21 Days of Prayer in Psalm 119 (Day #13)

Read Psalm 119:97-104

“Meditation”

This stanza emphasizes the benefits of meditating on the Word of God. The verses I wanted to quote today are 97 to 99.

“Oh how I love your law!    
   It is my meditation all the day.
Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies,
    for it is ever with me.
I have more understanding than all my teachers,
    for your testimonies are my meditation.”

Biblical meditation is not an emptying of the mind and embracing nothingness, but thinking deeply as we attach ourselves in devotion to the precious Lord that the Scriptures reveal.

It is through meditating on the Scriptures that we gain what I refer to as “supernatural understanding” an understanding that goes beyond simply education and strategic studies (teachers and enemies). It has been said that if you think about any particular word too long it loses all sense of meaning. However, when we think about God’s words in their intended context they grow in meaning rather than dissipate.

I recently was stuck chewing a piece of gum (in a place where I couldn’t spit it out) for way too long and not only did it lose its flavor it dissolved into a mushy mess. I didn’t want to chew gum for quite a while after that. Meditating on God’s Word is the opposite of that gum for the more we think about it, and mull it over in our hearts, the sweeter (v. 103) and more flavorful it becomes. In addition to understanding, and “flavor”, meditating on God’s Word sustains us and shepherds us away from the spiritually toxic wastelands of sin (v. 101, 104).

Ancient millstone in
Capernaum, Israel

Some years ago, in poetic imagery, I likened biblical, Holy Spirit-led, meditation to three things: the tumbling of a rock polisher, the grinding of the grist mill, and finally the chewing, tasting, and enjoying of a good meal. We are not looking to polish God’s Word or to separate the wheat from the chaff for all God’s Word is inspired and useful for training in righteousness (2 Tim. 3:16-17). What we are trying to do in meditation is remove the opaque layers of pride and resistance, our cultural rationalizations so that we can see the beauty of God’s Word to us. We are trying to separate the grain of God’s truth from the chaff of our own bias, preconceptions, prejudices, and limited understanding. We spend time chewing because God’s Word is not only nutritious, but it is enjoyable. God wants to spend time with us. Remember that Revelation 3:20 was written to believers. Jesus wants to come into our midst and share a meal.

O Lord, thank you that your words are for the most part simple to understand, and yet they are not simple. The communication of your love and plan has weight, depth, and beauty to it. We welcome you to sustain and nourish us by your word, to teach us, and mature us in the faith through fellowship around the Scripture. We sign the waiver, giving the Holy Spirit freedom to use the scalpel of the Scripture to do whatever surgery is needed in our hearts for us to be whole (Heb. 4:11-12), and wholeheartedly devoted to you and to each other. May your churches be filled with those who truly desire to hear from you through your word, not just to be entertained or encouraged in their pet sins (2 Timothy 4:3-4). Amen.

I am including my poem (mentioned above) here for those who might be interested.

Spirit-led Meditation

Spirit-led meditation,

A Scriptural rock polisher,

Fine grit concentration,

Tumbling back and forth

In the mind, over time.

Rough stones of our understanding,

Emerging

Agates of God's truth.

Now we can see the beauty.

A Scriptural grist mill

Grinding together in

Familiar, well-practiced motion.

Truth's grain processed,

Separating nutritive value

From husks, chaff;

Preconceptions, personal bias, pride,

Worldly tomb of the mind.

Rightly divided,

That life might be released

Sustained, strengthened, shared.

Staple of life apprehended.

A Scriptural repast

Being chewed upon reflectively,

Taking time to taste, enjoy.

Thoroughly digesting, assimilating, using

What God places before me.

Savoring the things of God.

© Greg Dueker