Our recent church 'Day Away' gave me the opportunity to reflect upon our use of the Bible.
I’ve been thinking lately about how there is a lost art to meditation. I don’t really take the time to meditate upon God’s Word. I read the Bible, I pray, but then I shut my Bible and go on with my routine. I should do some more meditating! But then I got to thinking about what this actually means. Does it mean sitting on a mountain top somewhere and emptying my mind of all but God’s Word? Or mulling it over and chewing the fat? Well, I found some answers in the very first Psalm (1:2):
But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
and on his law he meditates day and night.
The word meditate is translated from the Hebrew word hegeh. Hegeh actually means ‘muttering, musing or whispering’. Some kind of utterance that may be heard is involved. When the Psalmist says that the blessed man ‘mediates day and night’, he is calling upon us to mutter God’s word to ourselves!
In the Psalms, hegeh can refer to audible muttering. For example, in Psalm 35:28 the Psalmist says that ‘his tongue will speak (hegeh) of your righteousness’. That is, the same word for meditate can mean speaking with your tongue. Its an audible sound.
But hegeh doesn’t have to mean an audible utterance. Another example is in Psalm 77:12:
In the Psalms, hegeh can refer to audible muttering. For example, in Psalm 35:28 the Psalmist says that ‘his tongue will speak (hegeh) of your righteousness’. That is, the same word for meditate can mean speaking with your tongue. Its an audible sound.
But hegeh doesn’t have to mean an audible utterance. Another example is in Psalm 77:12:
‘I will meditate (hegeh) on all your works
and consider all your mighty deeds.’
and consider all your mighty deeds.’
Here meditating is parallel to the quiet contemplation of considering the mighty deeds of God. It doesn’t necessarily involve a muttering that is heard.
Who mutters about God? Back in Psalm 1, the blessed man who delights in the law of the Lord mutters it. But there are another group of people who mutter about God. Consider the very next Psalm (2:1):
Who mutters about God? Back in Psalm 1, the blessed man who delights in the law of the Lord mutters it. But there are another group of people who mutter about God. Consider the very next Psalm (2:1):
Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot (hegeh) in vain?
When you consider that Psalms 1 & 2 are supposed to be the introduction to the whole book of Psalms, the contrast couldn’t be starker. There are 2 ways to mutter about God. You can mutter to plot against God, and against his Anointed One. Or you can mutter about his divine Word. The choice is simple.
What do we mutter about? I find that the things that I mull over in my mind are the things that worry me. The things that occupy my thinking and ‘muttering’ are my own personal anxieties. But then I stop there. I don’t go on to mutter in light of God’s Word. I need to allow God’s word to speak to me in my troubles. Martin Lloyd Jones, in his book Spiritual Depression, puts it like this:
‘The main art in the matter of spiritual living is to know how to handle yourself. You have to take yourself in hand, you have to address yourself, preach to yourself, question yourself. You must say to your soul: ‘Why are you cast down’- what business have you to be disquieted? You must turn on yourself…and say to yourself: ‘Hope thou in God’- instead of muttering in this depressed unhappy way. And then you must go on to remind yourself of God, who God is, and what God is and what God has done, and what God has pledged himself to do.’
I think he has understood the lost art of meditation.
So folks- mull over your thoughts and worries. Mutter to yourself! But DON’T stop there- take the next step of thinking about what God’s Word says to your worries. Give yourself a talking to! Mutter to yourself what God’s Word says about the things you worry about! Preach to yourself. Allow the living and active Word of God to speak to your heart. God’s Word is a provision he has given us to allow us to ‘cast all our anxiety on him’ (1 Peter 5:7).
What do we mutter about? I find that the things that I mull over in my mind are the things that worry me. The things that occupy my thinking and ‘muttering’ are my own personal anxieties. But then I stop there. I don’t go on to mutter in light of God’s Word. I need to allow God’s word to speak to me in my troubles. Martin Lloyd Jones, in his book Spiritual Depression, puts it like this:
‘The main art in the matter of spiritual living is to know how to handle yourself. You have to take yourself in hand, you have to address yourself, preach to yourself, question yourself. You must say to your soul: ‘Why are you cast down’- what business have you to be disquieted? You must turn on yourself…and say to yourself: ‘Hope thou in God’- instead of muttering in this depressed unhappy way. And then you must go on to remind yourself of God, who God is, and what God is and what God has done, and what God has pledged himself to do.’
