Meditation: A Key Ingredient for Transformation

Meditation: A Key Ingredient for Transformation

The Bible has much to say about the discipline of meditation. It is in fact one of the key ingredients in the process we refer to as spiritual transformation. In the paragraphs that follow I have listed some Scriptures, definitions, explanations and personal life practices that enabled me to incorporate mediation as a part of my daily walk with God. I would encourage you to reflect on the various Scriptures and then pick a couple to memorize and meditate upon until God impresses upon your soul and spirit the life giving power of this historic Christian discipline.

 

Scriptures on Meditation

 

Joshua 1:7-8; Psalm 1; Psalm 119:9-16, 97-106; Proverbs 4:20-22; John 8:31-32; Romans 10:17; Romans 12:2; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Hebrews 4:12

 

“Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go. This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success” (Joshua 1:7-8)

 

“My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your sight; Keep them in the midst of your heart. For they are life to those find them, And health to all their whole body” (Proverbs 4:20-22).

 

“Jesus therefore was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, ‘If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:31-32).

 

“Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17).

• We are commanded to meditate upon the whole book of the Law.

• We are commanded to meditate “day and night.”

• We are to be careful “to do” all that is written in it.

• Observance of the law will bring prosperity and success (the good life Biblically defined).

• We are to keep them in the “midst of our hearts” as opposed to our mind only.

• Meditation brings life and health to the whole body.

• Abiding (literally, remaining) in Jesus’ words is proof of our being a disciple (learner, follower) of Jesus.

• Meditating upon the Word of God enables us to know the truth and experience genuine freedom.

• Meditation upon the Word engenders faith, the ability to believe and overcome.

 

 

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia- In the biblical world meditation was not a silent practice. Haga means “growl,” “utter,” or “moan,” in addition to “meditate,” or “muse.” No doubt meditation involved a muttering sound from reading half aloud or conversing with oneself…Meditation takes place any time of the day or night (Joshua 1:8; Psalm 1:2). It produces inward strength and joy (Psalm 63:5f). The object of meditation is particularly the law with its precepts (119:15), statutes (v 48), testimonies (v 99), and promises (v 148). The glorious splendor of God’s majesty, along with His wondrous works or miracles, is also the content of meditation (143:5; 145:5). Meditation takes place in the heart, the seat of emotional and rational life. (ISBE Vol. 3 pgs 305-6)

 

The discipline of meditation brings us into direct contact with the primary means of receiving God’s grace, the Word of God. By exposing our minds to the truth of God’s Word we receive understanding by putting those truths into action we demonstrate wisdom and the validity of our faith. We also begin to develop a Biblical worldview that enables us to live out a life of prosperity and success.

 

John Backus in his book, Telling Yourself the Truth, reminds us that not all of our thoughts are in keeping with reality but they are simply lies that we have told ourselves so long that we have come to believe them. In fact they have come to give us a distorted view of reality and crippled us emotionally and spiritually. 

 

• The world says that our worth is determined by our performance, God says that we are precious in His sight because He created us and we belong to Him.

• The world says that if you make a mistake or if things don't work out you are a failure, God says making mistakes is part of the human condition and the life of faith.

• The world says the one with the most toys wins, but God says, "even when one has an abundance life does not consist of their possessions" (Luke 12:15)

• The world says grab for all that you can in life because you only go around once, God says "whoever wishes to save his life will lose it but whoever loses his life for my sake shall find it." (Matthew 16:25)

We must replace the lies that we have come to believe with the truth of the Word of God in order that we might be transformed to live the life that God would have for us.

 

In Romans 12:2 the apostle Paul writes, “ And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” The Greek verb that we translate “transformed”, metamorphoo, is a passive imperative. The imperative voice means it is a command and the passive voice indicates that the power to be transformed lies not in ourselves but comes to us by God’s grace.

 

The same verb is used in the Transfiguration account where Jesus is transfigured before Peter, James and John, “His face shone like the sun and His garments became white as light.” And again in 2 Corinthians 3:18, “But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.”

 

You will also recognize that this is the same verb that we get our English word metamorphosis, which is used to describe the process of caterpillar being changed into a butterfly and a tadpole into a frog. The term is used to describe a marked change in appearance, character and function. Meditating upon the Word of God puts us in the place where we are transformed into the image and likeness of Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit.

“The Bible uses two different Hebrew words to convey the idea of meditation, and together they are used some fifty-eight times. These words 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 a stress upon changed behavior as a result of our encounter with living God. Repentance and obedience are essential features of an biblical understanding of meditation (highlighting mine)…Christian meditation, very simply, is the ability to hear God’s voice and obey his word” (Foster 15). In contrast to other forms of meditation, which often seek to empty the mind, Christian meditation has as its goal the filling of the mind with the Word of God. It is to so reflect upon, rehearse and ruminate over that the Word, that the Biblical truth or principle being considered becomes a part of us in an experiential way. In a very practical way we begin to live out the truth of Romans 12:2 as our lives are “transformed by the renewing of our minds.” 

 

Points to help us in our meditation.

 

• We must maintain an attitude of prayerful reflection throughout the day. We must be careful to not be so busy or preoccupied with life’s daily concerns that we cannot quiet our hearts when we sit down for specific times of meditation. It would be like going for a 5 mile run, stopping, and then expecting that your breathing and heart rate to be the same as if they were at rest. It takes time to transition one’s physical body and so with the spirit as well. We need to maintain a reasonable pace to life that allows for the nurture and development of our spiritual lives.

• We also must learn to use our imagination as we reflect upon each text. Try and view the scene from the perspective of one of the people mentioned in the text. What has just happened or is happening to the people involved? How would you feel if it was you? What do your five senses tell you about what is happening in the text? What do these things reveal to you about God and His love for you? 

• It is also helpful to find a place and posture that minimize distractions. Try and choose a location that is comfortable for you and will allow you to focus exclusively on the text. Also, have a journal and extra piece of paper available to jot down anything that you would want to remember. Finally, recognize that it will take time to quiet your heart, free yourself of all distractions (external and internal) and to recognize God’s voice. We can’t be in a hurry and expect to hear from God.

• Finally, there is the practice of Scripture memorization, an invaluable aid to growth in the spiritual life. It would be difficult to over emphasize the benefits of memorizing key verses and passages of Scripture as a part of our being people of the Word. In the hands of the Holy Spirit, the Word is able to keep us from sin, provide supernatural guidance and direction for living, reveal the nature, character and purposes of God and lead us in the way of a prosperous and successful life.

In psalm 119, a psalm that offers praise to the Scriptures, the psalmist reminds us of the power of the God’s Word, “Thy word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against Thee” (11). “Thy commandments make me wiser than my enemies, for they are ever mine” (98). “Thy word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path” (105). “Thy testimonies are wonderful; therefore my soul observes them. The unfolding of Thy words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple” (129-130). “My soul keeps thy testimonies, and I love them exceedingly. I keep Thy precepts and Thy testimonies, for all my ways are before Thee” (167-168). 

Take fifteen minutes and try implementing some of the above suggestions with one of the following texts, Revelation 3:14-22; Matthew 14:22-33 (Jesus Walks on Water); Luke 7:40-50 (Parable of the Two Debtors). Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you in your reflection and to enable your imagination. Don’t press for any personal application but let the Holy Spirit reveal to you anything He would have you know or change. Jot down on a piece of paper any major thoughts or reflections.

 

 

 

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