all that God is for you in Christ explodes with faith, and joy, and love. All Your commandments are faithful;They have persecuted me with a lie; help me! His delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law doth he meditate day and night. Cite this page: Editor: Stephen Smith. If you do what God says, you will not be happy. Redeem me from the oppression of man,That I may keep Your precepts. In which all the beasts of the forest prowl about. Under what conditions can our meditating on the Word properly affect our lives as the inspired and inerrant Word of God? 11 R. C. Sproul, Knowing Scripture, InterVarsity Press, Downers Grove, IL, 1977, p. 17f. Turn to me and be gracious to me,After Your manner with those who love Your name. The wicked have laid a snare for me,Yet I have not gone astray from Your precepts. Note the following passages and the principle of EXCHANGE, RENEWAL and REPLACEMENT: Numbers 11:5-6 We remember the fish which we used to eat free in Egypt, the cucumbers and the melons and the leeks and the onions and the garlic, 6 but now our appetite is gone. And which of you by worrying can add a single hour to his lifes span? The one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness. Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; but I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. I will never forget Your precepts,For by them You have revived me. Jensen suggest the following which I have summarized as follows: (1) Reflect Purposely, to fulfill the biblical objectives of meditationworship, instruction, motivation, transformation. In his excellent book, Pathways to Power, a book written in the early 1950s, Dr. Unger wrote: Meditation upon Gods Word is fast becoming a lost art among many Christian people. 49:3 [i.e., understanding comes from the meditations of his heart]; 119:27, 97f). But this often takes time and continued fellowship with the Lord in the Word. They stand this day according to Your ordinances,For all things are Your servants. Philippians 3:1: How to Meditate on a Verse | Desiring God He fears lest he should misunderstand, or misconceive, or misapply Gods teaching, or narrow its significance to his life. (4) Three vital responses for application: First, the response of confession: The Word of God is like a sword (it penetrates), like a mirror (it reveals), and like a critic of the heart (it judges and reproves or exposes our attitudes and actions). You are my hiding place and my shield;I wait for Your word. O Lord, our Lord,How majestic is Your name in all the earth! But his delight is in the law of the Lord,And in His law he meditates day and night. It is important that we recognize we cannot divorce meditation from all the processes by which we learn and apply the Word. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.. Using the words meditate and remember which is sometimes used as a synonym for meditate (Ps. The pursuit of happiness is regarded as our unalienable right. But happiness and pleasure are not the same thing. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. It is not an emptying of your mind. Sustain me according to Your word, that I may live;And do not let me be ashamed of my hope. And why are you worried about clothing? Then I said, I will appeal to this, to the years of the right hand of the Most High. I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your wonders of old. The call to reflection in Bible reading is expressed in Samuels plain words to Saul, Stand here thou still a while, that I may shew thee the word of God (1 Samuel 9:27, KJV).8. Therefore I esteem right all Your precepts concerning everything,I hate every false way. I have restrained my feet from every evil way. Meditate on God's Compassion. Only the skilled theologians with technical training can deal with the Scriptures. Many of our problems are symptoms of underlying dynamic mental processes going on inside. "Take this as the secret of Christ's life in you: His Spirit dwells in your innermost spirit. But listen to these words from the Psalms: Psalm 19:14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Thy sight, O LORD, my rock and my Redeemer. 12 Bible Verses about Meditation On God's Word - Online Bible Scripture frequently mentions meditation and meditating on the teachings and laws of God. Because my adversaries have forgotten Your words. I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. Psalm 78:42 They did not remember His power, The day when He redeemed them from the adversary. 1:8). Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. Was it ignorance, rebellion, indifference? He made the moon for the seasons;The sun knows the place of its setting. 11Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, (H)to be content: 12(I)I know how to [b]be abased, and I know how to [c]abound. Handed down. A Psalm of David.O Lord, our Lord,How majestic is Your name in all the earth,Who have displayed Your splendor above the heavens! So that it will not totter forever and ever. All Eastern forms of meditation stress the need to become detached from the world. