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Meditation teaches us how to trust the Lord.
When we cease to meditate, our focus shifts from trusting in God’s leading hand and toward reacting to circumstances. Circumstances should not be the driving force in our lives. Sometimes difficult situations arise that push us into a different direction, but there is always a reason behind it.
Proverbs 16:7 tells us, “When a man’s ways please the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.”
God uses enemies to force us toward a better way, and prevent us from going the wrong way. The same goes for difficult situations. Problems are enemies to our peace, but sometimes God sacrifices our peace to bring about our good. That’s why the Bible says not to think it strange when we find ourselves in the midst of a fiery trial as though something strange has happened to us[1]. We are told not to lament our trials, but to rejoice in what God is doing.
Easier said than done. That’s why I must meditate and seek understanding and not just look for a way out of the situation that bothers me.
The truth is that I can’t see the future. Nor can you. I make decisions based on what I think is best with the information at hand. Sometimes the things that look like a good decision turn out bad in the end. Was it foolishness? If I knowingly made a foolish decision, yes. But sometimes the direction I want to go looks like a wise decision when it is not. I can see the beginning of a course of action, and I can anticipate where I’m going based on life experiences. But when unforeseen circumstances await, I’m blindsided by problems I couldn’t have anticipated.
Our spiritual walk is much like that. However, the Bible tells us that God planned our life from the beginning of the world, so He knows the end result of every path. Even if I’m walking with godly motives, I still can make a choice that does not lead where God wants to take me. The true benefit is often on a path I would never have willingly taken. In this situation, my ways do not please the Lord. He has eternity in mind and will guide me to the right way. And sometimes God will force me to the right way. Often God raises up enemies to force us into a way that may not look right but is the way of blessing.
Joseph is a good example of this. In the book of Genesis, God reveals a dream to Joseph that one day the sun, moon, and stars will bow down to him. He didn’t know it at the time, but the sun and moon referred to the religions of Egypt and his family would look to him for protection.
The young man, Joseph, had it good. His father loved him and gave him a special coat. Work was easy. Checking up on his brothers was Joseph’s only real responsibility. There was no rebellion in his life, nor any evidence of a sinful lifestyle that would displease God. But Joseph wasn’t mature, nor was he the type of person to be a great leader. A life of blessing was all he had. Though his life would prove that God was his focus, his life wasn’t heading in the direction of God’s best for him.
God raised up enemies within his own house. His brothers grew to hate him and conspired to kill him. God’s plan will not be thwarted, so the murder plot dissipated when a band of traders passed by. They sold Joseph into slavery, and he ended up in Egypt as a house slave in a governor’s home.
The governor’s wife tried to seduce him, and when he refused her advances, she accused him of attempted rape. For three years Joseph was in a prison, forgotten by the world. In prison Joseph gained a reputation for accurately interpreting the dreams God gave the servants of Pharaoh’s court. One of the prisoners was released and served Pharaoh again, and for a time, forgot all about Joseph.
After many years, God used Pharaoh’s nightmares to remind the ex-prisoner of Joseph and he was called before the king. Through Joseph’s interpretation of the dream, he was promoted to the second highest authority in Egypt and he was able to prepare for a coming famine. When Joseph’s family came to seek food, God completed his plan in Joseph’s life and he was not only honored by his family (including the brothers who once hated him), but God used him to deliver both Egypt and Israel.
Joseph’s words to his brothers summarize it best, “You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good.”
This is how we must think upon our hardships. Whether it is an enemy rising up, or a hardship turning our life upside down, God is behind it. On the surface it may appear evil, but if you belong to Christ, God is working good. That’s why the Bible says that all things work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose[2]. If you are walking in His purpose, no circumstance will fall short of God’s goodness. Those who remain faithful will see the end of God’s mercy and will soon thank God for His perfect will.