I think he has understood the lost art of meditation.
So folks- mull over your thoughts and worries. Mutter to yourself! But DON’T stop there- take the next step of thinking about what God’s Word says to your worries. Give yourself a talking to! Mutter to yourself what God’s Word says about the things you worry about! Preach to yourself. Allow the living and active Word of God to speak to your heart. God’s Word is a provision he has given us to allow us to ‘cast all our anxiety on him’ (1 Peter 5:7).
10 comments:
Thanks Dave, for the encouraging post.
Huh. I was having this conversation with someone on Monday afternoon. This is what worries me about worrying about stuff (seriously I am not trying to be funny here).
Matt 6:7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like the pagans, because they think they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
Matt 6:25 Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life..
Matt 6:27 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
I know the first one is talking about the pagans who just used to repeat things over and over cause that is how they thought that they will be heard.
But more often than not I find myself coming back to God with one or two issues that are really bothering me and they will get prayed about many times in one day, where everything else just get left to my quite times.
It was suggested to me that I am not worried but just concerned, but I don't think that is a way out, it is just really supplementing one word for another.
Should we just be praying the Lords Prayer and leaving it at that?
Thanks for that David, that was a good read. It is good to be reminded to do these things such as meditation. I will continue to mumble to myself at work. :)
That awesome, Dave. I just thought I was going crazy, but talking to yourself is biblical - way to go!
No but seriously, that's been a really great reminder to me. I realised the other day how good it was to read the Bible devotionally - mutteringly - since I haven't been consistent with that the last coupls of weeks. Thanks for your encouragement.
Just one question, how can you tell when it means a vocal utterance verses a silent one?
Cheers,
JT
Shannyn- I think the Lord's prayer teaches us the kind of things we should be praying for- like God's will be done. When you think about the things that worry/ concern us, we should be praying that God's will is done. I think this will greatly reduce our worrying! (But bear in mind- when we pray for God's will to be done, God's will is that we will become more like Christ- and that often comes through pain and hard lessons, so it is not a light, easy prayer that we are praying!)
JT- good question- The word heseh has a broad semantic range- anywhere from quiet mediation like 'consideration', to 'speaking with your tongue'. Like all words, only the context can tell you what it means. It just so happens here in Psalm 1 that the context doesnt really tell you whether heseh is audible or not. This makes me think that its entirely appropriate that the full semantic range can be thought of here- from mulling over in your mind, to speaking to yourself. I hope I'm not committing an exegetical fallacy here, but there ya go.
Any other thoughts?
And isn't Phil 4:4:9 NT encouragement to keep on reflecting upon the truths that we know and also to constantly bring before the Lord our prayers and requests?
Hey Dave, you could start your own "Ask Schnitz" column. If anyone has bible worrys they can email them to you :)
Good thought Little Miss. I think meditation and prayer are closely linked, but I would still want to maintain that they are different. I think the difference is that prayer can involve meditation, as you talk to God about the things that you have learnt. But not all meditation is prayer. (That is, meditation is not just about talking to God).
Thanks Brother! I note that 'mediatations' may also be thought of as 'musings'... random musings even? ;-) Your meditations are always an encouragement to me! Meanwhile... did you know that Barry Webb writes down a verse of Scripture each day on a small piece of paper, taken from his morning devotion. Then throughout the day, he pulls it out and reads it again and again... meditating on it's meaning throughout the day! A lesson learned from a godly man...
So I've just started this new book, Girl Meets God (Lauren Winner). . . she says "I was courted by a very determined carptenter from Nazareth" (I appreciate her word choice). . . which combined with your post, lead me to Luke 19:10. . . meditating on Christ's coming to SEEK not just save (those standing around waiting for it): He really does pursue the elect, hey?!?! (Oy, I'm not sure if that came out the way it's been in my head. . . but it's 0430 here. . . cut me some slack. . . I have jet lag) : )
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