Meditation

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night" Psalms 1: 1-2.

J oshua. 1: 8. Psalms 119: 15, 23, 48, 78, 97, 99 and 148. 1 Timothy 5: 15.) "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD" Psalms 19: 14 and 49:3.

The true aim of education, study, and reading is to be found, not in what is brought into use, but in what is brought out of ourselves, by the awakening into an active exercise of our inward power. This is as true of the study of the Bible, as of any other study. God’s word only works its true blessing when the truth it brings to us has stirred the inner life and reproduced itself in resolve, trust, love, or adoration. When the heart has received the word through the mind and has had its spiritual powers called out and exercised on it, the word is no longer void but has done that wherever God has sent it. It has become part of our life, and strengthened us for new purpose and effort.

It is in meditation that the heart holds and appropriates the Word. Just as it is in reflection, the understanding grasps all the meaning and bearings of a truth. So in meditation, the heart assimilates it and makes it a part of its own life. We need continual reminding that the heart means the will and the affection. The meditation of the heart implies desire, acceptance, surrender, and love. Out of the heart are the issues of life; what the heart truly believes, that it receives with love and joy, and allows to master and rule life. The intellect gathers and prepares the food on which we are to feed. In meditation, the heart takes it in and feeds on it.

The art of meditation needs to be cultivated. Just as a man needs to be trained to concentrate his mental powers so as to think clearly and accurately, a Christian needs to carefully consider and meditate, until the holy habit has been formed of building up the whole heart to every word of God.

The question sometimes is asked, about how this power of meditation can be cultivated. The very first thing is to present ourselves before God. It is His word; that Word has no power of blessing apart from Him. It is into His presence and fellowship the word is meant to bring us. Practise His presence, and take the word as from Himself in the assurance that He will make it work effectually in the heart. In Psalm 119, you have the word seven times, but each time as part of a prayer addressed to God. “I will meditate on your precepts” “ Oh, how I love Your law!

All-day long it is my meditation.” Meditation is the heart turning towards God with His own word, seeking to take it up into affection and will, into its very life.

Another element of true mediation is quiet restfulness. In our study of scripture, in our endeavor to grasp an argument, or to master a difficulty, our intellect often needs to put forth its utmost efforts. The habit of the soul required in meditation is different. Here, we turn with some truth we have found, or some mystery in which we are waiting for divine teaching, to hide the word we are engaged within the depth of the heart, and to believe that, by the Holy Spirit, its meaning and power will be revealed in our inner life.

“Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom.” In the description of our Lord’s mother we are told: “Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.” In His mother keeping all these sayings in her heart, we have the image of a soul that has begun to know Christ, and is on the sure way to know Him better. It is hardly necessary to further say that in meditation, the personal application takes a prominent place.

This is all too littell the case with our intellectual study of the Bible. Its object is to know and understand. In meditation, the chief object is to appropriate and experience. Readiness to believe every promise implicity, to obey every command unhesitatingly, to “stand perfect and complete in all the will of God,” is the only true spirit of Bible study.

It is in quiet meditation that this faith is exercised, that this allegiance is rendered, that the full surrender to all God’s will is made, and the assurance received of grace to perform our vows.

And then meditation must lead to prayer. It provides matter for prayer. It must lead on to prayer, to ask and definitely receive what it has seen in the word or accepted in the word. Its value is that it is preparation for prayer, deliberate and whole-hearted supplication for what the heart has felt that the word has revealed as needful or possible. That means the rest of faith looks upward in the assurance that the word will open up and prove its power, in the soul that meekly and patiently gives itself away to it.

The reward of resting for a time from intellectual effort, and cultivating the habit of holy meditation, will be that in course of time, the two will be brought into harmony, and all our study be animated by the spirit of a quiet waiting on God, and a yielding up of the heart and life to the word.

Our fellowship with God is meant for the whole day. The blessing of securing a habit of true meditation in the morning watch will be, that we shall be brought nearer to the blessedness of the man of the first Psalm; “His delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law, he meditates day and night.”

Let all workers and leaders of God’s people remember that they need this more than others if they are to train them to it, and to keep up their own communication unbroken with the only source of strength and blessing. God says, “I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you.” “Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law... That you may have good success wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night… then you will have good success… Be strong and courageous.”

“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.” Let nothing less be your aim-that your meditation may be acceptable in His sight- part of the spiritual sacrifice you offer. Let nothing less be your prayer and expectation, that your meditation may be true worship, the living surrender of the heart to God’s Word in His presence.