This also is how David encouraged himself in difficult times. Look at his meditation in Psalm 63:6-7
6 When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches.
7 Because You have been my help, Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice.
We first remember, then we consider what God is doing, then we rejoice. If biblical meditation is part of our life, we will already be aware of God’s goodness. We remember our salvation and how God intervened in our lives. We remember the hand of God we have seen in the past when He revealed his goodness in other situations.
Since we know He is our help, and we know we are covered by the shadow of His wings, we can rejoice in the midst of any situation. Though pain may not create joy, the knowledge of God’s goodness does. We rejoice knowing He is truly looking for our good. And this life isn’t the only good. This present life is a speck in eternity. To miss out on something here to gain something better for eternity is not a sacrifice.
Meditation teaches thankfulness
Thanksgiving is vital for the spiritual health of believers. An unthankful heart is a faithless heart, but a thankful heart is living and able to see what others cannot. First look at the command of 1 Thessalonians 5:18
In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
What is meant by ‘everything’? It’s easy to be thankful for the good, but what about the things that cause discomfort or pain? The truth is, if you are walking in God’s plan, everything is good. Mankind measures good by our comfort and feelings, but God measures good based on eternal value and significance.
It’s easy to be thankful when I get a new car. Or house. Or job. Is it easy to be thankful when a storm comes through and destroys my car and house? Or layoffs take my job? It’s not easy. In fact, it’s impossible to be thankful unless we can see beyond the circumstances and into God’s loving kindness.
An unthankful heart destroys faith, joy, and the ability to walk in God’s promises. Look at Romans 1:21
Although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
This passage is speaking of those who have rejected salvation, but the sad truth is that it also applies to you and I. We know God, but do we glorify Him as God? Do we rest in the truth that He guides our lives and has the right to give, take, and lead as He sees fit? We, who are called by His name, can become unthankful and futile in our thoughts. Then our heart becomes darkened and foolish.
Just think about the results of thanklessness. When someone becomes angry at God, what happens in their lives? They rebel, adopt destructive behaviors, become bitter, and crumble as a person. Have you ever seen a bitter person bubbling with life? No, they slowly implode and become lifeless and more bitter.
It’s interesting that being unthankful is at the center of those experiencing darkness in their lives. When we’re thankful, everything about our outlook is bright and vibrant. When we’re unthankful, all of our thoughts are futile, vain, and worthless. An unthankful person thinks negatively about everything. They can’t see the good because they are focused on the bad. An unthankful person can’t enjoy the scores of good things surrounding them because they can only see what doesn’t fit their expectations.
When our thoughts become futile, relationships suffer, our heart suffers, and everything in life suffers. It becomes a heavy burden that we carry needlessly. The more weight we carry, the more frustrated we become, and the more weight we add to our load.
Unload the burden. It isn’t yours to carry. Every defeated Christian lives in a self-imposed prison. Bitterness is the material that we use to construct our own prison. Then everything in life falls short of God’s glory. This is why the Bible warns that one root of bitterness springing up can defile many[3]. A Christian cannot thrive without thankfulness. Every unthankful Christian will fall short and miss out on God’s plan. Fortunately, the Bible tells us how to maintain a thankful heart. Meditation. Look at Psalm 77:11-12
11 I will remember the works of the LORD; Surely I will remember Your wonders of old.
12 I will also meditate on all Your work, And talk of Your deeds.
I love the way the Psalmist explains meditating on God’s works. He first speaks about thinking upon the wonders of old. What have we seen about God’s goodness and ability to fulfill His good will through the examples we have in scripture? Or examples in the history we’ve read from those who trusted Him? Asaph, who wrote this psalm, progresses up to his own life. Then he meditates on all of God’s works. His heart overflows with gratitude so that instead of complaints, he feels the need to talk about the wonders of God’s works.
Meditation teaches us how to live in the word.
Psalm 119 is one of the richest collections of advice of any chapter in the Bible. In it we get a glimpse of the value of meditating upon the scriptures. I’ve quoted a number of verses to capture the context. Take note of how many times David places his focus on the word. Psalm 119:9-17, 148
9 How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word.
10 With my whole heart I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments!
11 Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You!
