Scriptural Meditation

Happy as the person who does not apply ungodly advice even from godly people. Or hang around with sinners, wishing we could do what they do, or join in with scoffers as they make fun of other people. Instead they meditate day and night on God’s word. They will be like trees that are green in the desert and whatever they do we will prosper. Psalms 1

Meditation is a very powerful thing for good in for evil.

It is very important to understand the difference between biblical meditation and Eastern meditation. In both situations people recognize that having her brains filled with the clutter of work and trials does not lead to creativity or stamina or sense of wellbeing. In Eastern meditation they try to get rid of all the clutter and just experience nothingness. As you know, I was raised in India where holy men would go out to the woods with just a line cloth on, sit under a tree with their legs crossed and closed their eyes and say some neutral empty sound like OOOm and then they felt more peaceful. Basically that fits with the idea so many people have that the way to find peace is to not care.

God calls us to care very much, to care passionately, to care intensely and at the same time find peace.

There is another problem with Eastern meditation, not only does it lead you to be empty but that emptiness invites the invasion of attitudes and thoughts from the devil that or not healthy. Nature hates a vacuum and emptiness will suck negatives into itself. That is why Judeo-Christian meditation focuses on something real and practical. Yes we are to go to our closet to pray, partly so that were not making a show in front of others but partly to block out all the distractions. Then we focus on a passage of God’s word or an issue or a situation we care about and asked God to open our minds to what he is trying to teach us or show us. We might focus on who he is and on his characteristics. We might take a daily meditation book with us and read that to help us calm down and focus on the Lord.

So, how do we meditate day and night?
Anytime you want to form an ongoing habit, such as being mindful at all times, praying without ceasing etc., you start by setting times in the day to practice. You then will find that mindfulness spreads from those times through the rest of the day. For example if three times a day you pause and meditate on what God has given you to enjoy, on what he has helped you do, on the people he is placed in your life for your benefit, or on how you are wonderfully and fearfully made; soon you will find yourself noticing these things as you go through the day. If three times a day you pause and meditate on how wonderful God is and his names and his characteristics, soon you will be seeing evidence of his character and beauty throughout the day. If three times a day you pause and meditate on the needs of those around you and pray for them, soon you will be seeing the needs of those around you and reaching out to them as a way of life.