Meditation is practiced in many religions, such as Sahaja Yoga, Transcendental Meditation, Buddhism, Hinduism, and many others. Their traditional basis of meditation is the act of clearing the mind; emptying the mind is the goal. The Bible is expressly against this! The Bible teaches meditation and encourages it, but it is meant to be the exact opposite of the other religions. The Bible says we should never empty our minds, but that we should fill them with the Word of God (Jesus).
– Jos. 1:8 – Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; 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.
– Gen. 23:63 – He (Isaac) went out to the field one evening to meditate, and as he looked up, he saw camels approaching.
Here we see two of the founding fathers of Judaism, and Christianity, meditating. Just as we see Joshua say: meditate on the Book of the Law day and night and let it ever be on your lips, the new testament also says:
– Matt. 12:44-45 – When it (an impure spirit) arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first.
The house refers to the mind, or the body. We know that we are supposed to be the temple of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God was supposed to always be in the temple. God should always be on our minds! This verse shows us that it is in the emptying of our mind that a perverse spirit can enter. This is why we do not meditate the same way as other religions. Emptying the mind allows the enemy in. Filling the mind with Christ, the word of God, fills us to the brim with the Spirit of God. We are to be the temple of the Spirit.
– Eph. 5:18 – be filled with the Holy Spirit
– 1 Cor. 6:19 – Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?
When we choose to follow God’s plan for meditation we see many results. Joshua already told us that meditating on the word helps us live by the word and stay in obedience to Christ. He also said that we will prosper and succeed in our lives by doing so. David, another forefather, repeats the principle:
– Ps. 1:1-3 – Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers.
– Col. 3:16 – Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
Dwell:
1. live in; reside; lodge; stay
2. think, speak, or write at length about
We can keep the word of God in our hearts and minds by: 1)reading it and taking it in like daily food, 2)thinking about it all day (dwelling, or chewing, on it), 3)singing it in worship to God, 4)talking about it in our conversations and teaching it to others, 5)praying it back to God to remind Him of His promises.
– Heb. 4:12 – For the word of God is alive and active.
– Gen. 1:3 – And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
The word has power. We bring that power into our lives when we dwell on it.
– Ps. 119:130 – The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.
– Col. 2:3 – Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
The word gives us wisdom and understanding; it is Christ, the Word of God, that gives us the knowledge of who God is, and how to live our lives in a fulfilling manner.
– Matt. 4:4 – Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'”
The word nourishes us; it gives us health and life.
– Is. 55:10 – As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
– Heb. 6:7-8 – Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God. But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed
The word helps us grow and develop; it satisfies our needs and produces good fruit.
– 1 John 2:14 – … I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one.
The word strengthens us; it gives us the power to overcome.
– Eph. 5:25-26 – Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word
The word cleans us; it purifies our hearts and minds.
– Acts 20:32 – Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.
The word encourages us; it gives us hope, life, and builds us up, giving us the riches of inheritance.
– 2 Tim. 3:16 – All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
The word teaches us and helps us see when we are in the wrong; it shows us how to live righteously and equips us to do good works.
– John 16:13 – But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.
– John 14:26 – But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
The word, and the Spirit of God, shows us the truth about God; it teaches and reminds us, as we need it, of everything Christ, the Word, says.
– Is. 59:21 – My Spirit, who is on you, will not depart from you, and my words that I have put in your mouth will always be on your lips
Living a life before God, in a state of constant meditation on who He is, is the best way to live your life. It gives you success, prosperity, wisdom, understanding, power, growth, nourishment, strength, encouragement, equipping, hope, correction, purification, health, fulfilling life, and brings forth a bountiful harvest from our labor. It invites God to participate in every part of our lives, and walk with us as He did with man in Eden.
– John 1:1-5,9-14 – In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it… The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Christ, the Word of God, dwell in me!
Make your home, and stay.
Remind me of the love you are,
Each and every day!
Meditate on that!
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Back to Abraham, we should take note that his desire was for his wife. It was his wife who directed his efforts from his desire, onto seeing the prophecy fulfilled and onto sleeping with the servant girl. We should also note that God was still gracious to his confused efforts by blessing Ishmael. However, God didn’t allow Ishmael, or Abraham’s efforts, to replace His original purpose and perfect will.
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