Meditation without the "Ohm"

When you hear the word mediation what is the first thing you think of? A monk? or a yoga girl sitting on the floor with legs crossed and arms extended with the typical fingers touching in a circle. Did you hear that famous, monkish "ohm"? What does meditation look like to Christians? Is it biblical? Is it something talked about by God?

Most definitely! Rand Hummel has written a book called "Fear Not!" Meditations to Overcome Fear, Worry, and Discouragement. Before he even started into chapter one he wrote an introduction all about meditation - God's way.

Buy it here

I will be directly quoting out of Rand's book from pages xii-xvi

The word translated "meditation" throughout scripture is also translated "imagine" (Ps. 2:1, Ps. 38:12) "Studieth" (Prov. 15:28, Prov. 24:2) , "Utter, mutter, talk, or speak" (Job 27:4, Ps. 37:30, Ps. 71:24, Prov. 8:7) , and "mourn" (Isa 16:7, Isa. 38:14, Isa. 59:11). It is usually defined as "murmuring,"or speaking to oneself. How often do we as believers devote a full morning to studying, imagining, talking through, or speaking to ourselves (meditating) about one specific characteristic of God taught in His Word?

Meditation is a form of creative thinking... If we set aside an entire hour to "think about" or mediate on how much God loves righteousness and hates evil, our thinking will be affected in such a way that we will personally begin loving good and hating evil more. 

Meditation is essential for a full understanding of God's Word. Most of us have developed lazy habits in reading, grammar, syntax, and word study. We often glance over a word we think we know rather than gaze into its true intent and purpose. When Paul uses the phrase "for this cause" (Rom. 1:26, Eph. 5:31; 2 Thess. 2:11, and so forth) it is so easy to just keep reading rather than to stop and think, "What cause?" What is this driving force in Paul's life?" "What is my ultimate reason, purpose, or cause for living?" "Have I attached myself to a cause bigger than myself, my wants, my time, and my life?" Now Paul's simple phrase "for this cause" takes on a new relevance and my heart is convicted because I have been living for my own "causes" and not God's!

Meditation is essential for all who seek victory over fear, worry, and discouragment...and all kinds of life issues. 

"Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all." I Tim. 4:15

Meditation should delight us!

"I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways. I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word." Ps. 119:15-16

"Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord: and in his law doth he meditate day and night." Ps. 1:1-2

"My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the Lord." Ps. 104:34

Mediation should consume us!

"Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer." Ps. 19:12

"O how I love thy law! It is my meditation all the day." Ps. 119:97

"Mine eyes prevent the night watches, that  I might mediate in thy word." Ps. 119:148

Meditation should control us!

"This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth: but thou shalt mediate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success." Josh. 1:8

Wow! Meditatation God's way is pretty intense. It calls for hours of intense thought changing meditation. It calls for less t.v., less day dreaming, less time in the nothing box. Bibilical meditation is a call to bring your mind into subjection. I call to think on things that are pure and right and holy.

I encourage you to buy the book and finish reading about how mediation on God's Word can and will change your life. And like he said in the introduction it will change more than just the highlighted fear, worry, and discouragement in this book.

What is your definition of mediation? Do you meditate?

Sarah