If we took a poll here in our church, I wonder how much time each of you spend in God's Word each day. Research shows that the average person is exposed to anywhere between 4,000 and 10,000 messages a day. You are probably thinking, "No way do I receive that many messages."
But think about the amount of time you spend in front of a screen. The average American logs more than 7 hours a day, looking at a screen. This includes more than 3 hours spent on our phones and nearly 4 hours on our desktop computers. We spend more than 2 hours of that time scrolling through social media. On top of all of that, we watch T.V. slightly more than 3 hours a day. At the same time, out of all that screen time and reading messages, only 39% of those who attend church at least once a month, "read a bit" of Scriptures each day.
These numbers show a troubling imbalance in our lack of time spent in the Scripture and its damaging effect on our spiritual vitality. All day long we are covered up with messages that compete for our attention. But how many of those messages are truly important and worthy of our time? In contrast to that, everything in God's Word is vitally important and worthy of our time. It is to our benefit that we regularly read, think about, and meditate on the truths of Scripture. Today, we will be using the writings of the psalmist in Psalm 1. Prayer
*****
People talk a lot about happiness. Whether it's at home or at work, people generally want to be happy. Even in our country's Declaration of Independence it mentions “the pursuit of happiness.” We might think of happiness as having the freedom to do whatever we wish, but the Bible paints a very different picture.
Psalm 1:1-2 – “How happy is the one who does not walk in the advice of the wicked or stand in the pathway with sinners or sit in the company of mockers!
2 Instead, his delight is in the Lord’s instruction, and he meditates on it day and night.”
What comes to mind when you hear the word meditate? You might think of a monastery where a group of monks sit with their eyes closed in deep meditation. Or maybe you think about someone embracing Eastern religion and attempting to empty the mind and connect to nature.
Biblical meditation is a lot different than the meditation practiced by the Eastern religions. Rather than emptying your mind of your negative thoughts, Biblical meditation tries to fill your mind with God's truth. Instead of engaging your thoughts with nature or the universe, biblical meditation connects you into a deep relationship with God Himself as you think wholeheartedly about His written word.
If you look at the Hebrew word for “meditate", it means primarily "to be occupied with". But the word also means "to mumble to oneself." So instead of just silently thinking to yourself, Biblical meditation also involves audibly talking to yourself. If you put the 2 meanings together, you will be continually keeping God's word at the forefront of your mind and you will speak His truth over your circumstances.
Let's go back to that phrase "the pursuit of happiness.” The word happy in Scripture is many times equated with the word “blessed,” and many people prefer that, believing that happiness can be found only in the outward circumstances that you are in. Happiness has to do with what is happening at that moment in your life. Even though that might be the world's view of being happy, Scripture gives us a deeper meaning.
From God's perspective, ultimate happiness can't be found by fulfilling all your dreams, marrying the right person, or pursuing your own desires. The psalmist said we find true happiness by delighting in the Lord's instruction rather than walking in the ways of the world.
In verse one, the psalmist used 3 words to describe the ideologies and behaviors of the world—the wicked, the sinners, and the mockers. It is so easy for us to be tempted to walk in the advice of the world or to follow the example of sinful humanity. What happens is that when we get caught up in the ways of the world, we began looking for happiness apart from God. But you can't find happiness there.
I posted something on Facebook a few weeks ago that said God cannot give us happiness apart from Himself because it is not there. There is no such thing. True happiness, God's blessing, comes when a person delights in God's word and meditates on it day and night.
Psalm 1:3 – “He is like a tree planted beside flowing streams that bears its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.”
The psalmist is telling us that knowing God's word leads to spiritual growth. How do we go about keeping God's word at the forefront of our mind--In speaking His truth over our circumstances? Just think about what happens when you regularly meditate on God's word.
The psalmist describes a person who meditates on God's word as a well-watered tree that bears its fruit in its season. Even a tree in a desert climate can thrive with the proper water source. In the same way, a Christian who regularly meditates on Scriptures can thrive even in the most difficult circumstances. The psalm says whatever he does prospers. This prospering is not primarily physical or material. It's a spiritual prosperity. While anyone else might crumble under the pressures of the world, a Christian who meditates on God's word can thrive because of the life-giving supply of God's word.
Kiran, my contact in Pakistan has caused my faith to strengthen over the years. We support the ministry there financially and prayerfully. There have been several tough situations throughout the past 3 ½ year we have been involved with that ministry. Several times there has been a need for extra funds to buy bibles, to help in medical expenses, and so on. But her and her husband Chris’s faith is strong. And they speak God’s word to overcome their situation. Every time she will say, “No worries, Yahowa Yarri, Mohaya krta hai. Jehovah Jirah, God will provide. That is what I mean when I say speak God’s truth over your circumstances. And every time, in every case, God has provided.
