Meditation
Meditation is the practice of reflection or contemplation; pondering and murmuring
over and over to yourself.
God speaks to Joshua after the death of Moses (Joshua 1:1-9) “now after the death
of Moses the servant of the Lord Yahweh, it came to pass, that the Lord Yahweh
spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ minister, saying. Moses My servant is
dead; now therefore arise go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land
which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel. Every place that the sole of
your foot shall tread upon, that have I given to you, as I said to Moses. From the
wilderness and this Lebanon even to the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites,
and to the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your coast. There
shall not any man be able to stand before you all the days of your life, as I was with
Moses, so shall I be with you, I will not fail you, nor forsake you. Be strong of good
courage; for to this people shall you divide for an inheritance the land, which I
swear to their fathers to give then. Only be you strong and very courageous, that
you may observe to do according to all the law, which Moses My servant
commanded you; turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may
prosper wherever you go. This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth,
but you shall meditate therein day and night, that you may observe to do according
to all that is written therein, for then you shall make your way prosperous, and then
you shall have good success. Have not I commanded you? Be strong and of a
good courage; be not afraid, neither be you dismayed, for the Lord Yahweh your
God is with you wherever you go”.
Meditation is an obedient reflection on God’s word. Joshua was told to study the
book of the law continually, meditating on it day and night so he could be sure to
obey all that is written in it, only then will he succeed. Many people thing that
prosperity and success come from having power, influential contacts, and a
relentless desire to get ahead. But the strategy for gaining prosperity that God
taught, Joshua goes against such criteria. Joshua was told to be strong and
courageous because the task ahead would not be easy; and to obey God’s law,
and constantly read and study the word of God.
Moses was told to speak to the Israelites, telling them to teach their children the
word of God, as they get up, as they walk in the way, and as they lie down; that
sounds like day and night.
Psalms 1:1-3 says “blessed is the man that walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the sea of the scornful. But his delight
is in the law of the Lord Yahweh, and in His law does he meditate day and night.
And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that brings forth its fruit in
its season; its leaf also shall not wither, and whatsoever he does shall prosper.
Meditation is being persistent, and reflecting on God’s word. You can learn how to
follow God by meditating on His word. Mediating means spending time reading and
thinking about what you have read. It means asking yourself how you could change
so you’re living as God wants. Meditating on God’s word is the first step toward
applying it to your everyday life. When you desire to follow God, you need to know
what His ways and what He says.
Psalms 77:6,10-12 says “I call to remembrance my songs in the night; I commune
with my own heart and my spirit makes diligent search. And I said, this is my
infirmity, but I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High. I will
remember the works of the Lord Yahweh, surely I will remember Your wonders of
old. I will meditate also of all Your work, and talk of Your things”. By meditating on
what God has done in the past and knowing that He never changes, He is the same
yesterday, today and forever; our strength is renewed.
Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for quality time with the Father (Luke 5:16).
People were flocking to hear Jesus preach and to have their illnesses healed, but
Jesus would often withdrew to a quiet, solitary place to pray and commune with His
Father. It was His custom.
Many things clamor for our attention, and we often run ourselves ragged attending
to them; like Jesus we should take time to withdraw to a quiet and deserted place to
pray. Strength comes from God, and we can be strengthened only by spending
time with Him.
Paul writes to Timothy telling him “till I come, give attendance to reading, to
exhortation, to doctrine. Neglect not the gift that is in you, which was given you by
prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the elders. Meditate upon these
things, give yourself wholly to them, that your profiting may appear to all. Take
heed to yourself, and to the doctrine; continue in them; for in doing this you shall
both save yourself, and them that hear you” (I Timothy 4:13-16).
Paul also tells the Philippians 4:8 what things to meditate on, it says “finally
brethren, whatever things are true, noble, just, pure, lovely, and of good report, if
there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy, meditate on these things”.
Colossians 3:2 says “set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth”.
