Meditation is practiced by all the great world religions. It is mentioned 50 times in the Bible.
The Christian practice of meditation is very different from what is practiced by devotees to Eastern religions.
Meditation encouraged in the Christian scriptures involves the focusing of the mind on verses in scripture, or the person and work of Christ and filling one’s mind with thoughts and pictures of His life.
This discipline is essential to the restoring of the soul’s inner security and peace of mind.
“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” Isaiah 26:3 (ESV) And the truly blessed person, with inner prosperity, is described by the Psalmist: “Blessed is the man …. his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.” Psalm 1:1-2. And “I meditate on your word.”
Psalm 119:148 Meditation requires discipline. It does not occur if one does not set aside a time and place, to be free from distractions. We live in a world with so much frenetic activity, that unless we are intentional, we will never experience the joy of this soul restoring practice.
Being alone for more than a few minutes can cause the onset of irrational anxiety.
Blaise Pascal said: “All human evil comes from a single cause, man’s inability to sit still in a room.” Creative juices are free to flow for the artist, writer, politician, or while facing mind numbing difficulties, as we take time to be quiet. But the best illustration of meditation I have found is that of the dedicated artist in an art gallery.
Most of the visitors walk quickly past the great masterpieces, with an occasional comment.
Whereas the serious student sits cross-legged in front of the piece and takes time to carefully study the painting. With note paper in hand, she tries to copy every line, colour, stroke of the artist’s brush.
By doing so her eye, hand and skill are imprinted in such a way, that the time in the art gallery influences the way she paints for the rest of her life.
This is what meditation on a Bible passage can do for us.
The mental pictures of Jesus, through meditation on the narrative, have power to influence the way we think and live for the rest of our lives.
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