Let's talk just a minute about memorizing God's word. I have always had difficulty trying to memorize Scripture. But I have found that the more I read it and meditate on it that God's word becomes written on my heart and seems to just come naturally. If a Christian reads God's word regularly, and hears God's word regularly, and studies God's word regularly, and meditates on God's word readily, it will be written on that person's heart and can be recalled in a moment's notice. It brings a wonderful peace when you can speak God's word over your everyday circumstances. No matter what troubles come your way, you can speak God's word and it seems to bring this satisfaction and happiness, no matter what troubles you face. You will be like the man that Jesus described in:
Matthew 7:24-25 – “Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain fell, the rivers rose, and the winds blew and pounded that house. Yet it didn’t collapse, because its foundation was on the rock.”
God's word is a firm foundation for life. Let me tell you about Janet. Janet knows the fruit of meditating on God's word. She didn't grow up in a Christian home. But she came to know Christ in college. As a college student, she began to read the Bible for herself. According to Janet, it was love at first read. From that point on, she endeavored to memorize large portions of the Bible. Over the course of 25 years, she has memorized 17 books of the bible.
Janet Pope wrote a book entitled His Word in My Heart: Memorizing Scripture for a Closer Walk With God. In that book she wrote, "People often ask me if I have a great method for memorizing Scripture. I tell them no. But I have great motivation. If you are highly motivated, any method will do. She says that it is her hope that her book will increase people's motivation for memorizing God's word.
Psalm 1:4-6 – “The wicked are not like this; instead, they are like chaff that the wind blows away. 5 Therefore the wicked will not stand up in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. 6 For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to ruin.”
The psalmist gives us another contrast between the wicked and the righteous. He’s simply saying that God watches over those who walk according to His word and He judges those who do not. If we state that another way, we could say that those who know and follow God's word experience blessings while those who do not, suffer ruin.
This should cause us to really think about etching God's word on our hearts through reading, studying, and hearing God's word taught. This means that we may need to meditate upon God's word which will lead to us memorizing certain passages. When we do that, we are more likely to be able to live out God's truth in our everyday lives.
Scripture is so important to us as Christians. Without Scripture, we would never know what it means to live righteously. But as we read it, hear it, and study it, Scripture shows us what righteous living is. Then when we meditate on God's word and memorize it, we carry it with us. This all sounds well and good. But basically we have been looking at the theoretical way of interpreting God's word. Let me give you a few examples of how this can be applied.
- If you're tempted to complain about your circumstances, you can recall Philippians 2:14 – “Do everything without grumbling and arguing.” (A few of us might benefit from that.)
- If you're frustrated or angry with a fellow church member, you can recall Jesus's words in:
John 13:34 – “I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another.”
- If you don't feel like doing your job or if you struggle to respect your employer, you can recall:
Colossians 3:22-23 – “Slaves, obey your human masters in everything. Don’t work only while being watched, as people-pleasers, but work wholeheartedly, fearing the Lord. 23 Whatever you do, do it from the heart, as something done for the Lord and not for people,”
I know that reading and meditating and memorizing God's words seems like a task that we don't have time to pursue. But we don't meditate or memorize Scripture aimlessly. This process is not the final goal. The ultimate purpose is to help you live righteously like Jesus.
I have heard many of you over the years quote Scripture in a certain situations in life. That is exactly what we need to do.
Philippians 4:8 – “Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable—if there is any moral excellence and if there is anything praiseworthy—dwell on these things.”
This is precisely what memorizing Scripture does. It fills your mind and heart with God thoughts. Meditating on God's word not only helps us pursue right living, but it also keeps us focused on the right thoughts. That's what the apostle Paul wanted the first century Philippian believers to remember as well as us. Paul provided several qualities that should define the things we think about. And he tells us to dwell on these things.
I took a course in seminary called Christian Witness Training. In that training process, we followed a basic script of Scripture to help lead someone to Christ. I had to memorize 23 verses of Scripture to accomplish this. The final exam was a blank piece of paper that we were to write word for word what we had memorized. To my surprise, I had memorized it all. So, if my feeble mind can handle learning God's word and memorizing it, surely you can do it also. I find myself using several of those passages when I talk with someone about accepting Christ.
Don't be overwhelmed by all of this. Simply start with meditating on God's word and the rest will fall into place. You are going to find that you will keep your thoughts rightly focused as you're led by the Holy Spirit and infused with the word of God.
We are going to be exposed to the many messages the world throws at us, but we have to sift through them as we filter them through God's word. When we meditate on God's word and even memorize it, our thoughts in those moments will be on those things that are true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, morally excellent, and praise worthy.
Then, as we go through our day dealing with work, family, driving, or whatever, the effect of God's word that we have meditated upon stays with us. Believe it or not, that will allow you to avoid thoughts that are pessimistic, grumbling, or judgmental. It is then that we are thinking like Christ!
Time spent meditating on God’s Word is never wasted. To set our minds on what is above, we must fill them to the brim with the good, true words of our Lord.
