AND SAID, LORD, YOU ARE GOD, WHO HAS MADE HEAVEN AND EARTH…" ACTS 4: 24
4. "…TO WHOM BE GLORY FOREVER. AMEN." ROM. 11: 36
5. "THANKS BE TO GOD." I COR. 15L 57
6. "BLESSED BE THE GOD AND FATHER OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST." EPH. 1: 3
7. "UNTO HIM BE GLORY IN THE CHURCH BY JESUS CHRIST." EPH. 3: 21
8. "UNTO THE KING ETERNAL, IMMORTAL, INVISIBLE…BE HONOR AND GLORY FOREVER." I TIM. 1: 17
9. "TO HIM BE GLORY AND DOMINION FOR EVER AND EVER." I PET. 5: 11
10. TO THE ONLY WISE GOD, OUR SAVIOR, BE GLORY, AND MAJESTY, AND DOMINION, AND POWER, BOTH NOW AND FOREVER." JUDE 25
11. THE FOUR BEASTS IN REV. 4: 8, SAY, "HOLY, HOLY, HOLY, LORD GOD ALMIGHTY, WHICH WAS, AND IS, AND IS TO COME." ARE WE, THE BLOOD-BOUGHT CHILDREN OF THE SAVIOR, TO BE OUTDONE BY THE FOUR BEASTS? GOD FORBID!!
12. JOHN SAW THE 24 ELDERS SAYING, "YOU ARE WORTHY, O LORD, TO RECEIVE GLORY, AND HONOR AND POWER." SHALL WE, THE DISCIPLES OF THE LORD JESUS, BE OUTSTRIPPED BY THE 24 ELDERS? MAY IT NEVER BE SO!!
E. WE CAN THEN GO TO A MORE SUBTLE METHOD: WE CAN THEN SAY THOSE THINGS MORE QUIETLY.
F. WE CAN JUST MOVE OUR LIPS AS HANNAH DID WE SHE WAS PRAYING FOR A SON IN THE TEMPLE. ELI THE PRIEST SAW HER AND THOUGHT SHE WAS DRUNK BECAUSE HE COULD ONLY SEE HER LIPS MOVING, WITH NO SOUND. BUT SHE TOLD HIM "I AM NOT DRUNK, BUT I HAVE BEEN POURING OUT MY SOUL BEFORE THE LORD." I SAM. 1: 15. ELI MARKED HER MOUTH, BUT GOD MARKED HER HEART, AND ANSWERED HER BY GIVING HER THE MIGHTY PROPHET SAMUEL FOR A SON
G. WE CAN FINALLY MOVE TO PURE, MENTAL, SILENT MEDITATION; THE MIND COMPLETELY ABSORBED AND TAKEN UP WITH CHRIST. CHRIST FILLING OUR HEARTS COMPLETLEY. O THE JOY OF BEING LOST IN THE LOVE OF JESUS, THUS FULFILLING THE COMMAND OF PAUL TO THE PHILIPPIANS AND TO US: "LET THIS MIND BE IN YOU WHICH WAS ALSO IN CHRIST JESUS."
IV. A MEDITATION ON CHRIST
A. PRAISE BE TO CHRIST WHO EXISTED BEFORE THE WORLD WAS: WHO SAID: "O FATHER, GLORIFY ME WITH YOUR OWN SELF WITH THE GLORY WHICH I HAD WITH YOU BEFORE THE WORLD WAS." JOHN 17: 5.
B. THERE WAS NEVER A TIME WHEN HE WAS NOT. HE DWELLS IN ETERNITY. PRAISE HIM WHO SAID, "I AM ALPHA AND OMEGA; THE BEGINNING AND THE ENDING, SAYS THE LORD, WHICH IS, AND WHICH WAS, AND WHICH IS TO COME, THE ALMIGHTY." REV. 1: 8.
C. PRAISE HIM WHO WAS REVEALED IN HIS PRE-INCARNATE BODY:
**READ**JOSHUA 5: 13: 15 **READ** PURPLE
--PRAISE HIM WHO REVEALED HIMSELF TO JACOB: "AND JACOB WAS LEFT ALONE; AND THERE A MAN WRESTLED WITH HIM UNTIL THE BREAKING OF THE DAY…AND JACOB CALLED THE NAME OF THE PLACE PENIEL: FOR I HAVE SEEN GOD FACE TO FACE, AND MY LIFE IS PRESERVED." GEN. 32: 24 & 30.
D. PRAISE HIM WHO CAME TO EARTH AND WAS CONCEIVED IN THE WOMB OF A VIRGIN: OF WHOM IT WAS SAID: "BEHOLD, A VIRGIN SHALL CONCEIVE, AND BEAR A SON, AND SHALL CALL HIS NAME EMANUEL." ISA. 7: 14
PRAISE HIM WHO WAS CARRIED IN THE WOMB OF HIS MOTHER. AND WHEN MARY GREETED HER COUSIN ELISABETH, WHO WAS ALSO MIRACULOUSLY PREGNANT IN HER OLD AGE, CARRYING JOHN THE BAPTIST WE READ: "WHEN ELISABETH HEARD THE SALUTATION OF MARY, THE BABE LEAPED IN HER WOMB, AND ELISABETH WAS FILLED WITH THE HOLY GHOST." LK. 1: 39- 41.
