Meditation?
We have lost the art of meditation. I know that what most people understand about meditation is either linked to some eastern religion or something bad. Meditation is not original to any eastern religion. David meditated daily on the word of God. Eastern meditation has taken what is sacred and perverted it. There is a big difference between eastern meditations for self-enlightenment and biblical meditation as prescribed in the Word of God!
To start off with, an explanation would be good. In eastern religion they empty their minds and then open up their minds for any spirit to come and fill it with ideas. The other thing they do is what is called mind over matter. They try to empower their mind to physically rule over material matter. This is demonic to say the least. There are no guidelines that govern the outcome and most of the time when people reach that level it is used to manipulate other people and circumstances.
Biblical meditation starts when we take the written word of God, His precepts, and His commandments and we meditate on that. Meditation then comes when you subject your understanding to the wisdom of God. The outcome is sure and most of the time the person meditating gets to a place of repentance and awe of God’s greatness. Instead of emptying your mind, you fill your mind with His word and that is the matter you meditate and think on.
Josh. 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.
Psa. 1:2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
Not only are we commanded to meditate on God's word, but we are to meditate on God’s works.
Psa. 77:12 I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings.
Psa. 143:5 I remember the days of old; I meditate on all thy works; I muse on the work of thy hands.
What happens when we meditate on His works? It builds our faith. If God did it then, He can do it now. It reminds us of His ability to do what He said He can do. Another way of meditating is not just thinking about His word and His work, but to talk about it. The bible calls it our testimony. When we share what HE has done, we remember and share and that is also meditating on His works. In the book of Psalm it says that God commanded them to share their testimonies with their children. The reason would be that the children would grow up knowing God’s ability.
Psa. 78:1-7 Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old: Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children, showing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done. For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children: That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children: That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments
When they neglected to teach their children they grew up with nothing to meditate on except what they saw in the land: giants. Because they didn’t know the God of their fathers, they fled and feared the enemy. They had the wrong stuff to meditate on. Instead of faith, fear filled their minds and God became smaller than their enemies.
Psa. 78:9-12 The children of Ephraim, being armed, and carrying bows, turned back in the day of battle. They kept not the covenant of God, and refused to walk in his law; and forgot his works, and his wonders that he had showed them. Marvelous things did he in the sight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.
As you can see, they turned back during the battle because they refused to meditate on the things that God did for their fathers in the past. They had no reference to God’s greatness and that made them fear their enemy. When we meditate on the things of God faith rises up in our hearts and God responds to the faith because faith pleases him.
A friend of mine Andre Van Zyl likes to ask people if they ever worry. Almost all of us have done that at some time if we are not doing it right now. He would tell them that worrying is negative meditation. If you have ever worried about something you would remember that it takes up your mind and consumes your day. It is as if it is the only thing you can think about. Well, that is called meditation. It is just negative. If you can worry then you can meditate. Instead of filling your mind with the problem, fill it with His word and see the difference it will make in your life.