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. Fear the LORD, you his holy people, for those who fear him lack nothing. May those who fear You turn to me,Even those who know Your testimonies. This would apply to all the above (Ps. degree in human physiology, an M.D. I have more insight than all my teachers, For Your testimonies are my meditation. For they are life to those who find them, and healing to all their flesh. 21Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. 1 Richard J. The Bible is addressed primarily though not exclusively to our understanding. These 65 Bible verses about mindfulness are organized into 10 topic categories like meditation, attention, and gratitude. As far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. I have seen a limit to all perfection;Your commandment is exceedingly broad. May my heart be blameless in Your statutes,So that I will not be ashamed.read more.Kaph.My soul languishes for Your salvation;I wait for Your word. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!. OUR ANSWER: The Bible can only affect us properly and direct our lives into the will of God so far as it is understood, and it can only be understood when it is properly interpreted. Whatever passes through the paths of the seas. Qoph.I cried with all my heart; answer me, O Lord!I will observe Your statutes. Our need is to be alert to them and work on overcoming them, but lets not allow these things to discourage us in our commitment to meditate on the Word. Last Updated: February 1, 2022 What does the Bible say about mindfulness? Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap; they have no storeroom nor barn, and yet God feeds them; how much more valuable you are than the birds! I have restrained my feet from every evil way,That I may keep Your word. Mem.O how I love Your law!It is my meditation all the day. Eph. I shall diligently consider Your testimonies. Even though princes sit plotting against me, your servant will meditate on your statutes. Christian Meditation: What It Is and What It's Not - Learn Religions Scripture taken from the New King James Version. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts (Isa. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. (5) Wrong Focus: Preoccupation with the wrong objects, the objects of our pain, our fear, or anger, will keep us from meditating on the Word where we find Gods solution. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God, (Romans 10:17 brick by brick). (3) The battle concerns our minds in both the content of our minds and in the way we think with our minds, the human devices of our minds which are so often influenced by Satan. (2) Because of what man is and needsReconciliation to God and one another. 5 Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, "My child . Here we encounter the ruthless reality of the difference between happiness and pleasure. Thus, we may assume we are controlling our tongues and that we are hospitable in what we do, since we understand these truths. In Scripture it does not mean to sit and ponder infinity or to empty the mind so some force can fill it by repeating some chant or mantra. I have more understanding than all my teachers, for your testimonies are my meditation. It is a means of worship and seeking God which is ultimately the highest goal of meditation (Ps. Psalm 119:97 O how I love Thy law! By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Bible Gateway, a division of The Zondervan Corporation, 3900 Sparks Drive SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546 USA, including commercial communications and messages from partners of Bible Gateway. It is an escaping from the miserable wheel of existenceIt is merely a method of controlling the brain waves in order to improve your psychological and emotional well-being.1. John 15:7-8). (2) We see that Paul and his co-workers were committed to destroying and dealing with any such thinking in their lives because it was so destructive to their ability to wage war against the enemy and carry out Gods purpose as soldiers of the cross. The moon and the stars, which You have ordained; What is man that You take thought of him. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. If not why not? APPLICATIONHow does the text apply to my life? It is a means of better knowing and understanding the Word which gives insight to life itself (Ps. But if my thoughts are contrary to Gods, then I must exchange my thinking with Gods and for that process, He has given us His inspired, inerrant, and authoritative Word. When I remember You on my bed,I meditate on You in the night watches. But in our human defense solutions and in our desire to control our own lives, we have a hard time with these wrong objects of preoccupation. This is an invitation to meditate on God's word and seek his presence in silence and solitude. But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart. Selah. In other words, am I applying this truth? From these verses it is clear that our meditation can be unacceptable and displeasing to the Lord. So David prayed, Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my ways, and see if there be any wicked way within me (Ps. L. meditor. 1, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, p. 205. Time and patience are important elements to effective meditation and examination of the Word. Sustain me according to Your word, that I may live; That I may have regard for Your statutes continually. 12:1). Psalm 119:97 ESV / 6 helpful votes Not Helpful Psalm 119:48 And I shall lift up my hands to Thy commandments, Which I love; And I will meditate on Thy statutes. Yet You have made him a little lower than God,And You crown him with glory and majesty! I will ponder all your work, and meditate on your mighty deeds. As I mused, the fire burned; then I spoke with my tongue: Those who seek my life lay their snares; those who seek my hurt speak of ruin and meditate treachery all day long. Psalm 4:4 Tremble, and do not sin; Meditate in your heart upon your bed, and be still. You listen to John Piper. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17 that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. 4:12; 2 Tim. I cried to You; save meAnd I shall keep Your testimonies. Thinks he doesnt need to study or meditate on the Word because he operates by his feelings. Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything. I will lift up my hands toward your commandments, which I love, and I will meditate on your statutes. Compare 2 Corinthians 7:8-11; Hebrews 12:17. 22All the saints greet you, but especially those who are of Caesars household. Transcendental meditation, as it is often called, is not biblical meditation. The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime;And His song will be with me in the night,A prayer to the God of my life. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heartBe acceptable in Your sight,O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer. John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. I would want to keep their relationship to Gods Word superficial and secondary. These are some of the problems we face. We must maintain the elements of the great objectives of meditation (WORSHIP, INSTRUCTION, MOTIVATION, TRANSFORMATION) and the great purposes of God as in the great commission (cf. Yet You have made him a little lower than God. Q 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.". Start your free trial today! He uses a military term, taking captive (aichmalotizo) plus the present tense which point to this as a continual struggle and warfare. My eyes fail with longing for Your salvationAnd for Your righteous word. He wants understanding that he may, through Gods wisdom, conform his life to Gods ways because only in this does one find the way of life. To dwell on any thing in thought; to contemplate; to study; to turn or revolve any subject in the mind; appropriately but not exclusively used of pious contemplation, or a consideration of the great truths of religion. Copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ. Be still, and know that I am God. I suspect the real problem here is our next danger. (5) The problem of the right interpretation: Here is an important question. Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart, who also do no wrong, but walk in his ways! Be surety for Your servant for good;Do not let the arrogant oppress me. 3:7f). You have removed all the wicked of the earth like dross;Therefore I love Your testimonies. 13I can do all things (J)through [d]Christ who strengthens me. It is not a guarantee against trials and pain. When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers. 1:1-2; Jer. In the Bible God has spoken and through this book God reveals Himself, reveals who and what man is, and what His plan for man consists of. You set a boundary that they may not pass over,So that they will not return to cover the earth. Related Topics: Basics for Christians, Cultural Issues, J. Hampton Keathley III, Th.M. Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer. No one comes to the Father except through me. They give drink to every beast of the field; Beside them the birds of the heavens dwell; They lift up their voices among the branches. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him. Geocoding It is not a relaxation technique that rewires your mind and body. You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Meditation in the Bible means reflective thinking on biblical truth so that God is able to speak to us through Scripture and through the thoughts that come to mind as we are reflecting on the Word, but that must also be filtered by the Word. We are also the victims of our past. I rise before dawn and cry for help;I wait for Your words. I have more understanding than all my teachers, for your testimonies are my meditation. Who have displayed Your splendor above the heavens! (Psalm 48:9, ESV). "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 praiseworthymeditate on these things. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. 50 Bible Verses About Peace - Encouraging Scripture Quotes 6 Gordon D. Fee and Douglas Stuart, How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, 1993, p. 20. You set a boundary that they may not pass over. Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. And do not let any iniquity have dominion over me. As wayward humans with many pursuits and persons vying for our attention, meditation frees us to fix our eyes on Jesus and tune out distractions, even if only for five minutes. As growing Christians, we often learn a great deal, and it is easy to assume we have translated our knowledge into experience.14. Psalm 104:34 Let my meditation be pleasing to Him; As for me, I shall be glad in the Lord. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 3:4-6a And such confidence we have through Christ toward God. Now the passage of Scripture which he was reading was this:He was led as a sheep to slaughter;And as a lamb before its shearer is silent,So He does not open His mouth. The Lord be with you all. He lays the beams of His upper chambers in the waters; He established the earth upon its foundations. 4 They couldn't bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, so they dug a hole through the roof above his head. Contact me: openbibleinfo (at) gmail.com. To the place which You established for them. Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. 14 I have rejoiced in the way of Thy testimonies, As much as in all riches. I have more insight than all my teachers,For Your testimonies are my meditation. Old patterns often die hard and slowly. Are you not worth much more than they? And His song will be with me in the night, Please receive instruction from His mouth. For additional reading see the Seven Subtle Snares of Worldliness. 1:7-8). All rights reserved. I will meditate on Your preceptsAnd regard Your ways. (3) The expectation of instant results: This is particularly a problem in our culture because we are on the search for instant gratification. May my meditation be pleasing to him, for I rejoice in the Lord. My flesh trembles for fear of You,And I am afraid of Your judgments. It has been said that all human sin finds its roots in three basic human problems, the sins of pride, dishonesty, and slothfulness.11. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. It is a place and space in our lives for communion with God. In His creative grace, God has given us each certain abilities, gifts, talents, and information through education and experience to use in life for our blessing and the blessing of others. They then read the passage supposing this is Gods will and word to them for the day. 5 We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. A head knowledge of the Word may perhaps be consonant with the scurry of the age, but not a deep heart experience of its preciousness. Someone has said that the Adversary majors in three things: noise, hurry, and crowds. The mountains rose; the valleys sank downTo the place which You established for them. I have not turned aside from Your ordinances,For You Yourself have taught me. (3) Because of what the meditation doesReformation of the mind and life. The first question we must consider concerns the meaning of meditation and what meditation involves. I said, Let me remember my song in the night; let me meditate in my heart. Then my spirit made a diligent search: The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. My son, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Add on top all of the Bible's calls to " meditate on the word of God ", and it's very difficult to deny meditation's place in the Christian faith. So, meditating on the Word, internalizing and personalizing the Scripture, is a crucial part of the Christian life. (2) Reflect Imaginatively, visualize the setting and put yourself there. 3 Paul Meier, Renewing Your Mind in a Secular World, edited by John D. Woodbridge, Moody Press, Chicago, 1985, p. 25. On the glorious splendor of your majesty, and on your wondrous works, I will meditate. - And Isaac went out to meditate - ; to think (LXX., Vulgate, Murphy, Kalisch); to pray (Onkelos, Samaritan, Kimchi, Luther, Keil); to lament (Knobel, Lange); doubtless to do all three, to commune with his heart and before God; not, however, about agricultural affairs, or the improvement of his property (Knobel), but concerning his deceased mother, whom he still mourned . It is just the contrary to in ver. This means going to the text to observe it for facts from the text as we would study any written document though recognizing Scriptures spiritual content, continuity, and inspiration. Let the glory of the Lord endure forever;Let the Lord be glad in His works; He looks at the earth, and it trembles;He touches the mountains, and they smoke. As the Psalmist who prayed: I will meditate on Thy precepts, and regard Thy ways (Psa. My eyes are awake before the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promise. This is also the position of humility and respect. The brethren (S)who are with me greet you. gain access to 50+ premium resources to enhance your study of Scripture. Ill show you a man who is unconsciously fighting and struggling for a sense of significance, using worldly ways (e.g., sexual fantasy, materialism, power struggles, and prestige) in a vain attempt to attain significance all of which will fail. He wants to comprehend its full range and thrust as it bears on his thoughts, purposes, attitudes, reactions, relationships, view of life and people. Publisher: OpenBible.info. 19:7f; 2 Tim. Again remember that the great enemies of meditating on the Word are noise, hurry, and crowds. Such a statement reflects the taste and preference of the person reading it. The arrogant have dug pits for me,Men who are not in accord with Your law. Amen. