Week Two: Christian Meditation

The term “meditation” took on a new dimension for me after reading this devotional and studying the related scripture. Instead of meditation being all about “emptying the mind” and “tuning out the world”, the reading describes it more as active communion with God. I liked the emphasis that was put on meditation being about surrendering our will to God. When we surrender our will to God, we are in the perfect position for Him to change and mold us and for Him to grow us into the person we were made to be.

We meditate on God’s word “so that every part of our being, our thoughts and our affections and our ambitions, are turned to face and honor and glorify Him”. We are then giving His word the opportunity to “penetrate not just our minds, but our emotions…and our will”. The Holy Spirit speaks to us individually and personally. By meditating, we can focus on what the Spirit reveals to us. The Holy Spirit is such a beautiful gift that the Father has given us.

“He makes me lie down in green pastures,

he leads me beside quiet waters,

he refreshes my soul.

He guides me along the right paths

for his name’s sake.”

Psalm 23:2-3

We live in such a rushed, hurried and over stimulated world. The words of Psalm 23:3 really speak to me. When we meditate and focus on God’s word, He refreshes our souls and molds our minds to his likeness.

The verse I was very convicted by was Luke 10:39-40. Mary sat at Jesus’ feet and quite literally breathed in every word Jesus said, while Martha was led astray, away from the very presence of God, by everything she thought she had to do before she could come to God. So often, I find myself like Martha, clawing and scratching to make all the loose ends meet. Instead of meditating on God’s word, I think that sleep, a cup of coffee or completing my endless to-do list will fill the gaping hole in my soul. “Be still, and know that I am God”- Psalm 46:10 tells us so blatantly to let go of the transient things the world has to offer and focus all our strength, time and resources on Him.