All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: II Tim 3:16 The profit and importance of meditation in the scriptures cannot be underestimated. The value of spending quality time in the wisdom, and direction they provide is limitless. The statement that "we are what we eat", can be used in what we feed our minds and souls with. The degradation and corruption of a society can be traced to it's sources of what it spends it's time meditating on, and the goals it spends energies and money on. Look around you, and pay attention to what people are doing, spending their money on, and meditating on. In this day, that means what they are watching on their TV's, phones, computers, and ipads. The level of violence, corruption, and profanity tells you what people are feeding their brains and souls with. If a person has a desire to know what God thinks on any given subject, and what His answer is to that subject, scripture will give them the direction and guidance that God intends about it; but, many do not want to hear it, because it will go against the desires of their flesh. Following after righteousness, is a choice, and the only way to gain knowledge and understanding on how to walk in righteousness is to meditate and study the word of God. What are the benefits? Let's take a look. "All scripture is inspired of God - The Spirit of God not only once inspired those who wrote it, but continually inspires, supernaturally assists, those that read it with earnest prayer. Hence it is so profitable for doctrine, for instruction of the ignorant, for the reproof or conviction of them that are in error or sin, for the correction or amendment of whatever is amiss, and for instructing or training up the children of God in all righteousness." (John Wesley) Holy Scriptures. The Books given by inspiration. The Jewish Scriptures are primarily meant, but a part of the New Testament was already written. Make thee wise. Give thee the wisdom that leads to salvation. If the Old Testament could make him wise, how much more the New! Through faith which is in Christ Jesus. This is essential. Unless the Scriptures lead to Christ, there is no salvation. All Scripture. The Revision is much better. "Every Scripture inspired of God is also profitable," etc. Whether it is, depends on its inspiration. For instance, the Apocrypha is called Scripture, but is not inspired. For doctrine. For teaching. That the man of God. The preacher. See 1Ti_6:11; 1Ki_13:1; 2Ki_6:6. May be perfect. Fully fitted for his work. The sense is "complete." Thoroughly furnished. Fully equipped. If he is master of the Holy Scriptures, he is so equipped. If this was true when Paul wrote, with only a part of the New Testament written, with what emphasis may it be said now when we have both the Old and New Testaments in full. (B.W. Johnson) HOLD FAST TO INSPIRED SCRIPTURE To Be Able to Stand in the Evil Day The world does not love Christ or Christians any better than of old; and all who are minded to live godly lives will come inevitably to the cross in one form or another. To be without persecution should put us in serious doubt as to whether we are right. The spirit of the gospel is in absolute disagreement with the spirit of the world. But, whatever the losses and trials, let the children of God abide in the things which they have learned, and walk in blameless purity and consistency. The conduct, purpose, and patience of this great and holy Apostle gleam in front of us for our inspiration and guidance; and his experience will be ours-that there is no sorrow out of which we shall not be delivered, when we have learned the lesson it was sent to teach.
In the stern experiences of human life there is no stay that is comparable to the Holy Scriptures. The infinite variety of Scripture adapts itself to different states of the soul. Whatever our need, we can find its solace and remedy here. Thus we may live a complete life, finding in the Bible an equipment for all our emergencies. In this armory is every weapon for offense and defense; in the word of God- is a medicine and antidote for every wound. (F.B. Meyer) Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips: When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches. Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice. Psa 63:3-7 This Psalm, with its passion of love and mystic rapture, is a monument for us of how the writer’s sorrows had brought to him a closer union with God, as our sorrows may do for us, like some treasure washed to our feet by a stormy sea. The key to the arrangement of the Psalm will be found in the threefold recurrence of an emphatic word. In the first verse we read, "My soul thirsteth for Thee;" in the fifth verse, "My soul shall be satisfied;" in the eighth verse, "My soul followeth hard after Thee." These three points are the turning-points of the Psalm; and they show us the soul longing, the longing soul satisfied, and the satisfied soul still seeking. I. We have the soul longing for God. (1) This longing is not that of a man who has no possession of God. Rather is it the desire of a heart which is already in union with Him for a closer union; rather is it the tightening of the grasp with which the man already holds his Father in heaven. All begins with the utterance of a personal, appropriating faith. (2) Upon that there are