12 Blessed are You, O LORD! Teach me Your statutes!
13 With my lips I have declared All the judgments of Your mouth.
14 I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies, As much as in all riches.
15 I will meditate on Your precepts, And contemplate Your ways.
16 I will delight myself in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word.
17 Deal bountifully with Your servant, That I may live and keep Your word.
…
148 My eyes are awake through the night watches, That I may meditate on Your word.
Whether he says your word, precepts, statutes, or commands, he keeps the focus upon the word of God. This is an important practice of meditation. When we meditate on the word, it is not focusing on syllables, sounds, or letters. It is to focus upon knowing God’s commandments to understand and live by them.
There are some who teach and practice that we meditate on a single word or sound, but this is merely a form of Eastern meditation and is contrary to the Bible’s teaching. The focus of meditation is to cleanse our lives through the word by taking heed to its commandments, statutes, and principles, so we do not stray from the truth. We meditate to be taught. We meditate to discover understanding. We meditate so we know how to live and abide in God’s will.
Jesus often referred to the Psalms and perhaps He intended this chapter to be taken into consideration when He said, “You are already clean because the word I have spoken to you.” The focus of the word is always to find understanding of God’s ways so we can walk in close fellowship with Him. This isn’t only taught in the Old Testament, but the same practice is taught in the New Testament as well. Look at 1 Timothy 4:15-16
15 Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all.
16 Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.
Once again, the word is the focus. Good doctrine is explored as we meditate on the truth of scripture. Whenever we see the word ‘doctrine’, it simply means ‘the teachings of scripture’. Don’t think of this as a theologically complicated practice. We take a passage of scripture, think upon it, and give ourselves wholly to obeying the word and teaching others to do the same.
Memorization plays a role in meditating upon scripture, but memorizing alone is not meditation. We think upon the meaning of the scriptures, how it applies to our lives, how it testifies to the majesty of the Lord, and how it directs us into God’s perfect plan.
Any meditation practice that doesn’t fit what is taught in scripture misses the mark and can lead us down the wrong path. However, biblical meditation is a valuable practice in the Christian’s life.
Meditation is often neglected. For this reason, our minds get crowded with the weeds and thorns of life, and our godly perspective becomes choked out and unfruitful. Yet those who meditate on the things of God find understanding. God delights in revealing His goodness to His disciples.
Finding God’s peace and guarding our heart.
Everyone deals with anxiety and few know how to handle it in a healthy way. When a difficulty arises, people often say something like, “Don’t let yourself worry.”
Unfortunately, we can’t just decide not to think about something, our mind needs to be focused. Do this experiment. Think about nothing. Most people think about blackness, but blackness is something. Empty space is something. Anything that represents nothing to us is something. This is what we are expecting when we say, “Don’t worry.” Thinking about not worrying keeps the focus on what we are trying to avoid.
It doesn’t work does it? I have yet to see someone stop worrying when told to do so. Often times, when sermons are preached or advice is given on worry, it only creates more worry. At first we worried about a problem, now we worry that we don’t have enough faith to stop worrying. When someone says that worry is a lack of faith, we become concerned about our spiritual condition on top of the problem we were already struggling with.
The Bible gives the answer. It is not to just stop and create a vacuum in our minds, but to have a shift of focus. Look at Philippians 4:6-8
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;
7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy — meditate on these things.
This passage doesn’t merely say not to be anxious, but to overcome our anxiety by following practical steps. Steps that we know how to do if living biblically is already part of our lives.
The passage above gives us clear direction. Best of all, the results are not dependent upon us. It doesn’t say that we should guard our hearts and minds against worry / anxiety. It says that if we do these things, God will give us peace beyond human understanding as He guards our hearts and minds through Christ. How can we have peace in the storms of life? It’s impossible by human standards, but God has the power to give us a peace that goes beyond our human understanding.
