Psalm 1- A Blessed Life- Part 4

What does it mean to meditate on God’s Word? Why should we meditate on His Word?

Psalm 1:2b  ……and in His law he meditates day and night.

What does the word meditate mean? According to Merriam-Webster, to meditate is to focus one’s thoughts on, reflect on or ponder over, or to engage in contemplation or reflection. Another definition from Merriam-Webster is to engage in mental exercise (such as concentration on one’s breathing or repetition of a mantra) for the purpose of reaching a heightened level of spiritual awareness. Or it can just be simple breathing exercises to calm the body and mind. One more definition of meditate is to plan or project in the mind, to intend or to purpose. I believe the word that the psalmist is using in Psalm 1:2 has a much deeper meaning than all those definitions. The word meditate is translated from the Hebrew word haga. The word haga is also translated as mourn, speak, imagine, study, mutter, utter, roaring, sore, and talk. Some of these words didn’t really seem the same as the word meditate to me…that is….until I read the verses and looked at the context of them. So what does it truly mean to meditate in a biblical context? 

Let’s begin with our key verse, Psalm 1:2b, “….and in His law he meditates day and night.” In the context of this verse, we are told that a person is blessed because he/she “meditates” on God’s Word day and night. This person meditates on God’s Word, because he/she finds “delight” in God and in His Word. (Psalm 1:2a)  If we look back at Psalm 1:1, we see that a blessed person stays away from ungodly people and sin. The time that this person spends meditating on God’s Word helps him/her to stay close to God and away from sin. Also, when the verse says that the person “meditates day and night”, it means that the person is actively in his/her Bible every day. But not only that, he/she applies God’s Word to every aspect of life. The blessed person seeks to gain wisdom from God’s Word in order to become a better Christian. There is no time in any day that God is not at the forefront of a blessed person’s mind. This is the meditation that the psalmist is speaking of. It is an active and living type of meditation. And when he/she is spending time in God’s Word, it is quality time. It is not a chore that the person feels as if he/she has to do. It is not a “let me get my chapter read today and then I’m done” type of attitude. It is not a box to check on a checklist. It is a “delight” to the blessed person to read, study, contemplate, analyze, reflect on and ponder on God’s Word. Let’s look at two examples of people who meditated on God’s word. 

Do you remember who took over as leader of God’s people after Moses died? Joshua showed leadership qualities all the way back to when he was sent in as one of twelve spies to go into the promised land, and bring back a report about the people and the land to Moses. He was one of only two men out of twelve, who reported to Moses and the people that with God they could take the land. The other ten were afraid, and had no faith in God, and said that God’s people were not strong enough to take the land. God already knew the kind of man that Joshua was. However….He gives Joshua some instructions as he is taking Moses’ place as the leader of the children of Israel in Joshua 1:8. It reads, “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe 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.” God wants Joshua to be blessed in his endeavors as the leader of His people. Joshua is about to take the children of Israel into the promised land. He is going to have to lead them in many battles in order to take the land that God has promised His people. God tells him to meditate day and night on the book of the law, but not just that…he is to apply that Law as he leads the people. He is to do all that God says to do in the Law. And guess what…..God says he will be blessed, “prosperous”, and “have good success.” God assures Joshua that He will be with Him, but with a condition…..that Joshua does not neglect the Law of God. It is clear in Joshua 24 as Joshua makes his farewell speech to the children of Israel before he died, that Joshua followed God throughout his whole life. In verses one through 13, Joshua reviews all that God had done for them down through the years, beginning with Abraham. In Joshua 24:14-15, he says these words, “Now therefore, fear the Lord, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord! And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” It is as if Joshua is pleading with them to follow his example, and stay faithful to God after he has passed on. But ultimately, he tells them it is their choice whether they serve God or not, but….he makes it very clear where he and his family stand, when he says, “as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” What a leader! What an example! We can tell that Joshua took God’s advice and meditated on His Law all of his days. 

