The word ‘meditation’ often brings up a negative picture in the mind of believers. Some people relate it to new age or witchcraft but meditation was not the enemy’s idea, it was God’s. The Bible talks about meditating on the word of God and on the acts of God.
Meditation was God’s idea, frankly I don’t think we should allow the enemy to steal this powerful, God-given tool from the body of Christ.
Recently, I was listening to a star football player talk about a book he had written. He said he wanted the book to be spiritually based because that was how he had lived his life.
Then he talked about something the Lord had him do before every game. I found it so interesting that I wanted to share it with you today.
He said before every game, he went off to himself and meditated. He meditated on the upcoming game, he saw himself making superb plays. He refused to see himself making bad plays or missing the ball. At the beginning of each game, for at least thirty minutes, he took time to see himself playing an excellent game. The outcome? He was indeed, an excellent player in every game.
This story captured my curiosity and I had to do some digging. I looked up the definition of meditate and found it to mean to muse, to speak or utter quietly and to commune. It is the act of calling to mind some supposition, pondering on it and correlating it to your own life. It is also a constant recollection, to literally roll it over and over in your mind.
It reminded me of something that Bryson said to me in a few years back. He was sitting at my kitchen playing a game and he turned to me and said; ‘Nana, it’s good to imagine. If you imagine something and then keep it in your mind, thinking about it for a long time…that thing you imagined…you will do.’
As I was studying about meditation, I came across a scripture I had never read before in Genesis 24:63, it said Isaac went out to meditate in the field at eventide.
I am fully persuaded that if Isaac went out to meditate, he learned it from his father, Abraham. I can assure you that the father of faith got this insight from our Father, God.
I was surprised to see that Isaac meditated, even before he had the word of God to meditate on. How interesting is that!
The Bible says ‘whatever things are lovely, pure and of a good report, think on these.’ In other words, meditate on what is lovely and good and pure. Meditate on those things that you want to see happen. We spend far too much time meditating on things we are afraid will happen, we need to change that mindset, we need to refuse to think on negative things, don’t you agree?
I would suggest you take some quiet time each day and meditate on the word of God, but even go beyond that, meditate on things in your life that are lovely and pure and that will have a good outcome, just like the football player did…our thoughts, what we meditate on will determine our level of success…as we think in our heart, so are we. If we see it, we can obtain it. Seeing it begins in our mind.
Biblical meditation has many benefits; it will fill your mind with good thoughts, which will drive out all the negative thoughts. It will cause you to be Christ-centered at all times.
It will reduce stress and remove toxic emotions. It will cause you to be more connected with the Spirit of God within you and it will deepen your relationship with God. Take some time today and mediate on God and all He has promise you. Roll it over and over in your mind until you see it coming to pass…God’s word works…His ways work…meditate on good things and draw good things your way.
