Ten Factors Of Meditation (Part 2)

A. INTRODUCTION: JOSHUA 1:8

1. Not as the unsaved. "God is not in all his thoughts" (Psalm 10:4).

2. Realize. "Thou (God) understandest my thoughts afar off" (Psalm 139:2).

3. God’s thoughts. "For I know the thoughts, that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil" (Jer. 29:11).

David Factor . . . Considering God’s creation & might.

Mary Factor . . . Pondering Jesus.

St. Paul Factor . . . Focus on excellence.

St. John Factor . . . Thinking on the cross.

Timothy Factor . . . Meditation on your calling & gifts.

Joshua Factor . . . Thinking on principles of Scripture.

Asaph Factor . . . Considering God when in trouble.

Korah Factor . . . Contemplating God’s intimacy.

Malachi Factor . . . Meditating on God’s names.

Haggai Factor . . . Thinking through moral failure.

B. THE JOSHUA FACTOR: THINKING ON PRINCIPLES OF SCRIPTURES

1. Biblical principles. "Keep the Scriptures in your thoughts and words, meditate on them constantly to accomplish three things; you will do God’s will, you will grow as a believer, and you will be successful in life" (Joshua 1:8 ELT).

2. Memorize. "These words which I command thee this day shall be in thine heart" (Deut. 6:6).

3. Four times. "Shall talk of them (Scripture) when you sit in your house when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up" (Deut. 6:7).

4. Posters. "You shall write them (Scriptures) on the door post of your house and on your gates" (Deut. 6:9).

C. THE ASAPH FACTOR : CONSIDERING GOD WHEN IN TROUBLE - Psalm 50: 73-80

1. In emergency. "But as for me, my feet were almost gone, my steps had well nigh slipped" (Psalm 73:2).

2. Our strength. "When I am in trouble, I will remember the years when the right hand of the most high helped me, I will remember the things the Lord did for me in the past. I will meditate on your works when I am in trouble" (Psalm 77:10-12 ELT).

3. Give future hope. "That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God" (Psalm 78:7).

4. Your victory and their defeat. "When I thought . . . it was too painful for me, until I went into the sanctuary of God: then understood I their end . . . how are they brought into desolaiton" (Psalm 73:16-19).

D. THE KORAH FACTOR: CONTEMPLATING GOD’S INTIMACY

1. Need. "As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee O God" (Psalm 42:1). "My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord: my heart and my flesh creith out for the living God. Yea, the sparrow hath found an house, and the swallow a nest . . . even thine altars, O Lord of hosts, my King, and my God" (Psalm 84:2,3).

2. Intimacy. "My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God" (Psalm 42:2)?

3. Protection. "Be still and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen . . . the Lord of host is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge" (Psalm 46:10,11).

E. THE MALACHI FACTOR: MEDITATING ON GOD’S NAMES

1. Book. "Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name" (Mal.3:16).

2. Look Back. "Remember ye the law of Moses, my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel" (Mal.4:4).

3. Security. "But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall" (Mal. 4:2).

F. THE HAGGAI FACTOR: THINKING THROUGH MORAL FAILURE

One of the key phrases of Haggai was "consider your ways" (1:5,7). God is motivating the people to self criticism.

1. Think of consequences. You have sown much, and bring in little, . . . he that earneth wages, . . . to put it into a bag with holes" (1:6).

2. Think of God’s house. "You live in houses with good ceilings, but God lives in a house with holes in the roof" (1:4 ELT).

3. Think of God’s past work. "Who is left among you who saw this house in her former glory? This house doesn’t compare with it at all" (2:3 ELT).

4. Think of the future. "Consider from this day and upward" (2:15). "The glory of the latter house will be much greater than the former glory" (2:9 ELT).

G. TO TAKE AWAY

1. Prayer for honesty. "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me" (Psalm 139:23,24).