Wednesday, July 26, 2017 Space in Time to Listen and Obey: Meditation (Part 1) (Inspired by Celebration of Discipline, by Richard Foster)

Wednesday, July 26, 2017

Space in Time to Listen and Obey: Meditation (Part 1)

(Inspired by Celebration of Discipline, by Richard Foster)

Scripture:

Psalm 119:97, 101, 102 (KJV)

Oh, how I love thy law! It is my meditation all the day….I hold my feet from every evil way, in order to keep thy word. I do not turn aside from thy ordinances, for thou hast taught me.”

Psalm 63:6 (KJV)

I think of thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the watches of the night.

Psalm 119:148 (KJV)

My eyes are awake before the watches of the night, that I may meditate upon thy promise.

Psalm 1:1-2  (NASB)

1 How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,
Nor stand in the path of sinners,
Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!
² But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And in His law he meditates day and night.

Excerpt from Celebration of Discipline (pp15-17, edited for length):

The Discipline of Meditation

“In contemporary society our Adversary majors in three things: noise, hurry, and crowds. If he can keep us engaged in “muchness” and “manyness,” he will rest satisfied.

The Bible uses two..words (that) have various meanings: listening to God’s word, reflecting on God’s works, rehearsing God’s deeds, ruminating on God’s law, and more. In each case there is stress upon changed behavior as a result of our encounter with the living God. Repentance and obedience are essential features in any biblical understanding of meditation.

In the midst of an exceedingly busy ministry, Jesus made a habit of withdrawing to “a lonely place apart” (Matt. 14:13). He did this not just to be away from people, bus so he could be with God. What did Jesus do time after time in those deserted hills? He sought out his heavenly Father; he listened to him, he communed with him. And he beckons us to do the same.

Christian meditation, very simply, is the ability to hear God’s voice and obey his word. It is that simple. I wish I could make it more complicated for those who like things difficult. It involves no hidden mysteries, no secret mantras, no mental gymnastics, no esoteric flights into the cosmic consciousness, The truth of the matter is that the great God of the universe, the Creator of all things, desires our fellowship.

Devotional:

I confess, when I sat down to read this chapter on meditation, I was a little resistant. As a child raised in the church, I often encountered legalism, so when I approach such things as the disciplines of the faith I have touch of fear that I will be presented with a long “to do” list of things I can never complete.

As I continue to discover, that is just not how God is. The truth is, I already meditate on God’s Word. Just taking the time to read and study each day as well as prepare to share with all of you, I am creating space in time to hear from Him and to fill up on His Word and know him more deeply. As we stop our busy lives, as we take the time to dig in this way, we won’t be bogged down. On the contrary, He meets us where we are and fills us. The meditation on His Word and character draws us in more deeply into a desire to listen to Him and to obey Him.

I desire to be like Jesus, and in meditation and taking time to be apart and commune with The Lord I am being much like Him each day. This time is precious, sacred and transformative. It prepares us for the ministry of parenting, and to walk out each day’s calling. There certainly is more to meditation, and we will explore it in the next few days. However, let’s not get complicated or overwhelmed. We are able to follow this example of Jesus and many other pillars of the faith in a way that we can walk it out.

Prayer:

Father, thank You for teaching us today about meditation and how it can richen and deepen our relationship with You. Show us how we are taking part in this discipline in our daily lives already, and how we can go deeper in it.

Intercession:

I lift up my children to You today. I ask that You would give me creative ideas for how to disciple them in the discipline of meditation so that they might have true intimacy with you.
(Take time to pray over specific requests, making special mention of God’s work and giving Him glory. Journaling on your computer, a phone app, or paper journal can help keep us mindful of what God is doing.)

Thank You for this day and this truth from Your Word. In Jesus’ Name I pray, amen.