2023-01-09
Joshua 1:8 NAS
Bible meditation has fallen out of favour. Why? Because we live in an instantaneous society, and a preoccupied society. We have so much stuff coming at us from TV, cell phones, email, texts, snail mail, satellite links, cable news feeds, and podcasts that we hardly have a moment to react – much less reflect.
Get real! You can’t “download” spiritual maturity by hitting a few keys on a computer. That’s why the Scriptures speak so often about meditation. God, the author of the Bible, gave Joshua the formula for succeeding in your career and prospering in whatever you put your hand to: “This Book of the law shall not depart from your mouth [speak the Scriptures every chance you get], but you shall meditate on it [when?] day and night, so that you may be careful to do [not just know, but do!] according to all [you can’t pick and choose] that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success” (v. 8 NAS).
Note the words “you will make.” To succeed in life, you must do something. Do what? Meditate in God’s Word! How often? “Day and night.” So what portion of Scripture were you thinking about this morning as you started your day? Or while driving to and from work?
For that matter, when was the last time you consciously reflected on any Bible truth or principle? If you can’t remember, start making some changes right away. Paul told Timothy: “Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all” (1 Timothy 4:15 NKJV). And that’s still the rule!
Soul food: Isa 22-25; Luke 1:67-80; Ps 42:6-11; Prov 1:28-31
Josua 1:8 NLV
Bybelmeditasie het in onguns verval, omdat ons in ‘n onmiddellike en besige samelewing leef. Ons het so baie dinge van televisies, selfone, e-posse, sms’e, satellietskakels, nuusberigte en potgooie wat ons aandag verg, dat ons skaars ‘n oomblik het om te reageer, wat nog te sê daaroor te reflekteer. Jy kan egter nie geestelike volwassenheid ‘aflaai’ deur ‘n paar knoppies op die sleutelbord van ‘n rekenaar te druk nie. Dis hoekom die Skrif so dikwels oor meditasie praat.
God, die outeur van die Bybel, het vir Josua die formule gegee om sukses in jou beroep te behaal en voorspoed vir alles wat jy aanpak, te verkry: ‘Hou hierdie wetboek altyd by jou. Dink dag en nag daaroor na sodat jy alles kan doen wat daarin geskryf is. Jy sal dan sukses behaal op jou pad. Jy sal voorspoedig wees’ (vers 8 NLV). Om sukses in die lewe te behaal, moet jy iets doen. Wat? Jy moet oor God se Woord mediteer! Hoe gereeld? ‘Dag en nag.’
Watter gedeelte van die Skrif het jy oor nagedink vanoggend toe jy jou dag begin het? Of toe jy werk toe bestuur het? Wanneer laas het jy bewustelik oor enige Bybelse waarheid of beginsel gereflekteer?
As jy nie kan onthou nie, moet jy dadelik begin om veranderinge aan te bring. Paulus het vir Timoteus gesê: ‘Gee jou volle aandag aan hierdie sake. Werp jouself in jou werksaamhede sodat almal jou vordering kan sien’ (1 Timoteus 4:15 NLV). Dis nog steeds die reël!
Sielskos: Jes 22-25; Luk 1:67-80; Ps 42:6-11; Spr 1:28-31
2023-01-08
Isaiah 28:13 NKJV
Let’s take this meditate-percolate idea a step further. (If you’re a tea drinker, substitute the word “brew.”) Maybe this will help you ease into meditation instead of feeling overwhelmed by the thought that you don’t have the time or discipline to do it. This is not an all-or-nothing challenge. Take small steps. If you have only ten minutes, maximize each one of them. You don’t have to read ten chapters of your Bible. You’re not doing a book report for school, and you’re not going to be graded on a test.