Meditation was used by the patriarchs of the Old Testament, Isaac meditated in
Genesis 24:63; Moses taught the Israelites to meditate, and David prayed in Psalms
19:14 “let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in
Your sight, O Lord Yahweh, my strength and my redeemer”.
This practice was used as well in the early church, Paul teaches it, but the practice
should be cultivated again. The art of meditating is actually faith, because it keeps
God’s word before your eyes day and night. As you think about it, talk about it, and
imagine it, seeing yourself doing it. Then you are drawing it to you. Remember the
woman with the issue of blood, she found the scripture in Malachi 4:2 which says
“but to you that reverence My name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with
healing in His wings”, and she acted upon it (Mark 5:27-29) says “when she had
heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched His garment. For she said,
if I may touch but His clothes, I shall be whole. And immediately the fountain of her
blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague”.
When you meditate on scriptures like: “you are of God, little children, and have
overcome them, because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world” or
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”; your spirit man is
enlightened, and your faith is elevated. You have to see it on the inside, by your
spirit before you will see it on the outside, in the natural.
Psalms 119:15 says “I will meditate on Your precepts, and contemplate Your ways”.
As you meditate on the word of God, you get to know Him.
As you read the Bible, His word, ask God to show you His timeless truths and the
application to your life. Then consider what you have read by thinking it through
and meditating on it. God will give you understanding.
David meditated on how God delivered him from the lion and the bear, and was
strengthened to fight and defeat the giant, when all Israel was afraid of him. As we
meditate on what God has done in our life, we will be strengthened and able to note
that if God has done it once, He will do it again.
God’s promises are available to us today (Ephesians 3:20) says “now to Him that is
able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the
power that works in us”. That power that works is us is our imagination, those
things that we meditate on. Let us take the limits off of our God, and begin to
meditate on scriptures that would come against the problems in our life.
The Bible tells us in II Timothy 1:7 “for God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of
power, and of love, and of a sound mind. Remember that Jesus tells us to continue
in His word. The more word you believe and meditate on, the stronger you will be.
Praise the Lord.
Study by: Harriet Bond
Date: February 24, 2009
Meditation is the practice of reflection or contemplation; pondering and murmuring
over and over to yourself.
God speaks to Joshua after the death of Moses (Joshua 1:1-9) “now after the death
of Moses the servant of the Lord Yahweh, it came to pass, that the Lord Yahweh
spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ minister, saying. Moses My servant is
dead; now therefore arise go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land
which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel. Every place that the sole of
your foot shall tread upon, that have I given to you, as I said to Moses. From the
wilderness and this Lebanon even to the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites,
and to the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your coast. There
shall not any man be able to stand before you all the days of your life, as I was with
Moses, so shall I be with you, I will not fail you, nor forsake you. Be strong of good
courage; for to this people shall you divide for an inheritance the land, which I
swear to their fathers to give then. Only be you strong and very courageous, that
you may observe to do according to all the law, which Moses My servant
commanded you; turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may
prosper wherever you go. This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth,
but you shall meditate therein day and night, that you may observe to do according
to all that is written therein, for then you shall make your way prosperous, and then
you shall have good success. Have not I commanded you? Be strong and of a
good courage; be not afraid, neither be you dismayed, for the Lord Yahweh your
God is with you wherever you go”.
Meditation is an obedient reflection on God’s word. Joshua was told to study the
book of the law continually, meditating on it day and night so he could be sure to
obey all that is written in it, only then will he succeed. Many people thing that
prosperity and success come from having power, influential contacts, and a
relentless desire to get ahead. But the strategy for gaining prosperity that God
taught, Joshua goes against such criteria. Joshua was told to be strong and
courageous because the task ahead would not be easy; and to obey God’s law,
and constantly read and study the word of God.
Moses was told to speak to the Israelites, telling them to teach their children the
word of God, as they get up, as they walk in the way, and as they lie down; that
sounds like day and night.
Psalms 1:1-3 says “blessed is the man that walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the sea of the scornful. But his delight
is in the law of the Lord Yahweh, and in His law does he meditate day and night.
