The Apostle Paul makes it clear that the life of Christ cannot be unleashed in our lives without a continual “renewing of the mind.” My understanding of “meditation” is that it is the means by which the objective truth of Scripture becomes subjective truth in my heart and life. Whatever your definition of these terms, understand that this is how I speak of these things. The truth of God’s word is objectively true in that it is true whether I live by it or not. But what I am called to do is to have my own mind renewed. The sinful “truths” that permeate my mind and which have been my personal guide are not true at all. I have called them “true,” but either I have been deluded or I am trying to delude you.
Having said that, the question is how does this renewal take place. I subscribe to the simple idea that it is necessary first for me to set my mind on the things of the Spirit. Read, study, memorize, immerse myself in the Bible, the word of God that is all true. Okay. So, learn the art of “inductive Bible study.” That’s what I have thought and practiced for a long time. But we also understand from Scripture that we have not truly learned truth until we are living it out. John, in his second epistle, is so good with this. All those “who have known the truth” love the elect lady. They know it. It is in their minds. Then he rejoices because “I have found some of your children walking in truth.” Yes! These people have a deep knowledge of the truth, as seen in the fact that they walk in it.
Ah, but for John there is something else, between knowing the truth and walking in the truth. The truth “abides in us.” It remain there. It is not just objective, in the mind, sound doctrine, but it has become subjective. I walk in the truth because it has found a home in my heart of hearts. This takes time. Maturity by definition takes time. It also affliction. As was said of Jesus, we learn obedience by the things we suffer. But here is a key to the “abiding” of the word of God. It takes MEDITATION. I’m not talking yoga. Or empty headed approaches that give a beachhead to the evil one to plant his “lie.”
Consider these thoughts on meditation. First, what is meditation in Scripture?
· Chewing the cud, spiritually speaking. Having taken God’s word into our minds we bring it up again and again to allow the Spirit to change our hearts.
· meditation 1. Quiet time spent in contemplating the Word of God and in fumigating the mind of the toxic thoughts and ideas that infiltrate it every day. 2. Private devotion or spiritual exercise focused on a religious theme. 3. Spoken or written contemplative discourse delving into spiritual things.
Meditation depends on some level of memorization. There has to be something in the “brain” to bring up for repeated chewing. As we come to the end of a day we may have a great memory of events of the day, and some may be discouraging. There must be thoughts, remembrances of the “things of the Spirit” from early in our day to use to “fumigate the mind of the toxic thoughts.” I love that line!
Here is the secret from George Mueller.
… so the choicest of our time and strength, the best parts of our day, should be especially given to the Lord in worship and communion. George Muller … determined, even at the risk of damage to bodily heath, that he would no longer spend his best hours in bed. Henceforth he allowed himself but seven hours’ sleep and gave up his after-dinner rest. This resumption of early rising secured long seasons of uninterrupted interviews with God, in prayer and meditation on the Scriptures, before breakfast and the various inevitable interruptions that followed. He found himself not worse but better, physically, and became convinced that to have lain longer in bed as before would have kept his nerves weak and, as to spiritual life, such new vitality and vigour accrued from thus waiting upon God while others slept, that it continued to be the habit of his afterlife.
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