Psalms of David, Day Three
May 9, 2020
Psalms 27 - 32
Do you meditate?
My online dictionary defines meditate this way: To think deeply or focus one’s mind for a period of time, in silence or with the aid of chanting, for religious or spiritual purposes or as a method of relaxation
Meditation has gained a lot of popularity recently, along with practicing mindfulness. We have learned that focusing the mind slows down racing thoughts, relaxes the body, and calms the emotions.
But is meditation biblical?
Meditation in the Bible
The Bible promotes and even commands us to meditate on Scripture. When Joshua became the leader of Israel God said to him, “Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” Joshua 1:8
God created people with the ability to meditate and he directed us to meditate on his Word. Psalm 1 describes the benefits to a person who meditates on Scripture.
“Blessed is the one who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.” Psalm 1:1-3
God blesses people who meditate on his Word. They become spiritually fruitful and prosperous.
Biblical Meditation Vs. Eastern Meditation
Biblical meditation and eastern meditation have different goals.
Eastern meditation asks people to empty their minds in order to make self discoveries and connect to nature or the universe. Body posture is important, as is breathing and intentionally releasing active thoughts from the mind. The goal is to explore one’s essential self and understand the truth of one’s life. Eastern meditation can also enhance health by helping the mind and body relax.
Biblical meditation is all about focusing our minds on Scripture and the goal is to connect with God. As we seek to know the Lord by meditating on Bible passages, we also discover the truth about ourselves and our lives. No particular body posture is required, but it helps to relax and slow down as we concentrate on a verse of Scripture. Meditating on Scripture also has health benefits for mind and body.
A Simple Way to Meditate
Jeremiah 15:16 says, “When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, LORD God Almighty.”
The best way to meditate on Scripture is to take a bite-size section and chew on it for a while. You will find many morsels of Scripture in the Psalms of David we read today. Choose one that appeals to you and focus on it. Then try the following meditation exercise.
Get a sheet of paper, and two inches in from the right side, draw a line from top to bottom. At the top of that two-inch column write “To Do.” This is where you will jot down any stray thoughts that come to your mind, like calls you need to make or chores you need to do. Once they are written down you can stop thinking about them while you meditate on Scripture.
Draw another line from side to side, two inches up from the bottom of the paper. This is where you write down the things you want to remember from this meditation.
At the top of the big section that remains on the paper, write out the verse you want to meditate on. Writing it by hand starts the meditation process.
Think about the verse or passage and start writing or even drawing a picture of whatever comes to your mind. If you have a question about the verse, write it down and let the Lord bring answers to your mind.
Take some key words in the passage and write out what they mean to you. Perhaps other verses on the same topic will come to your mind and you can add them to your page.
Try drawing a picture to illustrate the images that come to your mind as you meditate.
Finally, at the bottom of the page, write down a note or two about what you learned in your meditation.
Psalm 27
This Psalm is a prayer for someone who feels besieged by life. It’s full of images and ideas that create pictures, and if you like, you could choose a section of this Psalm and illustrate it. For instance . . .
- David says the Lord is his light and his stronghold
- His enemies stumble and fall when they advance against him
- He wants to live in the house of the Lord all the days of his life
- God hides him in the shelter of his sacred tent and sets him high on a rock
There are lots of images to play with here.
There are also wonderful thoughts to meditate on. Here a just a few . . .
- “The Lord is the stronghold of my life – of whom shall I be afraid?”
- “My heart will not fear though war break out against me”
- “To gaze on the beauty of the Lord and seek him in his temple”
- “Though my father and my mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me.”
At the bottom of your meditation page, write down whatever thoughts come to your mind as you focus on Psalm 27.
On Your Own
There are seven more Psalms in today’s reading and you won’t have time to meditate on all of them, but please read them all. If you can, read them aloud. Get up and move around the room as you read. Stop and talk with the Lord whenever a verse or phrase catches your attention.
The Psalms are interactive. Feel free to talk back to them, underline them, jot notes in the margins, and write your responses to what you read. Make the Psalms your prayer workbook.
After all, that’s what David did when he wrote them.
Check out the video at this link to learn more about the meditation method contained in this post.