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Musings on Faith #71 Meditation | |
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I’m going to do something a little different this week. Some folks think that meditation is all about some sort of Eastern mysticism. But the Scriptures tell us otherwise. Of a total of fourteen uses of the word, in the King James Version, I will quote three. "And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the eventide" (Genesis 24:63a, KJV)." "But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night (Psalms 1:2, KJV)." "Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all" (1st Timothy 4:15, KJV). In my Bible study last week, I came to a passage that spoke to me of meditation, and I spent four days on that one passage. It contains enough thought-provoking material, in a short span of words, that I believe that one could meditate upon this passage alone for many days, and even for weeks or months. This passage is Ephesians 4:1b-5, "I urge you / to live a life / worthy / of the calling / you have received. / Be completely / humble / and gentle; / be patient, / bearing / with one another / in love. / Make every effort / to keep the unity / of the Spirit / through / the bond / of peace. / There is / one body / and one Spirit / - just as you were called / to one hope / when you were called / - one Lord, / one faith, / one baptism; / one God / and Father / of all, / who is / over all / and through all / and in all" (NIV). |
(Continued)
Notice that I have broken these verses up with slash marks. Each of the words or phrases between each set of slash marks can be meditated upon for hours at a time, both alone and in the context of the passage quoted. You may make other divisions of words or phrases in this text, or combine certain of these divisions to further meditate on the meaning within the context. Notice that Isaac went out to meditate "in the field at the eventide". Is not this a perfect picture of peace and quiet? In order to meditate upon the Scriptures, we, too, need a place and time of peace and solitude, to be alone with God, hearing Him through his Holy Word. Reading the Scriptures is important to our understanding of God’s Word, but meditating upon them brings a greater depth of spirituality and of understanding, and brings about a very worshipful atmosphere within our own being and spirit, as we are communing with our Lord, one on one. When we come upon such passages as Ephesians 4:1-5, let us take time, not just to read them and reflect upon them, but to meditate upon them for as long as the Lord leads us there, whether for hours, or days, or weeks. Yours in Christ, Tom Woodard |
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