Blog In Audio:
Greetings,
I have been addressing the need to meditate upon God’s word and testimonies in our lives. This includes both the general word of God in our lives and His specific words to us. Without knowing the general will of God we will be vulnerable to deceptions in hearing correctly the specific words of God in our lives. Meditating on the things that we can think upon will prepare our hearts and minds to know God’s words to us in life.
Philippians 4:8 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.
We can talk about and think on things that are just. Can we make judgments for others based upon who we are and not what they deserve? When our meditation is about a relationship with God and not mere rules, we embrace the character of who we are meant to be. Love, forgiveness, mercy, and grace – these are all things of God’s justice. We must give our hearts to things that are pure! Resisting the things of impurity is not as powerful as embracing the things of purity with our whole hearts. We must give our hearts to things that are of a good report. Indulging in the good reports of life is more violent than waging war against the things of negativity and of bad report. Let’s give our hearts to things that are of good report. How about virtue? This is giving our hearts to every opportunity to give life to others. To live for the wellbeing of others and for the purposes of God and His kingdom is a virtuous thing. Life will come off of us that will empower others to live too! We must give our hearts to anything that is praiseworthy. If we think this is hard all we have to do is think of ANYTHING! Anything praiseworthy is a good thing to give our hearts to.
The Hebrew word used in God’s instruction to Joshua to meditate upon the book of the Law was HSRN 1897. הָגָה hâg̱â; a primitive root (compare 1901); to murmur (in pleasure or anger); by implication, to ponder. This word can be used for imagine, meditate, mourn, mutter, roar, speak, study, talk, and utter. It implies more than mere thinking. It includes expression on our part as we consider and think upon God’s word and testimonies in our lives. For this reason, I believe that praying in tongues is a critical part of proper meditation. When we pray in the Spirit we activate our own spirits to flood or souls with thoughts, reasoning, imagination, emotions, and desires. What God says is more important than our own assessment of things. Speaking God’s word and His personal words out loud to ourselves, and even under our breath, is a good life-giving exercise.
Psalms 63:6 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. 8 My soul follows close behind You; Your right hand upholds me.
We must fill our hearts and minds with thoughts of God. Our meditation is not just upon the words that He has said or His word in Scripture, we are to think on Him. His word reveals the character of who He is and this is very personal, intimate, and powerful. It is a revelation of who He is in our lives.
We must choose not to think upon the things that are not God. We do this by thinking on God and all that is true to who He is and what He says.
Matthew 6:3 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ “
The King James Version says “take no thought saying…” The word saying could mean mutter, or speak – something we are musing. To muse is to be absorbed in one’s thoughts and engaged in meditation. It is to consider or say somethingthoughtfully. To be in a state of meditation.
Matthew 12:34 Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.
Matthew 15:18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man.
An activation of biblical meditation will do away with the thoughts you are struggling with. What we think about is what we are going to eventually believe. What we believe is what we are eventually going to say. What we say is what we are going to eventually receive.
Proverbs 23:6 Do not eat the bread of a miser, nor desire his delicacies; 7 For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. “Eat and drink!” he says to you, but his heart is not with you.
When we set our minds on God and what He says, we position ourselves to believe what He believes, act as He acts, imagine as He imagines, and influence our world with the life-giving power of sons and daughters of God. Leaders give their hearts and minds to meditating upon God and His words and they equip those they lead to do the same.
Food For Thought,
Ted J. Hanson
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