Musing on God’s Deeds

Day 10, 0702/2010, Musing on God’s Deeds, Psalm 77:11-15

11 I shall remember the deeds of the Lord ;
Surely I will remember Your wonders of old.
12 I will meditate on all Your work
And muse on Your deeds.
13 Your way, O God, is holy;
What god is great like our God?
14 You are the God who works wonders;
You have made known Your strength among the peoples.
15 You have by Your power redeemed Your people,
The sons of Jacob and Joseph. Selah. NASU

Have you been meditating on God’s Word?
What difference is it making in your life?

I Search My Spirit

I Search My Spirit, Psalm 77:1-20
1 I WILL cry to God with my voice, even to God with my voice, and He will give ear and hearken to me.
2 In the day of my trouble I seek (inquire of and desperately require) the Lord; in the night my hand is stretched out [in prayer] without slacking up; I refuse to be comforted.
3 I [earnestly] remember God; I am disquieted and I groan; I muse in prayer, and my spirit faints [overwhelmed]. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!
4 You hold my eyes from closing; I am so troubled that I cannot speak.
5 I consider the days of old, the years of bygone times [of prosperity].
6 I call to remembrance my song in the night; with my heart I meditate and my spirit searches diligently:
7 Will the Lord cast off forever? And will He be favorable no more?
8 Have His mercy and loving-kindness ceased forever? Have His promises ended for all time?
9 Has God [deliberately] abandoned or forgotten His graciousness? Has He in anger shut up His compassion? Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!
10 And I say, This [apparent desertion of Israel by God] is my appointed lot and trial, but I will recall the years of the right hand of the Most High [in loving-kindness extended toward us], for this is my grief, that the right hand of the Most High changes.
11 I will [earnestly] recall the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will [earnestly] remember the wonders [You performed for our fathers] of old.
12 I will meditate also upon all Your works and consider all Your [mighty] deeds.
13 Your way, O God, is in the sanctuary [in holiness, away from sin and guilt]. Who is a great God like our God?
14 You are the God Who does wonders; You have demonstrated Your power among the peoples.
15 You have with Your [mighty] arm redeemed Your people, the sons of Jacob and Joseph. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!
16 When the waters [at the Red Sea and the Jordan] saw You, O God, they were afraid; the deep shuddered also, for [all] the waters saw You.
17 The clouds poured down water, the skies sent out a sound [of rumbling thunder]; Your arrows went forth [in forked lightning].
18 The voice of Your thunder was in the whirlwind, the lightnings illumined the world; the earth trembled and shook.
19 Your way [in delivering Your people] was through the sea, and Your paths through the great waters, yet Your footsteps were not traceable, but were obliterated.
20 You led Your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron (AMP)

Knowledge of God’s Mystery

Knowledge of God’s Mystery, Col 1:26-29, 2:1-3 Day 8 of our study on Meditation.


26 The mystery of which was hidden for ages and generations [from angels and men], but is now revealed to His holy people (the saints),
27 To whom God was pleased to make known how great for the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ within and among you, the Hope of [realizing the] glory.
28 Him we preach and proclaim, warning and admonishing everyone and instructing everyone in all wisdom (comprehensive insight into the ways and purposes of God), that we may present every person mature (full-grown, fully initiated, complete, and perfect) in Christ (the Anointed One).
29 For this I labor [unto weariness], striving with all the superhuman energy which He so mightily enkindles and works within me.


1 FOR I want you to know how great is my solicitude for you [how severe an inward struggle I am engaged in for you] and for those [believers] at Laodicea, and for all who [like yourselves] have never seen my face and known me personally.
2 [For my concern is] that their hearts may be braced (comforted, cheered, and encouraged) as they are knit together in love, that they may come to have all the abounding wealth and blessings of assured conviction of understanding, and that they may become progressively more intimately acquainted with and may know more definitely and accurately and thoroughly that mystic secret of God, [which is] Christ (the Anointed One).
3 In Him all the treasures of [divine] wisdom (comprehensive insight into the ways and purposes of God) and [all the riches of spiritual] knowledge and enlightenment are stored up and lie hidden. AMP


Meditate on these verses and rejoice that God has chosen to reveal this mystery to us. Focus on verse 27 and then reread this passage.

