Intro to Christian Meditation
Meditation
Use this as a devotional tool. Look up the Scripture provided. Journal about it and/or talk about it with family and friends. Feel free to share, leave comments, or message me at pastorjacobhayward@gmail.com
Leads to Obedience
Joshua 1:1-9
After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, the LORD said to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' assistant, "Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun shall be your territory. No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you. Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good 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 good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."
Hiking is always a good time and an experience that allows for the soul to wander. But sometimes the trail requires an seriousness that is not to be trifled with.
When Olga and I were hiking Mt. St. Helens, there was plenty of time for joy and amazement to overtake our senses. We were able to enjoy the views, the strenuous trail, the smell, the wind. The trail followed a crumbly ridge of rock and dust to the top of the volcano. Once at the top, we were able to stand on firm-packed snow and observe the beautiful vista; the ability to see surrounding mountains and into the crater of the volcano itself.
This spot, however, was not the true peak. The true summit, and highest point, was down a less used trail to the left that follows the craters edge about a quarter mile. This trail, at the time of year we were there, was treacherous to say the least. Snow had compiled over the lip of the crater, meaning if I walked too far to the right I could fall into the crater. But if I go too far left, I would surely slide down the steep side of the mountain and end up a mile away from Olga. But the path was barely a boot wide and was icy. Not only that but it was covered in small crevasses that could give way, causing me to slide down on a sheet of ice.
Of course I went anyway.
God is speaking to Joshua here about the task that he is to take on. He is not in the easiest of positions. He has just lost his mentor and leader in Moses, and is now called to take his position. This is the Moses that led a nation of slaves out from the oppressive hand of the most powerful person and nation in the world at the time. This is the Moses who spoke to God like he was talking to a friend. This was the Moses who received the Law from God. Talk about big shoes to fill! But also, Joshua was being called to go into the Promised Land. A land full of evil people the size of giants. To the right and left of Joshua, he is surrounded by doubt and fear.
But the Lord calls for him to be strong and courageous and declares that Joshua will be prosperous. How? By staying close to the Word, meditating on the Law day and night.
See, God is not telling Joshua to train harder with the sword before they go into battle. He isn’t strategizing for war. No, God simply calls Joshua to meditate on the Word. It is only by this action that he will find success.
Meditation is obviously important, but how do we do it?
I am not going to tell you that there is a specific way, but I will tell you what has worked for me.
First, we need to be quiet and we need to separate ourselves from the fast-flowing stream that is life that pushes us to rush. We need to set time aside that we can be flexible. Allow yourself time to just be there in silence. Silence is a scary thing nowadays, and we will speak more of this in the Spiritual Discipline on Solitude.
Second, begin working through a book of the Bible. Read a chapter, or from subheading to subheading, or just a few verses. Read them over and over. Think of the characters. Think of the actions. Draw connections within Scripture, within your own life. What is the passage saying about Scripture? What is it saying about you?
Lastly, pray to God asking what he’d like for you to know from this Scripture. Begin a dialogue with him. Sit silently waiting for his thoughts. Speak back, praying through the Scripture you have just read. For example, this Joshua passage may connect to you because of the stresses surrounding you in your life right now and you need some of that strength and courage that only God can provide. Take time to pray through it.
Feel free to add what you’d like. Sometimes I like to read a Scripture right before I run so that I can think about it while I run. Other times I will journal my thoughts. Use this scheduled time in conjunction with prayer, that this is time just for God and yourself.
I pray this devotional brings something positive for you to think about. Look through the questions below and ask them of yourself and of others. Thanks for joining me, God bless.
How much time per day are you spending alone with God?
Praise God for his grace and the ability to be in his presence.
Are there preconceived notions about Meditation that turns you away from meditating?
Thank the Lord for the example of Joshua leading the Israelites into the Promised Land with a focus on meditating on the Word.
What activities have you placed over meditating on the Word because you think those other activities will bring you more success?
Repent for the moments we do not put our relationship with God first.
Thinking of the difficulties that faced Joshua, what is going on currently in your life that is distracting you from the relationship with God that you want?
Petition to the Lord your cares. Pray that he may give you wisdom and peace for your difficulties and that he may inspire within you a deeper relationship with him.
Make sure to ask and answer these questions on your own and with your family. There may be things that I missed, so please feel free to comment them. If you’d like to continue the conversation, feel free to contact me at pastorjacobhayward@gmail.com. Thanks for joining me, I hope to continue this journey with you soon. God bless.