oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day.
the world has caught on to meditation–the practice has become very popular, with various influencers touting the benefits and a whole industry of apps and mats and journals has sprung up around to practice something that is basically free–sitting still and pondering. the world spends its time meditating on…nothing–focusing on your breath, “being in the moment”, “being mindful” are all just ways of saying the same thing: clear your head of distractions, and sit still!
maybe this is oversimplifying something that so many find to be helpful, but i think the focus is wrong–we shouldn’t be emptying our heads of worldly distraction and filling it with ‘nothing’–we should be filling our minds with the things of God!
this book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. [joshua 1:8]
meditation leads us to the one who can lead us to obedience!
finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. [phillipians 4:8]
these are the things we should be thinking about, the things we should be meditating on: we are so distracted! so much idle entertainment, setting our eyes our minds and our words on mindless things oh! if we spent our days meditating on Christ! let us boast of his work!
on the glorious splendor of your majesty,
and on your wondrous works, I will meditate. [psalm 145:5]
why does the psalmist love the law, love God’s words? because–the word of God is objectively beautiful–it testifies to God’s glory, his splendor, his majesty!
15 years ago as a youth leader, i attended a youth camp and a young pastor named ben stuart said something that echoes in my head to this day. i think it is applicable here:
“what you think about, you will care about–and what you care about, you will chase.”
what do you think about? what do you care about? what do you meditate on?
what are you chasing?
meditate on Christ!
~conor eastman