Torch, Winter 1985

\ How Goes Your Diet of Personal Meditation? Few Americans have experi– enced famine or even observed a person who is starving . Occasion– ally, the media will present vivid pic– torial descriptions of this awful tragedy. We remember these pictures of those who are physically emaciated, weak, sad , and without hope . No one with a heart for people can tum away from such reports without genuine compassion for these who suffer the pangs of hunger. Christians can be spiritually what these poor people are physically . Those of us who neglect feeding upon the Word of God and commun– ing with God, our source of life, will be spiritually weak, emaciated , unhappy , and without purpose in life . Long ago , the prophet of God said , "Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, 0 Lord God of hosts" (Jeremiah 15 : 16) . The Word of God is the essential, sustain– ing food of a believer' s life . It is said to be mi lk (I Peter 2:2) , meat (I Co– rinthians 3:2) , honey (Psalm 19: I 0) , water (Ephesians 5:26) , and bread (Matthew 4 :4). God has indeed provided a well– balanced diet for His people , and it is through meditation that the Word of God is converted into spiritual nourishment. Psalm 119, the longest chapter in the Bible , is without doubt the great– est commentary on the meditational by Dr. James T. Jeremiah life of a Christian. In this Psalm , the word meditate is mentioned at least five times. It means to ponder, com– mune with one ' s self, use praise. Concentrating on a single verse is often better than the mere reading of whole chapters . When is the best time for a Chris– tian to have a special meditation in the Word of God? Surely , we will never find time to meditate. We must take time. Dr . H . A . Ironside said , "To start a day without the usual time in the Word would put everything out of joint. The Bible becomes neces– sary as daily food ; and one would no more think of neglecting this spiritual nourishment after becoming accus– tomed to it than he would forget to partake of material sustenance ." Though a special time is impor– tant , the Psalmist implies that every part of our day should be a time when we meditate in His Word. "Oh how love I Thy law! It is my meditation all the day" (v . 97) . "My eyes stay open through the watches of the night that I may meditate in your promises" (v. 148). If in the sleepless hours of the night we desire to meditate upon God and His Word , we should make it a practice to do the same through the day. It is possible , however, to spend time in Bible reading each morning or evening but have only a spiritual ritual without food for the soul. God talks to us as we seriously meditate , not as we absentmindedly read out of habit. And we talk to Him through conscientious prayer, and real prayer is more than mindlessly repeating well-used religious phrases . Those who meditate often pray: "Open thou mine eyes that I may be– hold wondrous things out of Thy law" (Psalm 119:18). Through medi– tation, He reveals Himself to us, our spiritual eyes are opened , and our lips will express a testimony for His glory . Charles Spurgeon said , "As the miser often returns to look upon his treasure, so does the devout be– liever by frequent meditation tum over the priceless wealth which he has discovered in the Book of the Lord . .. no spiritual exercise is more profitable to the soul than that of devout meditation . Why are many of us so exceedingly slack in it? Consider some of the benefits of personal meditation as they are found in Psalm 119 . Verse 4 reads , "Thou hast com– manded us to keep Thy precepts diligently ." As we meditate on the Word we learn compliance to its commands . Verse 15 states further , " I will meditate in Thy precepts and have respect unto Thy ways. " Meditation produces CONFI– DENCE for the believer in the time of testing . "The princes also did speak against me , but Thy servant did meditate on Thy statutes" (v . 23) . "Princes have persecuted me without a cause : but my heart standeth in awe of Thy word" (v . 161). 5