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Friday, July 06, 2012

Rediscoverers Of The Lost Art

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When we hear the word meditation, the mental image that comes to mind is a bald man in a yoga position chanting inaudibly. Although the Bible is full of precepts and promises concerning meditation, the lives of most Christians are empty of its practice.

 What is meditation? J.I. Packer in Knowing God described it this way:

“Meditation is a lost art today, and Christian people suffer grievously from their ignorance of the practice. Meditation is the activity of calling to mind, and thinking over, and dwelling on, and applying to oneself, the various things that one knows about the words and ways and purposes and promises of God. It is an activity of holy thought, consciously performed in the presence of God, under the eye of God, by the help of God, as a means of communion with God.”

Note several Bible passages on the importance of meditation:
1. 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.”
2. Psalm 104:34 –“My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the LORD.”
3. Psalm 119:97-99 says, “O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day.Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies: for they are ever with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation.”

The Bible in these verses guarantees success, gladness, and wisdom to the individual who will learn to meditate. Are you interested in obtaining and maintaining these benefits as well as a host of others? If so you must desire to master meditation.

Someone rightly lamented that “the lost art of the twentieth century is meditation.” Packer observed that “little meditation also makes lean Christians, of little faith, little strength, little growth, and of little usefulness to others.”
There are two specific focal points that demand continual meditation: the Savior and the Scriptures.
Brother Lawrence wrote the well-loved book Practicing the Presence of God. In his book he said, “Think often on God, by day, by night, in your business, and even in your diversions. He is always near you and with you; leave him not alone. You would think it rude to leave a friend alone who came to visit you; why, then, must God be neglected?”
We should meditate on His Person. He is eternal, He is immutable, He is omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent. He is recognized by His love, rich in His mercy, and royal in His nature. He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords!
We should meditate also on His Power. Because He is omnipotent, there is no problem too daunting or no person too difficult for Him to handle. The question was posed in Jeremiah 32, “Is there anything too hard {for the Lord}?” I’m glad that the answer is a resounding “No!”
Finally, we should meditate on His Promises. He promised to supply our needs, to stick with us until the end, to snatch away His children from this wicked world one day, and so many other precious things.

 

 

May our desire be that of the Apostle Paul, “That I may know Him.” Meditation is the key to unlock that door.
To enjoy a blessed life as a believer, not only must you meditate on the Savior, but you also should meditate on the Scriptures.
Most teens understand the importance of reading God’s Word, but really struggle with this discipline. Teens often lament that they just are not getting much from their Bible reading.
Thomas Watson gives some insight concerning this dilemma: “The reason we come away so cold from reading the Word is because we do not warm ourselves at the fire of meditation.”
A Puritan writer stated, “It is not reading much that makes the knowing Christian, but meditating on what is read: reading without meditation is like swallowing meat without due chewing: that makes a lean man, so this makes a lean mind.”
The blessed man of Psalm 1 is in that blissful state not only because of what he avoids (Psalm 1:1), but also because of what he absorbs (Psalm 1:2). He delights in the Word of God and meditates on the truths of Scriptures throughout the day.
The successful man of Joshua 1:8 owes his success to meditation on the Law of God. Jesus told us in Matthew 4:4 that our sustenance for spiritual life and vitality is not physical bread, but spiritual Bread from the Bible.
Each day decide to get at least one truth or precious promise from your devotional reading and chew on it throughout the day. You will be amazed at the growth that will begin to take place in your life as you
meditate on God’s Word.

I close with this thought from an unknown writer, “It is a law of life that if a man thinks of something often enough and long enough, he will come to the stage when he cannot stop thinking about it. His thoughts will be quite literally in a groove out of which he cannot jerk them.”

[Tony Bazen, Park Meadows Baptist]

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