the heart of meditation

the word 'meditation' might bring to mind someone sitting cross-legged on the floor with their eyes closed, emptying their mind and chanting words like 'ommmm.' Christians might even steer away from the word these days because it seems so decidedly 'unChristian.'
but the Bible talks a lot about meditating, and when it uses the word, it means something totally different from the picture i described above.
yesterday our sermon at church dove into Psalm 1, focusing on meditation. i found that i was convicted on the subject, and i learned a lot about what what the Israelites felt about meditation back in Bible days. so i'd like to share what i learned and my thoughts about it here.

we ALL meditate on something. thinking deeply or focusing on it. think about when you go to sleep at night - what are you mulling over in your mind? is it your job? your kids? your relationship? money? a car? worries? past hurts? these are all things we easily spend time meditating on...
think about when you are driving a car or riding a bike. studies have found, and maybe you've experienced, that you will naturally steer towards wherever your head is turned. that is how meditation is; if you focus your mind's energy on something, that is where you're life's energy will go.
meditating on God and His word is what we are supposed to be doing as Christians. Psalm 1:2 says, "But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night." i don't know about you, but when i think of the 'law of the Lord,' or any law for that matter, i don't feel delight of any kid. instead i feel drudgery, or overwhelmed, or like i'd rather think of something else. in Israel, the rabbis in Torah school used to put honey on the scrolls to depict to the children that they were to delight in it! that's a great picture! what do i want to eat right now? maybe a bowl of ice cream... and when i'm hot, a glass of ice cold coke is just about the tastiest thing in the world! do i ever feel like that about God's law or the rest of His word? when i am in the mood for a coke, first i think about how i want it, then i go pour it up and relish the sound of bubbles fizzing in my glass, and as i swallow the tasty sweetness, i focus on the feel in my mouth and throat... that's how i should be when reading God's precious word! it should be delicious to me!
perhaps the most powerful picture of meditating for me was when our pastor talked about its Hebrew meaning in this passage. i have no clue how to spell it, but it sounded like 'ha-GA,' with the emphasis on the second syllable. this word was literally the sound a lion makes when he is tearing into his prey. he is hungry, he is contented, and he is utterly focused on that meat. Isaiah 31:4 describes it like this, "As a lion growls, a great lion over his prey - and though a whole band of shepherds is called together against him, he is not frightened by their shouts or disturbed by their clamor..." the thing that struck me in that verse when i apply it to meditation, is that all fear left that lion when he focused on his prey. when we meditate properly, we are spending time with GOD, the King of the universe!! we have nothing to fear. it doesn't mean nothing bad can happen, it just means that we are already with God - what is there to be afraid of? being with God is the highest advantage you can humanly have! if you are anywhere but with God, you should be afraid!
awesome. the next time i dive into God's word, i will think, 'ha-GA!' no distraction, no fear.
so what are more results of meditating God's way?
it brings true happiness. Psalm 1:1 says, "Blessed is the man..." this is not the 'God just wants me to be happy so i'm going to buy a boat' kind of worldly happiness. instead, it is HEART happiness. happiness isn't the goal; listening to God is the goal. happiness is a byproduct. parents often make decisions for their kids based on the goal of making them happy. but wouldn't you rather your kid be godly? instead of saying the empty words, 'i just want you to be happy,' you should say, 'i just want you to be godly.' how would your decisions or advice change with THAT goal in mind?
we will also flourish, or prosper, as it says at the end of verse 3. this has nothing to do with gaining money or material wealth. it means we live in GOD'S hands, and EVERYTHING in God's hands flourishes! it's a full life. it's a gorgeous life, depending on God's nourishment.
through meditation, we will be stable and will thrive in ANY circumstance. Psalm 1:3 says, "He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither." in the Middle East, where the Israelites lived, the climate is all-out dry. any tree struggles unless it's living right next to flowing water, which sticks around pretty much all year and provides a constant water supply. even when there's no rain and everything else is dying, those trees flourish. here where i live, we have winter. the landscape looks DEAD for half the year. for real dead. all the leaves have fallen off of everything and the ground is frozen - walking outside is like stepping into a freezer. how can anything be alive? but the trees have deep roots. they are fully alive in the winter; they are thriving! have you had troubled times in your life? deep valleys of sadness or heartache? you can still THRIVE in those times, if you are deeply rooted in God. it doesn't mean you'll be jumping up and down with a smile on your face, but it means you will not waver, your spirit will not die.

i hope you were edified by these thoughts on meditation. i was really convicted because recently, i find that i don't really look forward to reading the Bible. i read it at the end of my night when i'm just about to go to sleep - like, it's WAY past my bedtime and i am so sleepy i can barely eke out a chapter.... i am a night person, so reading at night is what i do, but it shouldn't be saved till i can barely keep my eyes open!
so after yesterday, i want it to be my goal to pray before i read, to read like i'm drinking a coke, and to really ha-GA on what i'm reading!!!