Thursday, November 18, 2010

Christian Meditation (Introduction)

The Bible has much to say about meditation, consider some of these verses:

(Joshua 1:8) 
“This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.”

(Psalm 1:2) 
“But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.”

(Psalm 19:14) 
“Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.”

(Psalm 119:15)
“I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways.”

(1Timothy 4:15)
Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all.”

                The word “meditate” means to think, to contemplate, or to ponder.  It involves mental exercise.  Our 21st century culture has all but eroded our capacity to genuinely think and reflect much less contemplate the things of God.  The human brain, however, is so “mind-boggling” in that a single brain can function with the electronic equivalence of all the radio and television stations in the entire world put together. (*) And so it is important that we think about what God wants and commands us to think about.

(Philippians 4:8)
“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, 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.”

  
(*)R. Kent Hughes, Philippians, Preaching The Word Bible Commentary Series (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2007) pg. 173.

No comments: