Revival – The Christian Meditating on God’s Word

“Don’t 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 that’s written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” Joshua 1:8

“But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law he meditates day and night.” Psalm 1:2

Another discipline that every believer must cultivate is meditating on God’s Word. This is an important revival, because our hearts follow our passions and meditating on God’s Word can ignite a fresh, spiritual passion anytime and anywhere in any believer.

Consider the above Bible passages that mention meditating. It is obvious that meditation (focusing our mind and imagination with God’s help) on a truth, theme, ideal, or something that God has created can make you a better person.

Sometimes Christians are skeptical of using the word meditation. The world would tell you just to empty your mind and fill it with anything. This is dangerous and not Christian. However, Christian meditation is letting God use your mind in a focus that will be beneficial to your better serving Christ. It is using your senses to insert yourself into scriptural scenarios. The goal is always to get to know Jesus better, love Him more, and become increasingly like Him in daily lifestyle.

In the following paragraphs I am going to write down my thoughts regarding the verse Psalms 23:1 which says “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.”

I am awakened as a sheep in a flock about sunrise on a given morning. The temperature is cool and I am grateful for my wool coat. After being bedded down since dark the 200 or so sheep have littered our bedding with fresh waste and the smell of the dung tells me it is time to get moving. Our shepherd whistles and this is the signal for the flock to “get with it” and start our sojourn for the day.

Not long into the day’s journey our shepherd stops with our flock at a locale that seems desperately deprived of good eating. It is mostly weeds with little quality grass. Certainly not enough for us to camp here for long. There is a lot of bad chatter among the ranks. Dissatisfaction at the seeming disregard for us from the shepherd. Doesn’t He know we need more and better grass?!

Before noon we are on the move again. Out of this valley and all of the sudden into some steep climbing (when I would rather be at ease). Now the sun is overhead and the climb has elevated my temperature to where I need a wool chop (a haircut in human lingo).

Before long there is more bad chatter. Some of my peers are tired, some are grumpy and some are just negative in their outlook all the time. We are now elevated on the side of a considerable hill overlooking a deep crevice that would certainly be fatal, if one fell.

Joshua, our shepherd, just spanked one of my close friends with his rod. He was bad mouthing this whole experience and encouraging others to lag behind and not cooperate in today’s trip. Suddenly Joshua replaced his rod with his staff and rescued another of my friends from falling by using the crook of his staff. Now we were all thirsty. Saw a couple of moving streams, but the water is just never the same as a quiet pool. We have been climbing for quite some time. Finally, we reached the peak only to discover that the descent is going to be as challenging as the ascent. We had to stop as Joshua wanted us to rest and recover. Several had been cut on jagged rocks and Joshua, the shepherd, applied some oil (which brings healing) to their wounds.

Finally, after the rest we rounded a hill only to discover a huge multi-acre patch of thick green grass. It tasted as good to us as you humans delight in your favorite food. Not only was there grass for everyone, but a huge pool of quiet water. We spend the remainder of the day here. Wow … what satisfaction!

Nightfall moved in after sunset. Joshua, and the shepherd team, had a campfire. They seemed happy sitting around the dancing flames, telling stories while all of us escaped smoke in our eyes as the breeze brought on a much cooler nighttime temperature then we have experienced during the day.

The sky was now dark as the moon emerged. The flock was quiet when we all heard the crying of wolves in the distance, their cries carried by the wind until it seemed as they were just around the corner. Sleep – how blessed it is. We were all deep into it in the middle of the night when we were all startled awake. Joshua whistled an alarm. His helpers were up and moving. Several sheep were frightened and alarmed. A wolf had crept into the fold and grabbed one of the weak among us. Fortunately, Joshua and his crew were able to beat off the enemy and save one of us again.

The rest of the night we were restless. After all, we are all vulnerable! I fell asleep only to awaken again at dawn. A full 24 hour day had elapsed and I realized I had learned much from this one day:

As a sheep I must say “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing”. Psalms 23:1

You could meditate on a verse like this in 10 or 15 minutes and have most of this come to your mind. Summarize what you meditate on and you will be refreshed. Refreshed and renewed Christians bring the same to their surroundings. A sense of this kind of God awareness can be used by the Holy Spirit to bring revival. Are you available?

 

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