ARTWORK BY GRAHAM BRADDOCK

Knowing Jesus’ Voice

Knowing Jesus’ Voice, John 10:1-18 Day 7 of our study on Meditation


2 The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers." 6 Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.


7 So again Jesus said to them, "Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.


11 "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away — and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13 The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. 17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. 18 No one takesg it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father." NRSV

Meditate on one of these "I Am" statements by Jesus.
The ‘I am’ statements of Jesus
John 6:35,48: I am the bread of life.
John 8:12; 9:5: I am The light of the world
John 10:7, 9: I am The gate
John 10:11, 14: I am The good shepherd
John 11:25: I am The resurrection and the life
John 14:6: I am The way, the truth, and the life
John 15:1, 5: I am The vine

Give Me Understanding

 Give Me Understanding, Psalm 119:33-40

Day 6 of our study on meditation.
33 Teach me, O Lord, the way of Your statutes, and I will keep it to the end [steadfastly].
34 Give me understanding, that I may keep Your law; yes, I will observe it with my whole heart. [Prov 2:6; James 1:5.]
35 Make me go in the path of Your commandments, for in them do I delight.
36 Incline my heart to Your testimonies and not to covetousness (robbery, sensuality, unworthy riches). [Ezek 33:31; Mark 7:21,22; 1 Tim 6:10; Heb 13:5.]
37 Turn away my eyes from beholding vanity (idols and idolatry); and restore me to vigorous life and health in Your ways.
38 Establish Your word and confirm Your promise to Your servant, which is for those who reverently fear and devotedly worship You. [Deut 10:12; Ps 96:9.]
39 Turn away my reproach which I fear and dread, for Your ordinances are good.
40 Behold, I long for Your precepts; in Your righteousness give me renewed life. AMP


Today I would challenge you to ask yourself if you have lost or never had the passion, discipline and focus of reading, meditating, memorizing and then examining your life to see how you should apply and put God’s Word to work in your life today.
    If needed ask God to make you willing and able to do this.
Phil 2:13 For it is God which works in you both to make you willing and to do of His good pleasure.
    Ask him to help you set aside the time, to find the place so that you might do this. Cry out to him, humble yourself and ask for His mercy to make the way straight for you into His heart through His Word, for as you long for His precepts, read, meditate upon, memorize and apply His Word He will renew your life in Him in deeper levels of transforming power.

The Beginning of Knowledge

The Beginning of Knowledge, Proverbs 1:1-7

1 THE PROVERBS (truths obscurely expressed, maxims, and parables) of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:
2 That people may know skillful and godly Wisdom and instruction, discern and comprehend the words of understanding and insight,
3 Receive instruction in wise dealing and the discipline of wise thoughtfulness, righteousness, justice, and integrity,
4 That prudence may be given to the simple, and knowledge, discretion, and discernment to the youth —
5 The wise also will hear and increase in learning, and the person of understanding will acquire skill and attain to sound counsel [so that he may be able to steer his course rightly] — [Prov 9:9.]
6 That people may understand a proverb and a figure of speech or an enigma with its interpretation, and the words of the wise and their dark sayings or riddles.
7 The reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord is the beginning and the principal and choice part of knowledge [its starting point and its essence]; but fools despise skillful and godly Wisdom, instruction, and discipline. [Ps 111:10.] (AMP)
As you approach this study ask God to help you slow down and allow the Word to take deep root in your life this week.
Bible Study on Verse 7 from UBS Old Testament Handbook Series. Copyright © 1978-2004 by United Bible Societies

    "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: Fear in relation to God expresses a range of meanings in Old Testament contexts. For example, in Job 37:23-24 mortals are in terror and dread of God's punishment. In Ex 9:30 Moses tells the king of Egypt that he will stop the thunder and hail, even though the king and his people are not yet afraid of the Lord God. In Jer 26:19 fear has the sense of obedience. In the case of Abraham, after he had showed his willingness to obey God and sacrifice Isaac, the angel of the Lord said to him "I know that you fear God," which indicates Abraham's trust in God (Gen 22:12). Here in this verse and throughout Proverbs the fear of the Lord means to respect and believe the Lord.
     Lord is the common English translation of the Hebrew name of God, which is written as ‎yhwh ‎and pronounced something like ‎yahweh‎. It is the most frequently used term for God in the Old Testament. Because the name was sacred, it was not pronounced, but instead the term ‎'adonai ‎("my lord") was pronounced in its place. To translate the name of Israel's God there are several options open to the translator:
(1) Transliterate the form ‎yahweh‎.
(2) Translate by a term such as "Owner," "Master," "Ruler," "One who Commands," "the Ever-
      Present One," or "the Eternal One."
(3) Use the name of a local god is considered inappropriate.
(4) Translate Lord (‎yhwh‎) and the general word for God (‎'elohim ‎in Hebrew) by the same term.

     In many languages a literal rendering of fear of the Lord will mean nothing more than terror or dread, that is, being scared of what the Lord may do. If the language has an expression equivalent to "be in awe of," this will be more satisfactory. In some languages such a thought is expressed idiomatically; for example, "to stand with your heart in your hand before the Lord" or "You must respect the Lord with a quivering liver."

Beginning of knowledge: Beginning renders the word used in Gen 1:1, "in the beginning," which refers to the first in an ordered series of events. In this verse it is the starting point without which nothing else can follow. It may be taken as the root, fundamental, or basic element upon which all wisdom is built. The TEV footnote expresses this thought as "The most important part of knowledge is..."; the CEV footnote says "What knowledge is all about is...." In some languages "stump" or "root" is used figuratively for the source or basic element from which everything else comes, so these languages have a translation like "If a person wants to gain wisdom, the root of it is honoring the Lord."
    In some languages it is not possible to use a noun phrase such as the fear of the Lord as the subject of a clause. Accordingly it is sometimes necessary to restructure fear as an "if" clause; for example, "If you hold the Lord in awe, you will have the beginning of knowledge." We may also translate, for example, "Whoever respects and obeys the Lord is beginning to be wise," "The first thing about knowledge is to respect and obey the Lord," or "The most important part of knowledge is having reverence for the Lord" (TEV footnote). The FRCL rendering may serve as a model translation for some: "To recognize the authority of the Lord is the A-B-C of wisdom."

Fools despise wisdom and instruction: The second line contrasts the fool with the person who respects the Lord. Fools renders a word used in Isa 35:8 to indicate uninstructed people who mislead others. In 10:8; 20:3; and 29:9 fools are contrasted with sensible and intelligent people. Despise is not to be taken in the sense of "hate" or "loathe." The Hebrew, like the English term, properly means to look down upon with contempt, to disdain as unworthy. It is in this sense that Esau despised his birthright in Gen 25:34. Wisdom and instruction are the same words as used in verse 2. This line may be rendered "Fools turn their noses up at wisdom and good advice" or "People who look down on wisdom and instruction are fools."
     In translation it may be necessary to make the contrast between the two lines clear by saying, for example, "but fools despise..." or "Foolish people, on the other hand, think wisdom and instruction are worthless.""

Pondering Supernatural Encounters

Pondering Supernatural Encounters

There is no greater need for pondering the things of God, than comes when we receive a supernatural revelation, dream, and vision or experience an angelic encounter. God breaks through our natural realm in these ways when there is a significant need or event that He is preparing us for. He does not guide or intervene in these ways every day as our relationship with Him and our walk is one of faith based on His Word.
When we have such encounters it is important to ponder them, prayerfully consider them and seek God concerning how we should live in relationship to them. If the event is of God He will see that it comes to pass, but we must have faith in Him to do what He has revealed and be willing to do our part.


Day 4 of our study on Meditating in Scripture.

Mary Pondered the Words in Her Heart, Luke 2:8-19

8 In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for see, I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: 11 to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger." 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,14 "Glory to God in the highest heaven,and on earth peace among those whom he favors!" 15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us." 16 So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. 17 When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. NRSV

MEDITATE ON IT DAY AND NIGHT

Day 168, 06/25/2010, Meditate on It Day and Night, Joshua 1:7-8

MEDITATE ON IT DAY AND NIGHT
“Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to act in accordance with all the law that my servant Moses commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, so that you may be successful wherever you go. This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth; you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to act in accordance with all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall be successful.” —Joshua 1:7-8

The material below is from “A Year With God”, by Dr Richard J. Foster

‘G O D ’ S W O R D S T O Joshua at the beginning of Joshua’s story suggest that effective leadership calls for concentrated meditation and musing on the law of God. This word was not to “depart” from his “mouth,” for mortals do not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God (Deut 8:3). Like Joshua, we are to talk about the Word, think about the Word, and obey the Word (Ps 1:2-3). In a sense, every word from the Lord is also a call from the Lord. We read every verse of Scripture lovingly and attentively, because every verse is a potential summons from God. Perhaps when we read, we ought not to ask ourselves, “What do these words mean?” but “What is God summoning me to do through these words?”

Be guided by these words as you return to your meditation today:

“You must look up with the vision of the heart to the Person of Christ, and listen for the impress of His will on your will through His words, that is, through the Book of the Gospel that was written to be the means of communication with the souls of His people. As you become familiar with them He will by His Spirit bring them to your memory as you need them, to be your defense in the dangers of the way, even as David said in the Psalms: ‘Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against Thee’ (Ps 119:11, KJV).”

—Lilias Trotter, The Way of the Sevenfold Secret’

Holy Reading, Psalm 119:97-99

Day Two, 06/24/2010, Holy Reading, Psalm 119:97-99

97 Oh, how love I Your law! It is my meditation all the day. [Ps 1:2.]
98 You, through Your commandments, make me wiser than my enemies, for [Your words] are ever before me.
99 I have better understanding and deeper insight than all my teachers, because Your testimonies are my meditation. [2 Tim 3:15.] AMP

How do you approach your time of reading God’s Word? There are a few simple steps that will cause you to get much more from God’s Word. If we will come with a humble heart, eager to learn, realizing that it is the Holy Spirit that causes us to gain life, truth and understanding from God’s Word.
When we read are we looking for quick fixes for the circumstances in our lives or are we seeking to be transformed by the renewing our minds that comes from God’s Word working in us.
Are we seeking to know the author and finisher of our faith? Are we seeking to know God and please God by conforming our lives, thought, hopes and emotions to align to His?
Do we seek to please Him in all of our ways or are we simply hoping to gain His power, wisdom, knowledge and miracles for our own purposes and ego?

Reading the Bible:
Pray first before opening God's word.
Ask for guidance and to be able to accept what is written and to be able to apply His will to your life.
Do not read the Bible trying to prove your belief on any subject. It is only human nature to take ideas out of context. When you are reading and come across something that does not make sense, reread the paragraph or chapter again. If you still do not understand, write down the problem area and continue onward. You can look up words and research these areas latter.

Below is an addition article on the Word meditate and concept of meditation in scripture.
MEDITATE [Hebr. ‎´î(a)µ‎, ‎´û(a)µ‎] (Gen 24:63; Ps 77:3,6 [MT :4 :7 ]; 119:15,23,27,48,78,148; 145:5); AV also COMPLAIN , "commune with mine own heart" (Ps 77:6), TALK OF, SPEAK OF; NEB also "hoping to meet" (Gen 24:63), "lay thinking" (Ps 77:3,6), STUDY , "my theme shall be" (Ps 145:5); [‎h¹gâ‎] (Josh 1:8; Ps 1:2; 38:12 (MT :13 ); 63:6 [MT :7 ]; 77:12 [MT :13 ]; 143:5); AV also IMAGINE ; NEB also "keep in mind" (Josh 1:8), MUTTER , "think on," MEMORY; [Gk. ‎promeletáœ‎] (Luke 21:14); NEB "prepare beforehand";

MEDITATION [Hebr. ‎´î(a)µ‎] (Ps 104:34); [‎´îµâ‎] (Job 15:4; Ps 119:97,99); AV also PRAYER ; NEB SPEAK, STUDY ; [‎higg¹yôn‎] (Ps 19:14 [MT :15 ]); NEB "all that I ... think"; [‎h¹gû¾‎] (Ps 49:3 [MT :4 ]); NEB "thoughtful."

In the biblical world meditation was not a silent practice. ‎H¹gâ ‎means "growl," "utter," or "moan" (cf. BDB p. 211 ) as well as "meditate" or "muse." No doubt meditation involved a muttering sound from reading half aloud or conversing with oneself (cf. Ps 77:6). Consequently, translations can vary: e.g., in Job 15:4 "meditation" (RSV) is rendered "prayer" by the AV and "to speak" by the NEB; in the AV Ps 5:1 (MT :2 ) has, "O Lord, consider my meditation", but the RSV has "give heed to my groaning" and the NEB "consider my inmost thought."

Meditation takes place any time of the day or night (Josh 1:8; Ps 1:2). It produces inward strength and joy (Ps 63:5). The object of meditation is particularly the law with its precepts (119:15), statutes (v. 48), testimonies (v. 99), and promises (v. 148). The glorious splendor of God's majesty, along with His wondrous works or miracles, is also the content of meditation (143:5; 145:5). Meditation takes place in the heart, the seat of the emotional and rational life. Therefore, the psalmist prays that the meditation of his heart will be acceptable in God's sight (19:14; 104:34), i.e., he wants his inner thoughts to approach the standard God approves. Thus the righteous, when they encounter the plots of the wicked, maintain a pure mind by meditating on God's law (119:23).