Read this verse and it will help you: “But the word of the Lord was to them, ‘precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little'” (v. 13 NKJV). God’s Word is so rich with truth that you can take one phrase or one idea and let it percolate and brew in your mind, whether you have ten minutes or two hours. Instead of watching TV or constantly checking your iPhone for messages, just sit still, drink your coffee or tea, and let God’s indwelling Spirit interpret, enlarge, and enrich His Word as you roll it over and over in your mind. Think about it during your drive time, or your lunch or coffee breaks.
Some days you will feel like you have hit the jackpot spiritually; other days you will just feel like you have added a little more to your basic Bible knowledge. Consistency is the key. Do this for one year, and you will have 365 scriptural insights to draw on. Can you see how this could change your life for the better?
Soul food: Ecc 11:7-12:1; Acts 9:1-25
Jesaja 28:13 NLV
Kom ons neem hierdie mediteer-perkoleer idee ‘n stap verder. Miskien sal dit jou help om stadigaan te begin mediteer sonder om oorweldig te voel deur die gedagte dat jy nie die tyd of dissipline het om dit te doen nie. Dis nie ‘n alles-of-niks uitdaging nie. Neem klein treetjies. As jy slegs tien minute het, gebruik dit ten volle. Jy hoef nie tien hoofstukke in jou Bybel te lees nie. Jy is nie besig om ‘n opstel vir skool te skryf nie en jy gaan nie ‘n toets daaroor skryf nie.
Lees hierdie vers wat jou sal help: ‘Daarom gaan die Here weer met hulle praat. Hy gaan sê: Maak sus en maak so, reël op reël, reël op reël, hier ‘n bietjie en daar ‘n bietjie!..’ (vers 13 NLV). God se Woord is so ryk aan waarhede dat jy een frase of idee kan neem en dit in jou gedagtes kan laat perkoleer, of jy nou tien minute of twee ure het.
In plaas daarvan om televisie te kyk of aanhoudend te kyk of jy boodskappe op jou selfoon het, sit eenvoudig net stil, drink jou koffie of tee en laat God se inwonende Gees toe om sy Woord te interpreteer, te vergroot en te verryk soos dit oor en oor in jou gedagtes maal. Dink daaroor terwyl jy bestuur, of tydens jou middagete of teetyd.
Sommige dae sal dit voel of jy geestelik gesproke die boerpot gewen het; ander dae sal jy voel dat jy net ‘n klein bietjie tot jou basiese kennis van die Bybel toegevoeg het. Konsekwentheid is die sleutel. Doen dit ‘n jaar lank en jy sal 365 Skriftuurlike insigte hê om jou te help soos nodig. Kan jy insien hoe dit jou lewe ten goede kan verander?
Sielskos: Pred 11:7-12:1; Hand 9:1-25
2023-01-07
Colossians 3:16 NKJV
Meditating in Scripture is one of the great keys to spiritual growth. In Psalm 1, David writes, “In His law he meditates day and night” (Psalm 1:2 NKJV). But the word “meditation” is not one that a text-and-Twitter generation relates to very well. We imagine sober-faced monks wearing hair shirts and chanting on bended knees as the sun comes up every morning. As a result, we want to run in the opposite direction.
We admire such people, think God has to call us to such a thing, and conclude that He certainly hasn’t called us to do it. Or we think meditation is a discipline that requires hours of uninterrupted time, and time is the one thing we don’t have any more of. And the result? We live busy but spiritually barren lives.
Some of us actually think meditation is a fine thing, but we believe that there are too many other areas of spiritual growth and character development we need to work on first. What’s the problem?
We don’t understand what it means to meditate, or the rich benefits it will give us. A spoon of instant coffee is okay if you just want the basic taste of coffee. But if you want more – if you want to enjoy the flavours of the coffee in all their richness – you have to let it percolate. So, we could paraphrase the Scripture this way: “In His law he percolates day and night.” That is what Paul meant here: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom.” Today, enjoy the aroma, taste the flavour, and experience the strength.
Soul food: Isa 17-21; Luke 1:57-66; Ps 42:1-5; Prov 1:20-27
