Developing the Disciplines in your Walk (part II)
August 14, 2007 4:08 pm Blogs2. Meditation
Psa 19:14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.
Psa 77:12 I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds.
In our day and age, most of us, when we hear the word “meditation,” automatically think of eastern meditation, where the goal is to empty your mind in attempt to gain relaxation and tranquility.
Here is an excerpt from the Upanishad, “OM! This syllable is the whole world…
the past, the present, the future - everything is just the word OM…For truly everything here is Brahman, this self, Atman, is Brahman…Meditate as OM. The wise man should surrender his words to his mind and this he should surrender to the knowing self and the knowing self he should surrender to the great self and that he should surrender to the peaceful self.”
Many taking this to heart use the practice of chanting in a low voice the word “om” and try to empty their mind of everything bothering them, everything that is anything and to just be at one with everything.
The Bible encourages and even commands us to meditate (Josh 1:8) but this is not what is meant by biblical meditation. The word for meditate, here in both of these passages is the Hebrew word, hagut. The word can be connected with things like whispers and moans…especially when it is used of animals like a cow who make noises as they chew the cud, swallow it, regurgitate it and chew it some more. When connected with the word of God, to meditate is to ponder, to take in, to think about, and make plans in accordance with.
Such meditation is far different than the eastern concept. Christian meditation is not an attempt to empty one’s mind and recognize one’s connection with the world, but rather to fill one’s mind with the things of God and his word. It is to take theology deep into the heart, to think about God and think about the cross and think about the gospel…over and over and over again. It is to have your thoughts transformed and shaped outlook of Scripture.
Our minds our already empty enough, we don’t need to empty them any more, we need to fill them and teach them to think right. Don’t get me wrong, not everything eastern is bad, just misplaced. Making moans or whispering words can be a great tool.
For hundreds of years many Godly Christians have used “breath prayers” to meditate, where in short whispers, you repeat the same prayer over and over again. You can make up your own, use one that is in the Bible, or use one developed by the saints. Often I use the Jesus Prayer. It goes like this, “Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me.” My dad used to use it when I was growing up, he just didn’t know it had a name and he shortened it a little bit to “Jesus help!” Or some just mutter the word, “cross” over and over again. The practice is good it’s just that there is much better stuff to meditate with than the word, OM.
Another practice, which is a gift God gives to some is the ability to speak in tongues. Not other languages, but a language unknown to yourself, and known only by God and possibly angels. By using the gift of tongues you can communicate the emotions of your heart which you are unable to put into words, and God hears and understands. If you don’t know if you have this gift you can try in the privacy of your prayer and meditation and see if it feels comfortable, if it doesn’t you probably don’t have the gift. If it does feel comfortable and profitable than use it and enjoy it.
Meditation is meant to be a part of the Christian life. If you don’t meditate it is easy for the state of your heart to just go unchecked. So I encourage you, meditate on the Lord regularly and you will be blessed.
-Pastor Duane