Meditation has gotten a bad rap among some believers. They equate it with eastern mysticism even though meditation was a daily occupation of the patriarchs. The Psalms are full of meditation practices: I will meditate on God’s precepts, God’s law, God’s way, His testimonies (or the great things He has done.) Throughout the Bible we find that the practice of meditating on scriptures and also what God has done on our behalf is of great benefit. David extolled meditation as the thing that made him wiser than his enemies. He declared his time of meditation on God’s law (his expectations of us) his delight. That was partly because it provided him his strategies to overtake his enemies but also because he simply took delight in practicing the presence of God.
But meditation is probably one of the most difficult practices because of the distractions that fill up our lives. I have tried to imagine sitting and writing down all of the things that occupy my mind in a day. The one thing, I confess, that occupies too much of my time is worry. I do that too much. But my mind can’t do more than one task at a time. So when I lay down one practice—worrying—and pick up another—meditation, then my thoughts are refreshed. My mind is renewed and that is the purposeful life of a believer anyway. Imagine how much our faith, influence, productivity, and peace of mind will increase if we will simply lay down the things that bog us down and pick up the lighter things that help us out.
Give yourself a mental break and try it:
But meditation is probably one of the most difficult practices because of the distractions that fill up our lives. I have tried to imagine sitting and writing down all of the things that occupy my mind in a day. The one thing, I confess, that occupies too much of my time is worry. I do that too much. But my mind can’t do more than one task at a time. So when I lay down one practice—worrying—and pick up another—meditation, then my thoughts are refreshed. My mind is renewed and that is the purposeful life of a believer anyway. Imagine how much our faith, influence, productivity, and peace of mind will increase if we will simply lay down the things that bog us down and pick up the lighter things that help us out.
Give yourself a mental break and try it:
Here's a meditation for Ash Wednesday:
Is. 53:4-9
If someone has hurt you, look up:
Ps. 37 and just jot down what you are to do.
If you need hope, try:
Psalm 33, then if you’d like, jot down what happened when you set your meditation on praise
If you are in the throes of deep sorrow, my friend, here are some promises from my personal list:
2 Cor 1:3-6 (I could never imagine this being true, but only through Christ and his grace is it possible)
Ps. 34:18
Ps. 147:3
Is. 61:1
Ps. 56:8
For your travail Ps. 31:9-10
Meditation is God’s gentle wrench. It wrenches your thoughts out of the problems and prepares your heart for the solutions. It’s a tool you can grab any time you choose.
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