And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that brings forth its fruit in
its season; its leaf also shall not wither, and whatsoever he does shall prosper.
Meditation is being persistent, and reflecting on God’s word. You can learn how to
follow God by meditating on His word. Mediating means spending time reading and
thinking about what you have read. It means asking yourself how you could change
so you’re living as God wants. Meditating on God’s word is the first step toward
applying it to your everyday life. When you desire to follow God, you need to know
what His ways and what He says.
Psalms 77:6,10-12 says “I call to remembrance my songs in the night; I commune
with my own heart and my spirit makes diligent search. And I said, this is my
infirmity, but I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High. I will
remember the works of the Lord Yahweh, surely I will remember Your wonders of
old. I will meditate also of all Your work, and talk of Your things”. By meditating on
what God has done in the past and knowing that He never changes, He is the same
yesterday, today and forever; our strength is renewed.
Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for quality time with the Father (Luke 5:16).
People were flocking to hear Jesus preach and to have their illnesses healed, but
Jesus would often withdrew to a quiet, solitary place to pray and commune with His
Father. It was His custom.
Many things clamor for our attention, and we often run ourselves ragged attending
to them; like Jesus we should take time to withdraw to a quiet and deserted place to
pray. Strength comes from God, and we can be strengthened only by spending
time with Him.
Paul writes to Timothy telling him “till I come, give attendance to reading, to
exhortation, to doctrine. Neglect not the gift that is in you, which was given you by
prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the elders. Meditate upon these
things, give yourself wholly to them, that your profiting may appear to all. Take
heed to yourself, and to the doctrine; continue in them; for in doing this you shall
both save yourself, and them that hear you” (I Timothy 4:13-16).
Paul also tells the Philippians 4:8 what things to meditate on, it says “finally
brethren, whatever things are true, noble, just, pure, lovely, and of good report, if
there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy, meditate on these things”.
Colossians 3:2 says “set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth”.
Meditation was used by the patriarchs of the Old Testament, Isaac meditated in
Genesis 24:63; Moses taught the Israelites to meditate, and David prayed in Psalms
19:14 “let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in
Your sight, O Lord Yahweh, my strength and my redeemer”.
This practice was used as well in the early church, Paul teaches it, but the practice
should be cultivated again. The art of meditating is actually faith, because it keeps
God’s word before your eyes day and night. As you think about it, talk about it, and
imagine it, seeing yourself doing it. Then you are drawing it to you. Remember the
woman with the issue of blood, she found the scripture in Malachi 4:2 which says
“but to you that reverence My name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with
healing in His wings”, and she acted upon it (Mark 5:27-29) says “when she had
heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched His garment. For she said,
if I may touch but His clothes, I shall be whole. And immediately the fountain of her
blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague”.
When you meditate on scriptures like: “you are of God, little children, and have
overcome them, because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world” or
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”; your spirit man is
enlightened, and your faith is elevated. You have to see it on the inside, by your
spirit before you will see it on the outside, in the natural.
Psalms 119:15 says “I will meditate on Your precepts, and contemplate Your ways”.
As you meditate on the word of God, you get to know Him.
As you read the Bible, His word, ask God to show you His timeless truths and the
application to your life. Then consider what you have read by thinking it through
and meditating on it. God will give you understanding.
David meditated on how God delivered him from the lion and the bear, and was
strengthened to fight and defeat the giant, when all Israel was afraid of him. As we
meditate on what God has done in our life, we will be strengthened and able to note
that if God has done it once, He will do it again.
God’s promises are available to us today (Ephesians 3:20) says “now to Him that is
able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the
power that works in us”. That power that works is us is our imagination, those
things that we meditate on. Let us take the limits off of our God, and begin to
meditate on scriptures that would come against the problems in our life.
The Bible tells us in II Timothy 1:7 “for God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of
power, and of love, and of a sound mind. Remember that Jesus tells us to continue
in His word. The more word you believe and meditate on, the stronger you will be.
Praise the Lord.
Study by: Harriet Bond
Date: February 24, 2009