Another example of a man who meditated on God’s Word throughout his entire life was David. In Psalm 63:6, David says, “When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches.” This is during the time when David was in the wilderness of Judah hiding from Saul who was trying to kill him. As David lay awake during the night watches, he meditated on God. In Psalm 71:24, David says, “My tongue also shall talk of Your righteousness all the day long; For they are confounded, for they are brought to shame who seek my hurt.” The word “talk” in this verse is the same word in Hebrew as meditate. (haga) In this chapter, it sounds as if God has delivered David from his enemies. For David, meditation is an ongoing, daily way of life in good times as well as bad. If you notice in the Psalms that David wrote, he meditated on God in hard times when he needed help, but he meditated on God in the best of times as well. In Psalm 143:5, David says, “I remember the days of old; I meditate on all Your works; I muse on the work of Your hands.” In this Psalm, David is praying for deliverance from his enemies and guidance for the future. He is meditating on all that God has done in the past, and remembering better days. We can see from the Psalms that David wrote that he was a wonderful example of someone who  meditated on God and His Word constantly. He wasn’t perfect, as are none of us. We can certainly see that David knows his imperfections in Psalm 51, when David is begging God for forgiveness for the sin he committed with Bathsheba and against Uriah. But we can tell that he truly loved God with all of his heart as seen through his writings. Just the fact that he wrote so many beautiful Psalms for us to read, study, and meditate on today shows us David’s heart. We can truly see why God called David “a man after His own heart” in 1 Samuel 13:14. David says in Psalm 19:14, Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer. The word “meditation” in this verse is from the Hebrew word higayon. It is a variation of the word haga. It means resounding music or murmuring sound. It makes perfect sense that David would pray for his “higayon” or “meditation” to be acceptable to God. The Psalms that he wrote are songs of praise to God, and David wanted them to be pleasing to God.

The book of Proverbs also has some references to the word meditate (haga). Proverbs 8:7 says this, For my mouth will speak truth; Wickedness is an abomination to my lips. In this verse, the word “speak” comes from the same word as meditate. It means that the person will continually speak the words of truth. We can meditate in the form of speaking if we are talking about God’s Word in a meaningful way with others. We could even be alone and meditate by speaking. We could say a verse out loud over and over again to ourselves in order to help ourselves get through a tough time. I can personally say that praying out loud when I am alone helps me. Also, reading verses out loud is comforting to me. I love hearing myself speak God’s Word out loud. It is meditation and it is beneficial to my soul to hear myself either talking to God or saying the words that God says to me in scripture. Sometimes I add my name into verses as I read them out loud. Try this type of meditation sometime. Personally, it really comforts me when I need it. Proverbs 15:28 says this, “The heart of the righteous studies how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours forth evil.” In this verse, the word “studies”  is translated from the same word as meditate. This makes perfect sense especially since it says that the righteous person studies or meditates “how to answer”. If we are to be righteous, then we need to meditate on God’s word so that we can be able to “rightly divide the word of truth” to others who are not Christians. (2 Tim. 2:15) We also have to be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks us a reason for the hope that is in us. (1 Peter 3:15) It takes some study and meditation on our parts to be able to truly fulfill our purpose, and tell others about the gospel of Christ. Proverbs 24:2  says this, “For their heart devises violence, and their lips talk of troublemaking.” The word “talk” is again translated from the same word as meditate. However, it is used in a negative context this time. The verse is talking about a person who wants to make trouble all the time. This person is constantly meditating on how he/she can cause problems for others. We have all known troublemakers in our lifetime. It seems as though they constantly thrive on conflict. 

In Isaiah 59, we find that sin has separated the children of Israel from God, and then we see how awful it really is in Isaiah 59:13. It reads, “In transgressing and lying against the LORD, and departing from our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood.”  The word “uttering” used here is translated the same as the word meditate (haga). This is not just a fleeting bout with sin. This is a deep-seeded rebellion against God. Not only had the people separated themselves from God through sin, but they were lying against God, and meditating on words that they could use to speak against God. It was hateful, deliberate and premeditated. When I look at this verse, it brings tears to my eyes. How could they do that, after all God had done for them? Then I go look in the mirror. And I realize that I have been guilty of not speaking the whole truth about God in the past, closing my eyes to what I know to be right, telling people what they want to hear, and making excuses to justify my own sins. It still hurts me to think about things I have said and done in the past, especially ways that I have influenced people in the wrong way. I wish that I could take it all back like it never happened…..but I can’t. All I can do is push forward, and spend the rest of my life in service to God and others. I can tell you with all honesty and sincerity that meditating on God’s Word will change you. How do I know? Because it has changed me just within the last few years. Meditating on God’s Word has helped me in a number of ways. Let me tell you some ways it has blessed my life.

First of all, I had to come to the realization that when I meditate on the words of the Bible, it is literally God speaking to me. When I began to realize this, that is when God, through His Word, convicted me, and made me feel better about myself all at the same time. He let me know that I needed to step it up, stop feeling sorry for myself over things that I can’t change, and get to work for Him. Low self-esteem has always been a problem for me. I know many of us struggle with this. I never felt like I had anything to offer God’s kingdom here on earth. But I have learned through God’s Word that I do! We all do, Sisters! We are all so valuable to God and His church! We are just as valuable as any other person in Bible history, including the two examples that I mentioned in this article, Joshua and David. Secondly, God, through His Word, has helped me let go of my past. Do I still regret things that I have said and done? Yes, and that will never go away. Sin has consequences in our lives, and regret is a consequence of sin that I experience daily. However, I won’t let my past stop me from God’s purpose for me. Ladies, we cannot let our past beat us down. Anyone who judges others on their past needs to go take a good hard look in the mirror at themselves in the present. Thirdly, God, through His Word, has helped me forgive people who have wronged me. This was very hard. I used to have so much bitterness and hardness inside of me, but God’s Word sweetened and softened all of that. God’s Word says that I have the capacity to forgive no matter how much someone may have hurt me. And God would never ever tell me to do something that He knew that I wasn’t capable of doing. And, I have learned that all of my experiences have made me who I am, so I am actually thankful for them. Fourthly, God, through His Word, has helped me to not be afraid to speak the truth, and to not worry about what others will think of me for speaking it. This may have been the hardest one of all for me. When I first began to write these articles almost a year ago for others to read, I started drawing up in my mind things that I was afraid people might be thinking about what I was doing. Now let me be clear….I am not saying that anyone was even thinking these things. I’m saying that they were thoughts that came out of my fear of putting my writing out there. They were excuses that I was trying to come up with as to why I shouldn’t do it! I’m so glad I didn’t listen. Some of my thoughts were, “who does she think she is to be starting a blog? I remember her when……(whatever they remember about me, fill in the blank). What business has she got writing about the Bible?” My answer to these is this….within my role as a Christian woman, I have just as much of a right to talk or write about God’s Word as anyone else does, as long as I am “rightly dividing” it (2 Tim. 2:15), and, of course, staying within the boundaries of my role as a Christian woman to not “usurp authority” over a Christian man. (1 Tim. 2:12) This is why my blog is called “Spiritual Food For Women”. If a man reads it, then that is his choice, but I am not stepping over any boundaries. And, as far as my past is concerned……everyone has a past, some people’s may be just a little more colorful than others. David, Paul, and Peter did not let their past stop them from spreading God’s Word through preaching and writing. Here are a few more things I used to worry about people thinking, “does she think she knows more than anyone else about the Bible? She doesn’t have any right to tell anyone else how they should be or what they should do. What could she possibly have to say that I need to hear?” Here are my answers to these…..no I do not think I know more than anyone else. I know that I have so much more to learn, and that is why I am doing this…..to learn and grow. Maybe the ladies that read my posts can come along with me on my journey to learn more about God’s Word. Maybe it will inspire someone to dig deeper. And I do have the right to speak the truth, because I am commanded by God to do so. And…everything that I write comes straight from the Bible with my own personality and style of writing mixed in. I am not telling anyone what to do or how to live. God, through His Word, is who tells everyone, including me, what to do and how to live. Trust me Sisters and friends when I tell you that I’ve struggled with these invasive thoughts….struggled greatly. But, those thoughts are from Satan, not from God. Sometimes I still struggle, and I let these thoughts begin to creep back into my mind. But now I know how to get rid of them!! I get rid of them by meditating on God’s Word with verses like this….“For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” and so many more. (1 Tim. 1:7) Writing about God’s word makes me stronger. Regardless of whether my writing helps anyone else or not, it helps me. I know that this is what God wants me to do, and that is all that matters. God, through His Word, has helped me grow up as a Christian, and take responsibility for my own mission and ministry for Christ. God can do that for you too if you really start to listen to Him through His Word.

