The Eternal God - Psalm 90

    Lord, you have been our dwelling place
        in all generations.
    Before the mountains were brought forth,
        or ever you had formed the earth and the world,
        from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
(Psalm 90:1-2 ESV)

Meditation

One of my favorite books is Disciplines of a Godly Man by R. Kent Hughes. From time to time I pull it off the shelf and and read a chapter. This week I re-read chapter 7, Discipline of Devotion. This work is not an in depth theological study rather it is a book full of information to improve our daily walk. This chapter is no different. Under the header of Meditation Hughes explains Psalm 1:2, When the Psalmist speaks of meditating on the Law of God day and night (Psalm 1:2), he uses a word which means "to mutter." This word is used to describe the murmurings of kings in Psalm 2:1, and for the chattering of doves in Is. 59:11. In fact, St. Augustine translated Psalm 1:2, "On his law he chatters day and night." Meditation is intrinsically verbal. This means the Psalmist memorized God's Word - for one cannot continually mutter the Scripture without memorizing it, and vice versa. OK, this has not ever been my standard method of memorizing or meditating on Scripture but I'm willing to give it a shot. So if you see me talking to myself, don't interrupt - I'm meditating.

For most of us, meditation is difficult. Hughes uses Scripture to explain the benefits of meditation:

Revival -"The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul" (Psalm 19:7).

Wisdom - "The statues of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple" (Psalm 19:7); "Oh how I love your law! I meditate on it day long. Your commands make me wiser than my enemies, for they are ever with me" (Psalm 119:97, 98).

Increases in our faith - "Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ" (Romans 10:17).

Hughes continues, The discipline of meditation is a must. Moses told Israel as he finished the "Song of Moses": Take to heart all the words I have solemnly declared to you this day...They are not just words for you - they are your life" (De. 32:46, 47).

Meditation

I have recently posted the Psalms in an effort to give thought to the reading and meditation of God's Word, sometimes lacking in my life and indeed all of our lives. We spend far too much time running from one event to another, enjoying one hobby after another, indeed, even the busyness of service to the Lord can keep us from properly meditating on Him.

George Swinnock (1627-1673) defines meditation as "a serious applying the mind to some sacred subject, till the affections be warmed and quickened, and the resolution heightened and strengthened thereby, against what is evil, and for that which is good." This being true, we need to spend time meditating on Him, which thereby induces spiritual growth in us.

Some good reading on meditation can be found here and here. Take some time to meditate on God's goodness and mercy in our lives today. ...we would do well to heed Gurnall's plea to "retire often to muse on some soul-awakening meditations," remembering that "if you seek her as silver and search for her as for hidden treasure; then you will discern the fear of the LORD and discover the knowledge of God."

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