WAITING IN MEDITATION

Ps.1:1-3 – Blessed is the person who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,
Nor stand in the path of sinners,
Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!
But his delight is in the Law of the LORD,
And on His Law he meditates day and night.
He will be like a tree planted by streams of water,
Which yields its fruit in its season,
And its leaf does not wither;
And in whatever he does, he prospers.

I think it is time for the Christian world to recapture and reemphasize meditation. David made meditation very clear in this passage, it is connected to pondering and reflecting on the word of God. It is in these special times of waiting, focusing on the Lord and His promises, that we are renewed and strengthened by the Holy Spirit. The word of God becomes part of us and speaks powerfully to our hearts. Over the last 15 years I have been writing my reflections on the Lord almost everyday. This actually turns into my prayer rather than my work, I am recording my meditations for my enjoyment and edification as well as for anyone else who wants to join in with me. Here is how Augustine describes meditation.

“As for myself, I meditate on the law of God, if not day and night, at least during the few moments of time that I can, and lest my meditations escape from me through forgetfulness, I hold on to them by my pen. I am confident that God in his mercy will make me remain steadfast in all the truths that I regard as certain, but if I am minded otherwise in any point, he will make it known to me, either by his own secret inspirations, or through his own lucid words or through discussions with my brethren. For this do I pray, and I place this trust and my own desires in his hands, who is wholly capable of guarding what he has given and of fulfilling what he has promised.”

I love what Augustine said in this comment, “and lest my meditations escape from me through forgetfulness, I hold on to them by my pen”. Taking time to ponder God’s word is one of the most important things a Christian can do. It happens in reading, in scripture memorization, in prayer, and it happens also when we write them down. I never practiced journaling but I now see what I was missing. I am grateful for these last years of writing my daily reflections down, this is where the Lord often meets with me.