PRAISE HIM WHO WAS THE FIRST-BORN SON OF HIS MOTHER: "AND SHE BROUGHT FORTH HER FIRSTBORN SON, AND WRAPPED HIM IN SWADDLING CLOTHES, AND LAID HIM IN A MANGER; BECAUSE THERE WAS NO ROOM FOR THEM IN THE INN." LK. 2: 7.
PRAISE HIM WHO’S BIRTH WAS ANNOUNCED BY ANGELS: "AND SUDDENLY THERE WAS WITH THE ANGEL A MULTITUDE OF THE HEAVENLY HOST PRAISING GOD, AND SAYING, GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST, AND ON EARTH PEACE, GOOD WILL TOWARD MEN." LK. 2: 13-14.
PRAISE HIM WHO WAS CIRCUMCISED ACCORDING TO THE LAW OF MOSES, AND THEN WAS WORSHIPPED BY SIMEON AND ANNA THE PROPHETESS IN THE TEMPLE LK 2: 21-38.
PRAISE HIM, WHO AS AN INFANT WAS WORSHIPPED BY THE WISE MEN FROM THE EAST AND GIVEN GOLD, AND FRANKINCENSE AND MYRRH.
PRAISE HIM WHO AS A YOUNG CHILD WAS TAKEN DOWN INTO EGYPT TO SAVE HIM FROM THE WRATH OF HEROD.
PRAISE HIM WHO CAME BACK TO ISRAEL, TO LIVE IN NAZARETH, WHERE HE "GREW AND WAXED STRONG IN THE SPIRIT, FILLED WITH WISDOM: AND THE GRACE OF GOD WAS UPON HIM" LUKE 2: 40
PRAISE HIM, WHO AT 12 YEARS OLD, WHILE VISITING JERUSALEM WITH HIS MOTHER AND JOSEPH, WAS LEFT BEHIND. WHEN HIS MOTHER FOUND HIM, HE WAS SITTING IN THE TEMPLE, IN THE MIDST OF THE DOCTORS OF THE LAW, BOTH HEARING THEM AND ASKING THEM QUESTIONS. AND ALL THAT HEARD HIM WERE ASTONISHED AT HIS UNDERSTANDING AND ANSWERS" LUKE 2: 46-47.
GOD" LUKE 2: 51-52.
CLOSING:
LET’S MEDITATE ON CHRIST UNTIL WE FORGET ABOUT OURSELVES AND BECOME COMPLETELY ABSORBED IN CHRIST -- TOTALLY CAUGHT UP IN HIM, AS WE ABIDE IN HIM, ALLOWING HIS WORD TO ABIDE IN US (JOHN 15:7).
THINK OF HIS BAPTISM AND TESTING IN THE WILDERNESS; OF HIS PREACHING IN NAZARETH, OF HIS MIRACLES, HIS PERSECUTIONS, HIS CRUCIFIXION, HIS DEATH, BURIAL, RESURRECTION AND ASCENSION BACK TO THE HEAVENLY REALM. LET’S REFLECT ON HIM WHO NOW REIGNS AT THE RIGHT HAND OF THE FATHER – WHO SAID, “ALL POWER IS GIVEN TO ME IN HEAVEN AND EARTH,” (MATT. 28: 18). WHO SAID, “FEAR NOT, I AM THE FIRST AND THE LAST: I AM HE WHO LIVED AND WAS DEAD, AND BEHOLD, AM ALIVE FOR EVERMORE, AMEN, AND I HAVE THE KEYS OF HELL AND OF DEATH” (REV. 1: 17, 18).
LET US DETERMINE TO MEDITATE ON CHRIST, SO THAT WE CAN BE MORE EFFECTIVE DISCIPLES, FIT FOR THE MASTER'S USE.
O THE JOY THAT WILL FILL OUR SOULS, AS WE FILL OUR MINDS WITH THOUGHTS OF CHRIST. LET US CONTEMPLATE ON ETERNAL THINGS AND OF HEAVEN, WHERE WE’LL ALWAYS BE WITH HIM, CONSTANTLY EXAMINING THE MULTI-FACETED PERSONALITY OF JESUS CHRIST, AND NEVER FINDING THE END OF HIM.
JUST LIKE THE DISCIPLES ON THE ROAD TO EMMAUS, WHEN THE RESURRECTED CHRIST WALKED WITH THEM AND OPENED THE SCRIPTURES TO THEM ABOUT WHO HE WAS, WE WILL ALSO SAY: "DID NOT OUR HEARTS BURN WITHIN US, WHEN HE TALKED WITH US ON THE WAY. AND WHILE HE OPENED THE SCRIPTURES TO US?" (LK. 24: 13-32).
MAY OUR HEARTS BURN LIKEWISE WITH THE LOVE OF JESUS CHRIST, AS WE MEDITATE ON HIM WHO IS OUR JOY, PEACE, HOPE, AND ALL-IN-ALL. AMEN