Jesus instructed His followers not to waste their time meditating their anticipated defense before their persecutors. Such confrontations are so versatile and unpredictable that undue preoccupation with them only increases one's anxiety and reduces one's effectiveness in the task at hand. To meet such a crisis Jesus promised special wisdom in speech from the Holy Spirit (Luke 21:14).

Conversely, as Paul taught Timothy, the mind is to be occupied with spiritual matters to increase spiritual growth (1 Tim 4:15, using Gk. ‎meletáœ‎, RSV "practice," AV "mediate").
(from International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, revised edition, Copyright © 1979 by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. All rights reserved.)

Meditating on Scripture

Day One, Meditating on Scripture, 2 Timothy 2:7

2 Tim 2:1-7
1 SO YOU, my son, be strong (strengthened inwardly) in the grace (spiritual blessing) that is [to be found only] in Christ Jesus. 2 And the [instructions] which you have heard from me along with many witnesses, transmit and entrust [as a deposit] to reliable and faithful men who will be competent and qualified to teach others also. 3 Take [with me] your share of the hardships and suffering [which you are called to endure] as a good (first-class) soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 No soldier when in service gets entangled in the enterprises of [civilian] life; his aim is to satisfy and please the one who enlisted him. 5 And if anyone enters competitive games, he is not crowned unless he competes lawfully (fairly, according to the rules laid down). 6 [It is] the hard-working farmer [who labors to produce] who must be the first partaker of the fruits. 7 Think over these things I am saying [understand them and grasp their application], for the Lord will grant you full insight and understanding in everything. amp

Paul is instructing Timothy about be a good servant of God. He tells him to consider these things in verse 7, which refers to verses 1-6 as applied to serving God as a pastor. Paul is telling Timothy that God will give him understanding as he considers, thinks on or meditates on what Paul by the Holy Spirit is telling him.

When we seek to understand a verse or truth in scripture (those things God has had written in the Bible) we must be careful to seek to understand them first within the passage and book they are in and then in the fuller context of the Bible as a whole. When we do this we will gain the understanding God intends. If we do not learn to do this we open ourselves to false teachings.

Application
Today we have learned that when we think on, consider or meditate on the Bible we must look for its meaning and understanding from the Bible itself. Pick a verse from either the ‘I am’ sayings of Jesus in John’s Gospel or the ‘In Him’ scriptures in the first three chapters of Ephesians and begin to meditate, think on and consider it.

You may want use cross references if your Bible has them. Use of an exhaustive concordance such as Strong’s is also helpful as it will allow you to see the Hebrew and Greek definitions of the words used.

I am including word definitions from the Old and New Testaments below to help you get started.

TO MEDITATE: OT Usage
Hagah OT:1897, "to meditate, moan, growl, utter, speak." This word is common to both ancient and modern Hebrew. Found only 25 times in the Hebrew Old Testament, it seems to be an onomatopoetic term (the naming of a thing or action by a vocal imitation of the sound associated with it (as buzz, hiss), reflecting the sighing and low sounds one may make while musing, at least as the ancients practiced it. This meaning is seen in its first occurrence in the text: "This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night..." Josh 1:8. Perhaps the most famous reference "to meditating" on the law day and night is Ps 1:2.

Hagah also expresses the "growl" of lions Isa 31:4 and the "mourning" of doves Isa 38:14. When the word is used in the sense of "to mourn," it apparently emphasizes the sorrowful sounds of mourning, as seen in this parallelism: "Therefore will I howl for Moab, and I will cry out for all Moab; mine heart shall mourn for the men of Kir-heres" Jer 48:31. The idea that mental exercise, planning, often is accompanied by low talking seems to be reflected by Prov 24:1-2: "Be not thou envious against evil men,... for their heart studieth destruction, and their lips talk of mischief.

MEDITATE: NT Usage
meletao (‎meleta/w‎, NT:3191), primarily, "to care for" (akin to melete, "care"; cf. melei, "it is a care"), denotes (a) "to attend to, practice," 1 Tim 4:15, RV, "be diligent in" (KJV, "meditate upon"); to practice is the prevalent sense of the word, and the context is not against this significance in the RV rendering; some mss. have it in Mark 13:11; (b) "to ponder, imagine," Acts 4:25.

This is day one of a 20 day study on meditation on the Facebook Group, The Passionate Participation in God Project @ http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=237088564302
 
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