“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.” Psalm 19:14
Between the inability to focus brought on by my illness, lack of attention encouraged by the plethora of electronic gadgets, chronic fatigue and general laziness (if I’m honest), godly meditation does not come easily for me. I try, but get distracted. By contrast, if there is a problem or issue that is bothering me, I can dwell on it with a vengeance…especially in the dark hours of the night when I’m unable to sleep. Given my conversations with others who deal with chronic illness and pain, it’s a common problem. The more our symptoms act up and the darker the night, the more extreme or obsession. It’s a battle to choose to focus on the truth and allow it to guide our lives, but it is so beneficial. God made me keenly aware of this fact last week. I had been writing later into the evening than usual and went to bed a bit frustrated. After a very few hours of sleep, I was wide awake. The more I tossed, the more my blood pressure rose in frustration. In an effort relax and make the time a bit more productive, I started thinking about the scripture I had been studying and the conclusions that I had drawn from it. In addition, I tried to employ breathing techniques to calm my body. The two together fell into a rhythm as I imagined God’s truth coming in to fill up my soul as I inhaled and the worries of life and negative thoughts flowing out as I exhaled. Then it occurred to me that this is the best way to battle those negative and obsessive thoughts that constantly seek to take over my mind; to let God’s truth come in and flush out the garbage. Of course it is. Scripture tells us over and over that meditation on God is beneficial. Specifically, we are instructed to meditate on God’s law, His works, His love and His promises.
“Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long.”(Psalm 119:97) Many believe that God’s commands are restrictive. Yet as we see in Joshua 1:8, they are intended to enable successful living. Following God’s principles promotes success in our relationships, business affairs and most importantly in our relationship with our Lord. Psalms 19 and 119 provide a very well rounded view of the value of meditating on God’s precepts. They guide and counsel us and thereby keep us from sin. They provide wisdom, insight and understanding. Finally, they refresh the soul and bring joy. In the end, we are told that they are more valuable than gold; a prize that we should cherish and dwell on.
“Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things.”(Psalm 98:1) From Genesis to Revelation we are told of God’s works. Some events like the creation and the descriptions of Heaven provide insight into God’s power, wisdom and glory. Other stories, aide in our understanding of who God is, how He thinks and what He values. The recounting of the life of Christ explains God’s law, our need for salvation and the sacrifice made for us. When considering God’s works, we shouldn’t stop with scripture, but we should look to His involvement in our own lives as well. He has planned our lives, loved us so much that He has called us to Himself and is watching over and sustaining us. I have my stories and I’m sure that you have your own of His intervention in times of difficulty. Psalm 105 recounts what God did for the Israelites as they left Egypt and conquered Canaan; we would do well to write a personal version of this Psalm to remember He has done for us. When we remind ourselves of God’s past efforts on our behalf, we are encouraged to move forward trusting in His character, strength and mercy for the present and the future.
“Within your temple, O God, we meditate on your unfailing love.”(Psalm 48:9 NIV) How many times do we praise God for His unfailing love while we’re in a worship service only to leave and totally forget those words of gratitude throughout the week because life wasn’t following the plan that we thought it should? Repeatedly in scripture, we are reminded of God’s love. Several times in 1 John 4 we are told that “God is love.” Love is further defined in 1 John 4:10: “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” Finally, 1 John 3:1 explains: “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!” In our consideration of God’s love, we must also remember that God is unchanging and His love is unfailing. In this we have assurance that God is always seeking our best interest because of His devotion to us as His sons and daughters.
“My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life.” (Psalm 119:50 NIV) God’s promises are many, and include: forgiveness, eternal life, the end of suffering, the work of the Holy Spirit, provision for our needs, wisdom, protection, freedom from fear, and peace. When we consider God, His laws, His actions and His unfailing love, we have the tools to trust His promises and develop hope in Him so that we can live without fear and worry.
In truth, God’s laws, His works, His love and His promises are all intertwined. It is difficult to think about one without the others and that is the beauty of it. One wonderful thought of God leads to another. If we allow that to be our thought pattern rather than dwelling on and worrying about our fears and stressors, anxiety and doubt will be flushed out. It’s not that we ignore the problems in our lives, but rather that we work through them by acknowledging God and allowing Him to guide us so that we can move forward, be healed, and receive the peace of God. I’ve continued to work on this throughout the past week. It’s a learning process, but it is making a difference. Join with me in Godly meditation so that we can enjoy God’s peace and truly worship Him with gratitude.