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. It is a means of elevating the spiritual over the material world and the world of activity: the world of hustle and bustle and coming and going. BIBLE VERSES ABOUT MEDITATION - King James Bible Online Meditate on it, believe in it, and remember it until this glorious truth produces within you a holy fear and wonderment that the Holy Spirit indeed abides in you!" Watchman Nee "Meditation is a help to knowledge; thereby your knowledge is raised. Uphold me that I may be safe,That I may have regard for Your statutes continually. 2 Irving L. Jensen, How to Profit From Reading the Bible, Moody Press, Chicago, 1985, p. ix. While he was preaching God's word to them, 3 four men arrived carrying a paralyzed man on a mat. The simplest way to highlight the difference is to say that for the one, meditation is an inner journey to find the center of one's being, while for the other it is the concentration of the mind/heart upon an external Revelation." I have not turned aside from Your ordinances. I have inclined my heart to perform Your statutesForever, even to the end. 9 Merril F. Unger, Pathways to Power, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, 1953, p. 41. Proverbs 28:13 He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, But he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion. More Bible Verses About Meditation . April Motl Crosswalk.com Contributor Jun 24, 2019 Footnotes: Philippians 4:3 NU, M Yes Philippians 4:5 graciousness or forbearance Philippians 4:10 you have revived your care From the primordial temptation of Adam and Eve to last nights satanic seduction, the lie has been the same. BEST VALUE in digital Bible study. Be diligent, etc. ; be manifest unto for appear to, A.V. I will ponder all your work, and meditate on your mighty deeds. Because he knows that the way of man is not in himself, it is not in man to direct his way. Ill show you a man who experiences the guilt and discomfort of a God-vacuum. We fail in our need to meditate studiously and worshipfully in the Word because it takes time and work. 3:16). This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success. The Bible is addressed to each of us personally. You of little faith! A deep knowledge of spiritual things can only come by the way of unhurried reflection upon Gods truth and by prayer.10. You open Your hand, they are satisfied with good. K I am exceedingly afflicted;Revive me, O Lord, according to Your word. Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Psalm 104:34 Let my meditation be pleasing to Him; As for me, I shall be glad in the LORD. When I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night; Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. Bible Verses for Meditation In addition to meditation on Matthew 11:15, meditating on the verses below will provide you with further insight and understanding of Christ's command: Hear God's Voice. Therefore I love Your commandmentsAbove gold, yes, above fine gold. It monitors what and how we are thinking and thus protects us against the thinking and actions of the world (Ps. Gods Word is a spiritual book requiring spiritual perception. 12 Adapted from Sprouls, Knowing Scripture, p. 27f. By spending time with God in His Word and in prayer. B Et voici, un lpreux s'tant approch se prosterna devant lui, et dit: Seigneur, si tu le veux, tu peux me rendre pur. Genesis 24:63 ESV / 7 helpful votes Not Helpful And Isaac went out to meditate in the field toward evening. Again, read as the Psalmist who prayed: Open my eyes that I may behold wonderful things from Thy law (Ps. The things which you learned and received . 17Not that I seek the gift, but I seek (M)the fruit that abounds to your account. Psalms 19:14 - Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer. Let the insolent be put to shame, because they have wronged me with falsehood; as for me, I will meditate on your precepts. My mouth shall speak wisdom; the meditation of my heart shall be understanding. Thoughts is the plural of noema, mind, thought, purpose, device, design. It is used of the schemes or devices of Satan in 2 Corinthians 2:11 and of the effects of his work on the minds of men (blinding, in 4:4). There are things that can make our meditation less effective or even detrimental. And why are you worried about clothing? The goal of Christian meditation is to internalize and personalize the Scripture so that its truth can affect how we think, our attitudes, and how we live, our actions. Bible Verses about Meditation Compiled by The BibleStudyTools Staff on 02/19/2021 What does the Bible say about Meditation?