Meditate

There exist much confusions in Christianity on the subject of meditation and many formulas which are used in churches today comes from unbiblical sources. The definition of the word meditate from the dictionary is:

"To dwell on anything in thought, to contemplate, to turn or revolve on subject in the
mind, a consideration of the great truth of religion.

Most people think that meditating is to get away from it all, sitting down closing your eyes and think on nothing. Others believe meditating is sitting down crossing their legs with their hands on their knees with their palms facing toward ceiling repeating a mantra over and over again. Some other believe it is sitting down in a comfortable chair with soft music contemplating the things of this world. None of the above mention is biblical at all. I believe this kind of meditation did not originate from God, and anyone opening their hearts and emptying their mind with this kind of meditation is only inviting trouble, misery and depression.

God, in His Word, is not opposed to the practice of meditation but only if we meditate on the right thing. The psalmist says,

But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law does he meditate day
and night. (Psalm 1:2.)

Great things happens when you meditate on God's Word. If we would just meditate on His Word more often instead of all the other things we would probably see more like God sees things. There are a few example of people meditating on the things of God and they saw the glory of the Lord in action. Take for example Isaac,

And Isaac went out to meditate in the field in the evening; and he lifted up
his eyes, and saw, and behold, the camels were coming. (Genesis 24:63).

Isaac saw his future bride coming after a time of meditating in the evening. Maybe if we would meditate on God's Word more often, we could look up, like Isaac, and behold the blessings that God wants to bring our way. Joshua is another prime example of someone who knew that meditating was a good thing. He instructed his people to meditate on God's Word.

This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth; but you shall
meditate therein day and night, that you may observe to do according
to all that is written therein: for then you shall make your way prosperous
and then shall you have great success. (Joshua 1:8).

God's way to prosperity and success is to meditate on His Word day and night. God wants to bless you spiritually and materially if you do it His way. He promised to supply all our needs. He will give you what you need to advance in this life. Allow me to give you 6 things the Lord wants you to meditate on.

1. We are to look around and meditate on the marvelous creation of God, appreciate it and talk
about it.

I will meditate also of all your work, and talk of your doings:
Psalm 77:12
Have you ever looked in the sky on a clear night all the stars that God has breathed
out into existence? Have you ever observe birds and other animals how they act and
move? What an awesome God and Creator!

2. We are to meditate on God's precepts.

I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways.
Psalm 119:15

Precepts are commandments that the Lord gave us throughout the Word of God.
It includes the Ten Commandments and much more, even the commandments in
the New Testament like in I Thessalonians 5:17; and II Timothy 2:15 and Acts 2:38.

3. We are to meditate on the Ordinances that God instituted.

... but thy servant did meditate in thy statutes.
Psalm 119:23

This imperative for us to meditate on the Lord's Supper and Baptism which was
instituted by Jesus. We must examine ourselves before we partake of the Lord's
Supper. Also it is important to meditate and look back on our own baptism when
we see a new believer being baptized.

4. We are to meditate on God's Word sometimes even when we are tired.

Mine eyes prevent the night watches, that i might meditate in thy word.
Psalm 119:148

Even when you feel sleepy and tired you must meditate on His Word. Sometimes
it will be the best time you will ever have alone with the Lord during the course of
your day. Even waking up early in the morning to meditate on the Word is good
for the soul.

5. We are to meditate on God's sweetness and He will bring us joy.

My meditation of Him shall be sweet; I will be glad in the Lord.
Psalm 104:34

Meditating on the Lord is sweet. He is and has the sweetest name I know. He
has provided the sweetest salvation that no other religion in the world can offer.
He has given us access to the sweetest place to meditate, before the throne of
God. Jesus is indeed a sweet Savior.

6. We are to meditate on God's Word for understanding.

I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies
are my meditation.
Psalm 119:99

To get a better understanding of God's Word, one must memorize it, meditate
on it and practice it. Nobody can understand the Bible properly unless God
reveals it to him, unless he meditates on it, unless he memorizes it and hides
it in his heart.

Meditating on the Word of God is not an easy task you need determination, perseverance and force yourself to do it regularly. It is not easy, but to grow in your Christian life it must be done. If you do it you will be more alert to God's will and His Word will come alive in your life.

