Welcome back. It's good to reconnect. Speaking of reconnecting, we live in a world where we are always connected; however, if we are going to live for His glory its important to ensure that we are doing what is necessary to deepen our connection with the Lord. We have grown so accustomed to a constant stream of data that spending quiet time before the Lord is something we rarely do, if at all. It's time to disconnect from the all things that distract us and reconnect with the Lord in quiet meditation before Him: Be still, and know that I am God (Ps 46:10). Meditation involves the process of thinking, studying, narrowing our mental focus, analyzing, reflecting and contemplating. There are two Hebrew words for meditation one means to start out talking aloud as if to murmur to yourself which leads you to ponder; and the other is to ponder and contemplate which leads you to converse with oneself aloud. What we meditate upon affects our disposition (attitude), our discernment (wisdom) and our discourse (conversation). We are encouraged in the Bible to meditate, spend concentrated time considering, and reflecting upon three things: God's Worth, God's Work and God's Word. David, the Psalmist, in Psalm 63, meditates upon God's worth and it brings spiritual satisfaction and causes praise to flow from his lips: My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips: When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches (Ps 63:5-6) and My meditation of Him shall be sweet; I will be glad in the Lord (Ps 104:34). The more we contemplate the goodness, the mercy, the comfort and care, and the greatness of the Lord the more joy, peace and contentment fill our souls. (Bless the Lord, O my soul, O Lord my God, thou are very great; thou art clothed with honor and majesty - Ps 104:1) We are also encouraged to focus on and contemplate the works of God: I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings ... Thou art the God that doest wonders ...(Ps 77:12, 14b) and, I remember the days of old; I meditate on all thy works; I muse on the works of thy hands (Ps 143:5). Reflecting upon the beauty of God's creation causes us to marvel not only at His creation but to stand in awe of the God who created it. (When I consider they heavens, the works of thy fingers, the moon and the starts, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him? - Ps 8:3-4a). In addition to reflecting upon His work in creation, it is good to reflect and meditate upon how God has worked in our lives. Creation as well as our testimonies declare the glory, power, wisdom and care of the God of our Creation - the Lord Jesus Christ. Finally, we need to spend time meditating upon the Word of God. Meditation in the Word goes beyond just reading. It involves considering it, visualizing it, pondering its meaning, personalizing and applying it to our lives. ( I will meditate in thy precepts and have respect unto all thy ways -Ps 119:15.) We are encouraged to meditate in the Word because as we do so we are moved from merely observing it to applying it. We achieve spiritual success when we apply the Word to our lives. ( 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 - Jos 1:8). Pondering the Word allows it to get into our inner being and allows the Holy Spirit to do His work of transforming us so that our lives begin to reflect the glory of the Lord. So it's time to silence our cell phones so that we can consider the Lord's worth, the Lord's works and the Lord's Word! with Him on my mind, Diane p.s. Let's be deliberate about what we think about this week. Spend time meditating upon the Lord. Catch a sunset or sunrise, pay attention to the birds serenade and glorify the Lord for His creation. Focus on one verse, look up its meaning, ponder upon its application in your life, meditate upon it all week! |
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