Let’s look at the steps. First, we focus on prayer. Not just a prayer of, “God get me out of this,” but a prayer established upon thanksgiving. Remember David’s testimony in Psalms? When he complained, grief overwhelmed him, but when he meditated on the works of the Lord and the goodness of God’s hand in his life, he found comfort. His problems were still present, but how he faced them changed.
The Bible promises that the believer has the privilege of coming confidently before the throne of God in our time of need[4]. Prayer is how we come before the throne of God. Prayer is talking to God. You don’t need to sound holy and spiritual, just pour your heart out before Him. That is what supplication means – to entreat the Lord, ask, or present a need before Him. But notice that we are entreating the Lord for our needs with thanksgiving. This is a very important part of praying for our needs or the needs of others.
A faithless prayer is, “Why are you letting this happen? Get me out of this mess.” There is no thankfulness. There is no focus on the end result or the eternal perspective.
A thankful heart reveals our true focus. A thankful heart stops and thinks upon the goodness of the Lord, and considers the truth that God seeks our eternal good through every situation. God will sacrifice your good in this life to keep you in the goodness of the eternal life to come. The thankless can’t see this clearly. But if we are living a surrendered and thankful life, we will have removed our greatest barrier to God’s goodness over us.
A stubborn person has to endure much more pain than a submissive one. There are people who go through life with both fists balled. They are usually those who think life is unfair. It’s unfair because life doesn’t stay within the boundaries of what they believe is right and wrong.
The truth is that God sees the plan of eternity and how you fit into that plan. Sometimes life doesn’t make sense, but one thing is certain, the one who clings to faith always finds the goodness of God’s plan. The ones who buck against the Lord often miss it. Or can’t see it before them.
When I present my petition to God with thanksgiving, I am acknowledging His wisdom and my trust that His word is true – He really is out for my good. Sorrow is not a lack of faith. Acknowledging pain and frustration isn’t a lack of faith. Demanding that God change His plan is a lack of faith. Demanding that God conform to our will is also a lack of faith.
Freely acknowledge your struggles, hurts, worries, and feelings. And do so with thanksgiving. This will help you trust what God is doing rather than trying to escape it. Be thankful for what He has done and is doing. Meditate on His wondrous works. Search your heart to find reasons to be thankful. It will change your attitude. Over time, it will transform your heart into one that seeks the Lord. And it places you squarely in the promise that when you do so, He will guard your heart and mind, and give you His incomprehensible peace.
God’s word remains untried in the life of most Christians. It sounds good in theory, but because it goes against human nature, we abandon it when we need it the most.
It’s no accident that the passage above concludes with an instruction on meditation. We can’t meditate with a tumultuous mind; therefore, we pour out our hearts, set our minds on thanksgiving, and afterward, we follow God’s plan of bringing the focus of our minds to where it should be.
Most of us brood. We may force out a meager praise and make a prayer, but afterward we pick up the burden again through our brooding. The troubles we supposedly gave to the Lord remain the focus of our thoughts and we again dwell upon our problems. Anxiety remains and we fall into self-pity. Or we pick up our anger and frustrations and brood upon these and cultivate bitterness, frustration, and hatred.
The method God has given us is to end our prayers with meditation. Think upon these things – whatever is true, lovely, pure, honest, just, things of good report, praiseworthy, or virtuous, etc.
This goes completely against human nature. A bad report hits our tongues and is spread at lightning speed. We like to talk about bad things, and we naturally dwell on negative thoughts. There must be an intentional effort to set our minds on the things that are godly so we remain in the peace of God and cultivate a thankful heart. It’s the only way to fully experience the peace of God and grow into spiritual maturity. To neglect these things stunts our growth and keeps us in the circle of frustration.
True biblical meditation is difficult to put into practice. It’s not difficult to understand, but it goes against human nature. Knowing what God has taught means nothing until we learn to put these things into practice. Each moment you spend in thought, you are either training your mind toward negative habits, or positive. Negativism is a strain on the mind, while meditating on the godly things strengthens the mind and heals emotions.