The Crucified Life

As I reminisced on my past as a young believer in Jesus Christ, I vividly remember the first time I came across this passage of Scripture, "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me." Galatians 2:20. I was flabbergasted and intrigued about the possibility to live in a earthly body and yet live a crucified life in Christ? As the years went by and as the Lord continued to reveal to me the importance of a crucified life in him, and after thirty years of being a Christian I am just starting to understand the importance of the CRUCIFIED LIFE.

With proper teachings in the Word of God, a Christian will soon discover that the key to victory over sin is accomplished when he begins to identify himself with the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Our victory over sin depends totally on our union with Christ in His death and resurrection. Take the time someday to sit by yourself in a quiet place with God and ask Him to reveal to you what He inspired the Apostle Paul to write in Romans chapters 5 and 6. Because, since we are crucified with Christ, God has given us the ability to spiritually put our old nature to death, "For sin shall not have dominion over you: for you are not under the law, but under grace." Romans 6:14. Jesus did not give us a license to sin but a license to have victory over sins.

But a CRUCIFIED LIFE demands a life of holiness and righteousness. There are no selfish motives in a Born Crucified Life. It is impossible to live a Crucified Life without the help of the Holy Spirit in our life. Your brain will be consumed with the demands of the commandments of God, which is an impossibility to follow on our own, because they are contrary to our human nature's demands. God requires things from us that are impossible to accomplish in the natural realm without His help. For example the Crucified Life demands that we love our enemy. This is not a natural thing to do; you need Christ and His Holy Spirit to be able to carry this to fruition. We are supposed to rejoice in the Lord when we are persecuted, but only a Crucified Life with Christ can understand that.

According to Galatians 2:20, it is Jesus who actually lives in us. Jesus the King of glory took residence in my body and is constantly working on me from the inside out. He is presently chiseling everything that does not resemble Him. The only thing we are required to do is allow the Holy Spirit to speak to us and let God work in us for the purpose of reflecting Christ in our life. If you allow the Holy Spirit to fill you understand that He has set you free, He is setting you free and He will set you free from the bondage of sin and Satan. Satan has been defeated at the cross two thousand years ago. Satan will constantly try to mess you up and make you believe lies. Remember what Jesus said, "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." John 10:10.

When you live a CRUCIFIED LIFE you will live a life of sacrifice. You will, on many occasion, go against the world views and be ostracized, laughed at, mocked and ridicule by many for your stand on the Word of God. If you live in the Crucified life you will not be tempted to go back into the world because you have placed yourself on the transforming altar of the Lord. Paul admonishes us to place ourselves on that altar, "I beseech you therefore, Brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Romans 12:1-2.

The CRUCIFIED LIFE will reveal to us down deep in our soul that we are saved, sanctified, redeemed and purchased by the blood that Jesus Christ shed on Calvary for us. In Jesus Christ I am dead to sin. When God look down on us, even though many times we stumble and fall, He sees the blood of Christ. Since Jesus paid it all, and I am in Him, and I am crucified with Him, therefore I am justified before God in Christ, as the Apostle Peter explained to us in his first Epistle, "Who his own self (Jesus) bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness." I Peter 2:24. To have victory over sin you must be in Christ and be Crucified With Him. As soon as a person experience this freedom in Christ, the sooner the Holy Spirit will start a fire that no man can extinguish. If you want your Christian life to go stagnant, empty and full of bitterness just come down from the position of the CRUCIFIED LIFE and live in defeat instead of the victorious life in Christ.

We are called to live a CRUCIFIED LIFE , we are in this world but not of this world. All our focus should be on Christ and aallowing Him to live His life in us. We are called to be an influence in this world not being influenced by the world. Our soul purpose to live a crucified life is for us to present our Lord to a lost world. The world must see the Lord Jesus Christ in our life. It is God that places us on that cross with Christ for the world to see. Nowhere in the Bible is God asking us to crucify ourselves, but He does require us to take up our cross daily, "And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. Luke 9:23. This death position once taken, the Christian must learn the CRUCIFIED LIFE. What I mean by this is that it takes a lifetime of picking up your cross daily to possess a daily walk with Christ. When you do, you will see life in Christ in a total different way, and no one will be able to disturb your faith and assurance of salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ.

In conclusion, just like Christ picked up His cross to be led by the Holy Spirit to die for us on the cross of Calvary, so we must also pick up our cross daily to die for Him, and like this we will be able to say like the Apostle Paul, "Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body." II Corinthians 4:10.