built earnest seeking, expressed in the words "Early"—that is to say, "Earnestly"—"will I seek Thee," and! the intensest longing, breathing in the pathetic utterance, "My soul thirsteth for Thee," etc. (3) Notice what it is, or rather whom it is, that the Psalmist longs for. "My soul thirsts for Thee." All souls do. Blessed are those who can say, "Thou art my God." (4) Notice when it was that this man thus longed. It was in the midst of his sorrow. (5) This longing, though it be struck out by sorrow, is not forced upon him for the first time by sorrow. The longing that springs in his heart is an old longing: "So have I gazed upon Thee in the sanctuary, to see Thy power and Thy glory." (6) This longing is animated by a profound consciousness that God is best: "Because Thy loving-kindness is better than life." (7) This longing is accompanied with a firm resolve of continuance: "Thus will I bless Thee while I live." II. In the second portion of the Psalm, which is included in the next three verses, we have the longing soul satisfied. (1) The fruition of God is contemporaneous with the desire after God. (2) The soul that possesses God is fed full. (3) The satisfied soul breaks into the music of praise. (4) This satisfaction leads to a triumphant hope. The past of the seeking soul is the certain pledge of its future. III. The final section of the Psalm gives us the satisfied soul still following after God. The word translated "followeth" here literally means to cleave or to cling. (1) "My soul cleaveth after God." Desire expands the heart; possession expands the heart. More of God comes when we can hold more of Him, and the end of all fruition is the renewed desire after further fruition. (2) There is also very beautifully here the co-operation and reciprocal action of the seeking soul and the sustaining God. We hold, and we are held. (3) The soul thus cleaving and following is gifted with a prophetic certainty. David’s certainty of the destruction of his foes is the same triumphant assurance, on a lower spiritual level, as Paul’s trumpet-blast of victory, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?" (A. Maclaren, Christ in the Heart, p. 243.) THE LONGING SOUL ABUNDANTLY SATISFIED Ever since the third century this has been the morning song of the Church. The superscription tells us that it was written in the wilderness of Judah, probably during the events recorded in 2Sa_15:23-28; 2Sa_16:2; 2Sa_17:16. Notice the many references to the life of the soul. These are the many considerations of our mortal pilgrimage! My soul thirsteth; my soul longeth; my soul shall be satisfied; my soul followeth hard after thee.
The soul thirsting, Psa_63:1-4 Let us be on the alert to see God’s power and glory, not only in the sanctuary, but in dry and thirsty lands. How sad and weary, R.V., is life without God! The soul satisfied, Psa_63:5-7 To desire God is to have Him. To long for Him is to be at the well-head. To remember Him on the bed rests us. To meditate on Him in the night is to have the dawn. The shadow of His wings is absolute safety. The soul in hot pursuit, Psa_63:8-11 God is always in front of us. The Savior went before; we must follow in His steps, but there ought to be as little space as possible between us. Another turn of the road, and you will see Him. (F.B. Meyer) When it comes to the subject of Christian meditation, and having been drawn to this in my life consistently for over 40 yrs., I've come to realize that meditation is not something that needs to be put on a strict schedule, or a ritual. Seeking the presence of God is for me, a moment by moment vital part of my life. My inner life, and outward daily business mingles and adjusts as the need arises. Whatever I'm facing in the day, my first attention is drawn inward, where the Holy Spirit dwells, and an inner silent prayer for His help in whatever is before me that needs to be done. Yes, there's times of intentionally getting alone, and spending quality time without distractions, and being able to sit and put all my attention on a verse of scripture or some text, and probing deeply and seeking the Presence of God, to bring light to what I'm studying. But, I've learned that wherever I go, and whatever I'm doing He is there-as David speaks to us in Psalm 139:7-8: Psa 139:7 Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? Psa 139:8 If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. A man named Brother Lawrence, a monk who lived in the 1600's wrote a book on his method of seeking God's presence daily, in every situation he was in, and learned to come to realize the reality of the ever-present Spirit of God, regardless whether he was in the midst of his daily tasks, or on his knees in prayer. Some information I've found concerning this man: "Brother LAWRENCE (1614 - 1691)- The Practice of the Presence of God is a collection of letters and transcriptions of conversations, compiled by a disciple of Brother Lawrence. Brother Lawrence was a Carmelite monk and head cook in his monastery's kitchens. He quickly gained an international reputation as a mystic and spiritual counselor. The Practice of the Presence records his last words of advice to his friends and disciples, as he suffered from an unnamed illness which would eventually take his life. The details of his early life are few and