Consider the plain truth before us. What causes someone to have a nervous breakdown? There are exceptions, but the vast majority of the time it is prolonged stress. Each stressful thought adds to the burden and the pressure builds. When the mind reaches the breaking point, a total collapse occurs, and the person is incapable of dealing with anything.
While we cannot control many of the situations that cause stress, we can learn to deal with it in a healthy way, and we can unload our mental burdens through the principles we have discussed here. We have the power to overcome these thoughts. Look at 2 Corinthians 10:4-5
4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,
5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.
We naturally want to confront the flesh through the flesh; however, God presents a different way. Our spiritual minds are mighty in God and He empowers us. Or should I say that He has already empowered us. It’s called walking in the Spirit. We’ll discuss walking in the Spirit in the next chapter, but for now be aware that our goal is not to muscle our minds into submission, but to turn from the flesh and walk in the Spirit where victory has already been given.
You and I have the power to take every thought captive and into obedience to godliness. When we catch ourselves dwelling on unhealthy thoughts or brooding, we must put God’s ways into action. The offending thought should be arrested and taken out of the way.
When angry, your first inclination will be to brood and give stress free reign over your mind. You will not have the desire to take that thought captive because our flesh enjoys its indulgences. You and I have to willfully submit ourselves under God’s direction and give ourselves wholly to the word of God. And I assure you that you won’t feel like it until after you’ve stepped into faith. Then you’ll discover the world of victory and wonder why it was so difficult. Yet the next time you’ll have the same battle.
As we develop spiritual disciplines, it gets easier, but not necessarily easy. Each time we must willfully choose to surrender to God’s ways before we overcome. The good news is that as you do these things God has commanded, you’ll be training your mind to dwell on godly things and it will change your attitude, outlook on life, and drive you toward spiritual maturity.
The Bible says that we must constantly put ourselves and others in remembrance of these things. You will forget. This goes for every spiritually good thing. We naturally tend to drift toward old patterns and the easy way of thinking. Any dead fish can float down stream. In the same way, it takes no life and no effort to allow ourselves to drift toward our old ways of thinking. We must swim against the current and remind others of these principles so they can be refreshed in the Lord, too.
When we read the Old Testament account where the Jewish people murmured against God, it’s easy to wonder how they could be so blind. Yet we face the same scenario each day. The Lord has given me the answers to living a focused life. These principles teach me how to have a good attitude, see the loving hand of God, and be encouraged in any circumstance. If I refuse to apply these things in my own life, I’m no different than those who refused to see the miracles and the strong hand of the Lord, and instead said, “Has God brought us into the wilderness to die?”
The same God who led a faithless group of people out of bondage and to the edge of the promise, also leads you and I. They couldn’t inherit the promise because they couldn’t see past their problems to see the blessing. Can we? We can if we apply our hearts to the wisdom of God’s teaching.
Wisdom is the Spirit of God instructing us through His word. In scripture, wisdom cries out, “Turn at my rebuke; Surely I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you.[5]” Not only does the word rebuke my bad attitude, it shows me how to change it. The same voice of wisdom also warns that if I refuse the instruction of God’s wisdom, I will eat the fruit of my own ways and suffer the calamity of my actions. Then if I call for deliverance, I will not be rescued from the consequences of refusing God’s instruction of wisdom[6].
We have the answer before us. As Jesus said, these words are spirit and they are life. It isn’t easy to turn from our own ways, but we must do so in order to find the joy of God’s peace, life, and deliverance from the ways of the flesh.
Do you want to be a man or woman after God’s own heart? Meditate on these things. Cultivate a thankful heart. Think upon the word, God’s works, and then trust Him enough to let go of anything that prevents you from submitting wholly to the Lord. It will change your life.
[1] 1 Peter 4:12
[2] Romans 8:48
[3] Hebrews 12:15
[4] Hebrews 4:16
[5] Proverbs 1:23
[6] Proverbs 1:24-33