So what did I hear when I started truly listening to God? In my own words, it was as if God was saying, “Greta Leslie Thaxton Hoover, it is time for you to grow up. Stop being the one-talent-woman that my Son spoke of in Matthew 25:14-30. Stop burying what I have entrusted you with, Greta. Know your worth to Me, Greta. Forgive yourself, Greta. Forgive the people you need to forgive, Greta. Stop being afraid of other people’s opinions of you, Greta. Use what I have given you for my purpose, Greta. And keep growing, Greta.” I can’t tell you how different I feel today, as compared to 30 years ago, 20 years ago, 10 years ago, 5 years ago, 2 years ago, even a year ago. And I am still far from where I want to be as a Christian. I’ll be a work in progress for Him until the day that I go to be with Him. I give all the glory to God that I am where I am right now in my life. I stopped just reading the words of the Bible, and started letting God speak to me, personally, through the Bible. There is a difference. Meditating on God’s Word is powerful. The Bible isn’t just words on a page, friends. It has the power to change us if we truly want to change. Just listen to Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” What other book in the history of books has ever been described in this way? “Living and powerful”? A discerner of the thoughts and intents of our hearts? Wow! I’ll be honest….when I used to read this verse, it just didn’t sink in what it was truly saying.  I often think….what if I had never begun to meditate on God’s Word? What if I had never begun to really listen to God? What if I never understood His Word the way that He wanted me to? I can’t answer the what ifs and I don’t need to dwell on them. Do I wish I had started sooner in my life? It’s only natural that my answer to that is yes. Of course I do! But I just wasn’t ready, and I wouldn’t be who I am without all my past experiences…..the good and the bad…..the failures and the successes. God needs me where I am right now. He needs you where you are as well. Wherever you are in your life at this moment, just know that you can change and you can grow, but change and growth will only come through listening to and obeying God’s Word. I would not be writing this article today had I not made changes in how I listen to God…..through reading, studying, and meditating on God’s Word, and how I pray to Him. Let God speak to you and help you grow. You will be so very blessed if you do. I hope everyone has a blessed weekend. Love to you all. 

Have you started your “blessed” life in Christ yet? If you need help understanding how to be saved, please reach out. I can help you or put you in contact with someone who can help you.

God’s Plan of Salvation

Below is the plan that God has set forth in His Word, for mankind to receive His grace that leads to salvation and an eternity with God in heaven. 

We have to hear His word. (Romans 10:17) 

Upon hearing the message of Jesus, we believe it. (Mark 16:16) 

Then, we confess Jesus’ name before men. (Matthew 10:32) 

Next, we repent of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Acts 3:19) 

Finally, we are baptized into Christ for the remission of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:16, Romans 6:3-4, Acts 22:16, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Galatians 3:26-27) After baptism, God adds us to His church. (Acts 2:47)

Then, we remain faithful in our commitment to Christ until death. (Revelation 2:10, 2 Peter 2:20-22)

Sources

merriam-webster.com

biblegateway.com

blueletterbible.org