sketchy. However, we know he was educated both at home and by his parish priest whose first name was Lawrence and who was greatly admired by the young Nicolas. He was well read and, from an early age, drawn to a spiritual life of faith and love for God." I have put a link of an audio book of his "The Practice of the Presence of God" to the right hand column with several other's by Madame Guyon under Resources. More will be added to this as I come across them. Anyone seeking a deeper prayer life will I'm sure, find them helpful. Meditation and prayer can deepen to the place where one mingles with the other; and the Holy Spirit will many times bring understanding, and wisdom when our spirits become totally engaged in seeking Him, and His path for us. This is the place the gifts of the Holy Spirit will many times manifest on a deeper level, because outside interferences have been swept away, and the Holy Spirit has engulfed us. When this precious experience takes place, it's very difficult to leave it. This is the time when many in this deep level of meditation, don't want to come out of it, and would like the Lord to just take us home. That's what causes some of us to get depressed-we've gotten a glimpse of the other side, and don't want to stay here. I believe this may have been one of the problems Charles Spurgeon had in his lifetime. It's recorded he had many serious bouts with depression, that would last weeks, and months. I believe this is one of the reasons why. In his writings it's evident to me, that he was a serious man of prayer, and his eloquence in describing his devotion to Christ is nourishment to my spirit, but this level of devotion and love for Christ, had to come at a great price. I will use one of his excerpts here, because it gives a taste of his ability to bring to life, just one verse of scripture-and I'm sure you will hear the deep level of hunger in what he puts into print: Psa 25:5 Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day. “Lead me in thy truth, and teach me.” The same request as in the last verse. The little child having begun to walk, asks to be still led onward by its parent's helping hand, and to be further instructed in the alphabet of truth. Experimental teaching is the burden of this prayer. Lead me according to thy truth, and prove thyself faithful; lead me into truth that I may know its preciousness, lead me by the way of truth that I may manifest its spirit. David knew much, but he felt his ignorance and desired to be still in the Lord's school; four times over in these two verses he applies for a scholarship in the college of grace. It were well for many professors if instead of following their own devices, and cutting out new paths of thought for themselves, they would enquire for the good old ways of God's own truth, and beseech the Holy Ghost to give them sanctified understandings and teachable spirits. “For thou art the God of my salvation.” The Three-One Jehovah is the Author and Perfector of salvation to his people. Reader, is he the God of your salvation? Do you find in the Father's election, in the Son's atonement, and in the Spirit's quickening all the grounds of your eternal hopes? If so, you may use this as an argument for obtaining further blessings; if the Lord has ordained to save you, surely he will not refuse to instruct you in his ways. It is a happy thing when we can address the Lord with the confidence which David here manifests, it gives us great power in prayer, and comfort in trial. “On thee do I wait all the day.” Patience is the fair handmaid and daughter of faith; we cheerfully wait when we are certain that we shall not wait in vain. It is our duty and our privilege to wait upon the Lord in service, in worship, in expectancy, in trust all the days of our life. Our faith will be tried faith, and if it be of the true kind, it will bear continued trial without yielding. We shall not grow weary of waiting upon God if we remember how long and how graciously he once waited for us." (Treasury of David - Charles Haydon Spurgeon) This was a man who had come to the place that the Word of God, was food and drink to him; but again, I know it came at a great cost to him. You and I are still benefiting from his dedication and hunger for God today, in what he wrote in his lifetime. I'll leave this with a short bit of a burden I've had on my heart for a long time. The youth in this generation and the last several before this, who are being brought up to believe they came from a slime pit, a mud pond. Scientists, atheists and teachers in schools who've taught them there is no God, and when they die, that's it-they just die and return to the ground. It's a lie, but many have bought the lie. My prayer is that somehow, God would bring light into the darkness of the kids hearts and lives and they would find Him, and learn what a price Jesus paid for their souls, and would get saved. The battles being waged for the souls of men and women, and kids is coming to a crisis point. The signs are everywhere that Jesus is about to return. Few are ready. If you seek Jesus with your heart, you will find Him. He is a friend that sticks closer than a brother. Let your heart and thoughts be turned to the One who created you, knows all about you, and loves you. Let Him be that friend-who will lead you in the way everlasting.
