But his delight is in the revealed Word of the LORD and on his revealed Word he meditates day and night
Psalm 1:2
Meditation was in the news yesterday, March 21. Big news for me and many other golfers happened just yesterday. Two brief interviews with Tiger Woods revealed this comment: I quit meditating, I quit being a Buddhist, and my life changed upside down.
Certainly many will respond to the danger of Buddhist methods of meditation. However, informative here is Dr. John Kleinig's take on this from his excellent book "Grace Upon Grace: Spirituality for Today": "The key is not how we meditate, but on what we meditate. The object, the focus of meditation, determines what happens to us in our meditation, and as a result of our meditation. Our focus grounds and empowers the meditation. Therefore, there is great danger in practicing unfocused forms of meditation, such as totally emptying our minds or repeating a meaningless word."
Christian meditation focuses on God's Word and its revelation of Jesus Christ crucified and resurrected for sinners. The Hebrew word used in Psalm 1:2 which is typically translated "law" can have different meanings. Sometimes it narrowly refers to the Ten Commandments' understanding of law, yet other times it is intended to refer to "all the revealed Word of God up to that point." This second usage is what the Psalmist is referring here to, that the blessed person is the one who meditates on this revealed Word of God day and night. I like and think it helps us to understand what this word "meditates" means here in verse 2 by Dr. Kleinig's definition of "concentrated focus and intake of God's Word." Verse 3 verifies such intake as a tree intakes a stream's water so that it bears fruit in all seasons. And thus, the one who intakes, meditates on God's Word lives on the living streams of water and will produce fruit pleasing to God both now and in the day of judgment (verses 5-6). This is so because all the revealed Word of God points to Jesus as the source of living water to life eternal and Him crucified and raised for sins as the center of all God's Word (see Luke 24:13-27 and Luke 4:1-14)
Whether body posture, breathing or time and place meditation is done, what is vital is the focus of meditation, for there are both good and evil spirits which desire to possess our thoughts and lives. The Holy Spirit of God wishes to bless us by giving us the peace that in Jesus we are reconciled, given peace with God because of our sins placed upon Him on the cross for satisfactory punishment. This sacrificial death and resurrection is meant to be our "delight" as Psalm 1:2 resounds! Coming up on Good Friday we take time to meditate of this wonderful saving work of Jesus for us upon the cross and His subsequent resurrection from the grave for our deliverance as well.
So, before we denounce all meditation as evil and something to be avoided, let us meditate on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:2) for our joy, peace, comfort and eternal life with Him. Meditate on Christ crucified and resurrected for your salvation and you will be like a tree planted by waters of eternal life.
Psalm 1:2
Meditation was in the news yesterday, March 21. Big news for me and many other golfers happened just yesterday. Two brief interviews with Tiger Woods revealed this comment: I quit meditating, I quit being a Buddhist, and my life changed upside down.
Certainly many will respond to the danger of Buddhist methods of meditation. However, informative here is Dr. John Kleinig's take on this from his excellent book "Grace Upon Grace: Spirituality for Today": "The key is not how we meditate, but on what we meditate. The object, the focus of meditation, determines what happens to us in our meditation, and as a result of our meditation. Our focus grounds and empowers the meditation. Therefore, there is great danger in practicing unfocused forms of meditation, such as totally emptying our minds or repeating a meaningless word."
Christian meditation focuses on God's Word and its revelation of Jesus Christ crucified and resurrected for sinners. The Hebrew word used in Psalm 1:2 which is typically translated "law" can have different meanings. Sometimes it narrowly refers to the Ten Commandments' understanding of law, yet other times it is intended to refer to "all the revealed Word of God up to that point." This second usage is what the Psalmist is referring here to, that the blessed person is the one who meditates on this revealed Word of God day and night. I like and think it helps us to understand what this word "meditates" means here in verse 2 by Dr. Kleinig's definition of "concentrated focus and intake of God's Word." Verse 3 verifies such intake as a tree intakes a stream's water so that it bears fruit in all seasons. And thus, the one who intakes, meditates on God's Word lives on the living streams of water and will produce fruit pleasing to God both now and in the day of judgment (verses 5-6). This is so because all the revealed Word of God points to Jesus as the source of living water to life eternal and Him crucified and raised for sins as the center of all God's Word (see Luke 24:13-27 and Luke 4:1-14)
Whether body posture, breathing or time and place meditation is done, what is vital is the focus of meditation, for there are both good and evil spirits which desire to possess our thoughts and lives. The Holy Spirit of God wishes to bless us by giving us the peace that in Jesus we are reconciled, given peace with God because of our sins placed upon Him on the cross for satisfactory punishment. This sacrificial death and resurrection is meant to be our "delight" as Psalm 1:2 resounds! Coming up on Good Friday we take time to meditate of this wonderful saving work of Jesus for us upon the cross and His subsequent resurrection from the grave for our deliverance as well.
So, before we denounce all meditation as evil and something to be avoided, let us meditate on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:2) for our joy, peace, comfort and eternal life with Him. Meditate on Christ crucified and resurrected for your salvation and you will be like a tree planted by waters of eternal life.
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