Meditation
"The contemplation of the saints is fired by the love of the one contemplated: that is, God."--Albert the Great
Memory Verse: Joshua 1:8,9; Philippians 4:7,8
Introduction: Christ's desire is to commune with His children.
He wants to speak to His Church by the power and presence of the Holy Spirit,
to call us to a greater walk, to empower us to do greater service, to purify
us for greater ministry. In Revelation 3:20, Christ says to the Church,
"Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and
open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with
me." Often quoted as an evangelistic text, this verse is actually speaking
to Christians and reveals Christ's desire of intimate fellowship with believers.
In meditation, we experience this communion. Combined with
prayer, fasting, and solitude, meditation is one of the main ways that
God speaks to us. We come to the place that we know His voice because we
have spent time seeking His presence, desiring to know His heart and mind.
Christ reveals Himself to us as the Living Word, the rhema which
divides the thoughts and intention of our heart. When He does reveal Himself,
the Word of God transforms from an external knowledge to an internal reality,
enabling us to understand God's will universally as well as individually.
What is meditation? It is the ability to hear God's voice
and obey his word. It's not a complicated process or vain repetition but
rather learning to hear God's voice and understanding how to obey it.
While it is learning to hear God's voice, all meditation
must stem from the Word. Our heart begins to contemplate and consider a
biblical truth or verse passage. As the Spirit works in us, the truth is
made alive and we begin to see how the Living Word calls us to greater
personal obedience. If it doesn't stem directly from the Word, meditation
is simply a mental exercise.
Meditation, because it's hearing and obeying God's voice,
can't focus on abstract truths. For it to be effective, meditation must
focus on practical truths which directly affect the renewing of our minds
and transformation of our hearts. While we may discover new doctrinal or
theological truths, meditation's primary focus should be on personal change
and obedience.
Lesson Questions:
1. What is meditation? Luke 2:19; Proverbs 4:26,27; Luke 3:15; John
12:50.
Note: Meditation is translated from two Hebrew words--hawgaw,
which means ". . .muse, imagine, devise," and seeakh, which means
to ". . ponder, muse, converse with oneself."
2. What should be the focus of our meditation? Psalms 63:6; 119:11-16,48;
1:2; 19:1-6; 1 Timothy 4:15 (note verses 6-14).
Note: Christian meditation shouldn't be confused with Eastern
meditation. The purpose of Christian meditation is to fill the mind and
heart with majesty and reverence for God, His Word and His will. Eastern
meditation's purpose is to empty the mind of everything, including thoughts,
desires, personality, and become one with the "Cosmic Consciousness."
3. Why should we meditate? Colossians 3:16; Romans 12:2; Joshua 1:8,9;
John 14:27; 5:19,30; 10:4b.
Note: When we meditate, the rhema, or livng Word of
God, is made alive in us. It's no longer the external, theological Word
(logos) but the interal, living Word, discerning the thoughts and
intentions of our heart. In meditation, our feeble, human effort to experience
the living Christ is replaced by the changing power of the Word and Spirit.
4. Because meditation is the responsibility of every believer, what are some practical ways we can learn to meditate? Genesis 24:63; Psalms 63:6; 1 Kings 19:9-18; Matthew 14:13a; Mark 6:30-32.
5. What is the relationship between meditation and renewing our mind? Philippians 4:8,9; Colossians 3:10; Romans 7:22; Ephesians 4:22-24.
6. What are some of the ways God speaks to us through prayer and meditation? 1 Corinthians 12:8-11; 1 Kings 19:9-18; Acts 9:10-16; Daniel 10:8,9.
7. Is there a meditation unacceptable to the Lord? If so, what is it? Psalms 19:14; Ephesians 4:31,32; Proverbs 24:9; Psalms 64:2-6.