The Truth Will Set You Free Joh 8:31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
Joh 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. Joh 14:1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. Joh 14:2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. Joh 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. Joh 14:4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. Joh 14:5 Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. Joh 15:4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. Joh 15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. Joh 15:6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. Joh 15:7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Joh 15:8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. The Path of Christian Meditation One of the most important paths of seeking God and His presence is setting aside time for quiet meditation. People can make this more difficult and complicated than is needed. God's desire is for us to come to Him as we are, and be real with Him. It's a deliberate decision on our part, to set aside time to come into His presence, and allow Him to manifest Himself to us, in numerous ways, the word of God being the most important. During this quiet time, it's a good idea to begin a pattern of finding a set place for this divine meeting. If you use this pattern, at some point, you will begin to realize that even before you begin-His Presence is there, waiting for you. You will begin to realize just how much He longs for your companionship, love and devotion. You'll come to know by experience the truth of His word: Those who seek me, will find Me. Psa 27:8 When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek. Meditation has a range of meanings including to reflect on, to study, and to practice. A path to begin is to read the verse or passage of Scripture. Then you quietly meditate on it. As you consider what you've read, pray over what you just learned. You may have questions about what you've read, this is the time to begin to learn how to "inquire of the Lord", by asking Him for understanding of the verse, and show you what you may have missed. Then take a moment to contemplate the Scripture again, inviting the Holy Spirit to illuminate further on it, and wait quietly in His presence, waiting if He will add anything more. As I move from one point to another in my time with the Lord, it becomes a dialogue between friends, because the more you engage in this form of meditation, the more you realize you are developing a very precious relationship with the Creator of the universe, and He will take you deeper and deeper into His Presence. At this point is really impossible to describe the depths of His love, and the ways He will reveal Himself, to those who really want to know Him. You need to start the journey yourself, and follow Him, wherever He leads. As you read, ponder the verse of scripture your studying, listen to your inner spirit, seeking the presence of the Lord. This is a time of reflection and turning our spirits to the Holy Spirit within, and asking His guidance and wisdom on the scriptures, and asking the Lord how they apply to you, in your life, or the situation the verse is referring to. As your reflecting on them, ask the Lord to open the verse to you and help you understand it's relevance to you, and it's understanding. In this time of "Spirit to spirit" don't be rushed, settle your heart, quiet your soul, and turn your thoughts and attention to the Lord, and seek Him, and allow Him to enter your inner chamber. Let the time spent be led by the Holy Spirit, you will find He will guide each time that's set aside. Don't try to set a rigid schedule. Let God guide the time spent. Jesus went alone into the wilderness, and upon mountains, to be alone with His Father, His pattern, should be ours. Jesus spent those hours in prayer seeking answers to the important decisions he had to make. Before Jesus appointed the 12 who would be his apostles, Luke 6 tells us, “One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. Meditation was practiced by those in the Bible who had a hunger and thirst for God, and His presence. Jeremiah was a man of God who suffered many trials and adversities, but, God was with Him as he went through them. He continued to speak to Jeremiah of His promises, and continued to encourage him to keep seeking Him, and believing Him. We benefit from his great faith, and obedience to write the things given to him by the Spirit of God. What was given to Jeremiah, was for our benefit. Jer 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Jer 29:12 Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. Jer 29:13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. In closing, as you seek to learn this method of meditation, and research on this subject, be careful to not get into wrong teachings from cults. Make sure the mediation your seeking to learn, is all about the risen Lord, the Lord Jesus Christ. Meditation for me is a life-long pilgrimage. A steady, deliberate journey, seeking God in all His ways. The more I come to know Him, the more the hunger grows. May it be true for you also. Lorna Couillard Cleanse My Heart Oh God Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer. Psalm 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.” A sweet prayer, and so spiritual that it is almost as commonly used in Christian worship as the apostolic benediction. Words of the mouth are mockery if the heart does not meditate; the shell is nothing without the kernel; but both together are useless unless accepted; and even if accepted by man, it is all vanity if not acceptable in the sight of God. We must in prayer view Jehovah as our strength enabling, and our Redeemer saving, or we shall not pray aright, and it is well to feel our personal interest so as to use the word my, or our prayers will be hindered. Our near Kinsman's name, our Goel or Redeemer, makes a blessed ending to the Psalm; it began with the heavens, but it ends with him whose glory fills heaven and earth. Blessed Kinsman, give us now to meditate acceptably upon thy most sweet love and tenderness. (Charles Hayden Spurgeon-Treasury of David)
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On this page there will be information regarding Christian mediation, and weekly short meditations. More content will be added as the Lord leads.
And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. Luk 6:12
And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place,
and there prayed. Mark 1:35 Gander Story Poems
https://www.gander poems.org/ Resources
Madame Guyon - A Short and Easy Method of Prayer / Christian Audio Book (1 / 2)
https://youtu.be/eihZWpAk7y4?si=PQ-_J3Y6i8u-N2Ac Union With God By Jeanne Guyon Chapter 1 Of 7 https://youtu.be/d5AfKS2dFLg?si=VtWAeEurkAddTDpL The Practice of the Presence of God - audiobook Brother LAWRENCE (1614 - 1691)- https://youtu.be/rRAs_BK1NR8?si=hGAL4C829aH7DKMn Praying in the Spirit https://www.twosparrowsministry.org/the-prayer-closet Archives |