What are you meditating on?
Do not let this book of the law depart from your mouth meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful (Joshua 1:8).
What I discovered is that there are so many things to fill up your mind everyday, all day long without taking a rest. Your kids, spouse, expenses, daily home or work routine, your career or business, your church or spiritual activities and many more. You just pick one and you can be lost in thinking for a whole day. Our minds never stop thinking and pondering on things; how well did I perform, is my performance good enough, what will I tell this person, where will I find the help I need to accomplish my goals, how will I survive with insufficient resources to meet my budget, how will I ever make them last or do all I need to do and the long list continues. Our thinking grows so much, that it turns into worry and most times fear of the worse happening. What we do not realize is that we are meditating on the cares of life.
According to “thefreedictionary.com” meditate means to reflect on; contemplate on, to engage in devotional contemplation, especially prayer. To think or reflect, especially in a calm and deliberate manner. Anything that captures your thoughts and engages your thinking and focus for a while, becomes the THING you are meditating on. How many times have we allow situations to cloud our minds to the point where it affects our mood and behavior, so there is difficulty eating, sleeping, and in some cases keeping a calm mind.
Think about it, what would you rather meditate on?
If meditating on the cares of life brings worry, doubt and fear, how much more profitable, would it be to meditate on the scriptures. A deliberate mediation on God’s word is necessary if we are going to find the answer and success that we need. For most of our lives we worry about things that are out of our control, we focus our energy and attention on feeding our fears, while starving our faith. It almost seems natural to worry or mediate on the negative things, that may never happen, and even if it does God’s grace is well able to sustain us.
Meditation is not only confined to a place and deep thinking, but when our thinking is overpowered by a situation, that even, when we are distracted by something else our mind goes right back to thinking on that situation.
How to mediate on the word?
Whether we like it or not we will be mediating on something. Then why not think about what you are thinking of, what is occupying your mind’s space?
What if we begin to think about what we are actually thinking about daily. What fills our minds. “Metacognition” is simply defined as “thinking about thinking.” (Jennifer Livingston: 1997) Experts use Metacognitive activities to determine how students can be taught to better apply their cognitive resources through metacognitive control (Jennifer Livingston: 1997). The same for students of the word, much of the word of God will be remembered when we begin thinking on the word, finding scriptures that pertains to a particular situation and declare the word daily. Engaging in personal and group Bible Study activities goes a long way in putting the word in us. Making devotional time plays a necessary part in our every day lives with prayer and reading the word. Becoming a student of the word is the greatest thing we can do for ourselves as believers. The precedence we give to the word will determine whether it takes first place or takes no place at all.
Cow meditation
Cows are one the animals that have stomachs organized into sections, this takes care of their digestion issues. The cow chews its food to moisten it then, it passes down to the first section of its stomach, it is mixed with chemicals and softens, then the cow brings the food up in small balls and chews the cud. It’s yucky to bring food up again, but this is exactly how we should treat the word. After you take time to read and study the word, now spend the time praying and meditating on what it says. Spend your days feeding on what you have read and how it may apply to your situation, your spouse, children or even a co-worker. Take time to bring the word up in small amounts, and twirl it around in your mind, constantly.
The word supports meditation
Psalms 1:2 – But his delight [is] in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
Joshua 1:8 – This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
1 Timothy 4:15 – Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all.
Psalms 19:14 – Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.
Psalms 119:15 – I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways.
Philippians 4:8 – Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things [are] honest, whatsoever things [are] just, whatsoever things [are] pure, whatsoever things [are] lovely, whatsoever things [are] of good report; if [there be] any virtue, and if [there be] any praise, think on these things.
Psalms 104:34 – My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the LORD.
Proverbs 4:20-21 – My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart.
Psalms 119:97 – O how love I thy law! it [is] my meditation all the day.
Psalms 49:3 – My mouth shall speak of wisdom; and the meditation of my heart [shall be] of understanding.
what happens when our minds are bombarded with the negatives?
2 Corinth. 10:15 Paul says Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.
Cast down the negative imaginations and employ the power of positive thinking through the word of God. Give your mind something to think about, even when you have something to think about. Occupy your mind consciously. I have heard the saying you cannot stop a bird from landing on your head but you can stop them from making a nest in your hair. You have the power and right to decide what thinking your mind engages.