Churches today are failing to teach and preach biblical meditation. As a result, Christians are weak and anemic. Biblical meditation must become an integral part of a Christian’s life if he is to be a radiant and victorious Christian.¹ There are several reasons why churches are not teaching the Biblical version of meditating God’s Word. Part of it is that the word has taken on negative context because of some practices found in false religions. We will explore that a little bit further later. Notwithstanding the abuse or corruption, there is a Bible concept of meditation, and Jesus followed it. Jesus meditated the Word of God, and I’m going to show that to you in today’s podcast. Why Meditating God’s Word is the Breakfast of Champions – that’s our focus on this week’s Light On Life.

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You can view a basic transcript of this podcast at the bottom of this section.

Accept the Challenge

Each week’s podcast contains a call to action. The Word of God will not produce in your life unless you put it into operation.
This weeks call is:

Learn to meditate on God’s Word. Confess it with your mouth. Think on God’s thoughts and ask Him questions. Chew on the Word all the time.

Join the Conversation

Each week’s podcast also contains a question designed to encourage testimony. Testimony is vital to a believer’s life. We overcome by it (Rev. 12:11).
This week’s question is:

Share one story from your life where meditating God’s Word powered you to God-styled growth. Share your experience in the comments section below.

Episode Resources

You can find more information on the subject of God’s Word by clicking on the links above.

• Why You Can Learn from Rabbis about Being a Doer of the Word – Podcast
• Why Doing the Word of God Is The Ticket to Success
• Why Standing on the Word Is Good Medicine
• Why We Should Listen to the Word of God in the Person of Jesus
• How to Put Yourself In the Word for Healing [Podcast]

About Emery

Emery committed his life to the Lord Jesus Christ over 40 years ago and has served as both a full-time pastor and an itinerant minister. Both he and his wife Sharon of 35 years emphasize personal growth and development through the Word of God. The ministry of the Holy Spirit is both the focus and the hallmark of their mission. Read more about them here.

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If you enjoyed the podcast, please rate it on Stitcher Radio and leave a review. If you have a suggestion for a Bible topic you would like to see taught, or if you have a question, please e-mail me at emery@emeryhorvath.com.

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Podcast Notes

Meditating On The Word: One Secret to Jesus Ministry Effectiveness

• Wilbur W. Smith, a prolific Christian author, and minister wrote the following, and right out of the gate, here is the Quote of the Day.

We should be careful not to give all our time just to reading the Word, to see how much we can cover, but, after reading a portion, we should carefully, prayerfully turn it over in our minds, and appropriate it in our hearts.²

• In the introduction, we mentioned that Jesus practiced meditating the Word of God.
• Now that might surprise you.
• If it does, it’s probably because you think that Jesus just knew everything because He was the Son of God.
• You know that there are three distinct traits of divinity:
  • Omniscience – that is, God is all-knowing
  • Omnipresent – that is God everywhere at the same time,
  • Omnipotent – that is, God is all-powerful.
• We think that Jesus because He was the Son of God, possessed all of the attributes of divinity.
• But it is really easy to stop and see that He didn’t.
• The easiest one to see is Omnipresence.
• When Jesus was born in a manger in Bethlehem, thatís where He was.
• He wasn’t in China at the same time.
• Magi came to see Him – they had to search out His address to come and visit Him.
• Jesus wasn’t Omnipotent.
• For one, He did no mighty work in Nazareth.

Mark 6:5 (ESV) – 5 And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them.

• The scripture says Jesus couldnít do any mighty work in His hometown of Nazareth.
• It didn’t say He wouldn’t – it said He couldn’t.
• ‘Couldn’t’ is not the language of Omnipotence.
• The Scriptures also records that Jesus did no miracles before the age of thirty.
• Do you mean Jesus saw people sick when He was age 29 and with His omnipotent power didn’t help them?
• No, that’s not what happened.
• Jesus couldn’t help them via His omnipotence because He didn’t have any omnipotence to help them with.
• What happened at age thirty?
• The Spirit of God came upon Him at the Jordan River.

Matthew 3:16 (ESV) – 16 And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him;

• The Spirit of God came upon Jesus.
• God’s power, the anointing of God, came to rest on Him.
• Just like the Spirit of God came upon Sampson in the Old Testament, causing the lion to be torn in two.
• You can read about that in the book of Judges.

Judges 14:6 (TNIV) – 6 The Spirit of the LORD came on him in power so that he tore the lion apart with his bare hands as he might have torn a young goat. But he told neither his father nor his mother what he had done.

• The same Spirit came to rest upon Jesus – except with one difference – that anointing, that power was at the highest level ever to rest upon a human person.

John 3:34 (ESV) – 34 For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure.

• Can I just tell you, you can’t handle His power resting on you full strength.
• You can only handle it in a measure.
• In the next chapter of Matthew – chapter four – chapter three is where the Holy Spirit comes upon Jesus, – that next chapter declares this about the works that Jesus did.

Matthew 4:23 (ESV) – 23 And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people.

• Before the Spirit encounter at the Jordan, no one was healed, but afterward – every affliction and every disease was healed.
• So, again, the power display in Jesus’ ministry resulted from the anointing come to rest upon Him when He stepped into the fullness of His ministry.
• And, lastly, we can say with absolute certainty that Jesus was not omniscient.
• There were things that Jesus did not know.

Luke 2:52 (ESV) – 52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.

• The Greek word ‘increased’ used here means to advance forward.
• If you are ‘all-knowing,’ why would you need to advance? – you have already arrived – you are already at the finished line.

Mark 11:12-13 (ESV) – 12 On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry. 13 And seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.

• Jesus went up to the fig tree to SEE if there was any fruit on it.
• Seeing is not the language of omniscience.
• Omniscience knows there’s no fruit on the tree and so it doesn’t need to go and look to see.
• So the question comes down to this basically – if Jesus wasn’t all-knowing, if He wasn’t omniscient, how did He know the Bible as well He did – well enough to question the Jewish scribes and teachers at the tender age of twelve?
• You know, we see this exchange in Luke two.

Luke 2:46 (TNIV) – 46 After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.

• How did Jesus have such a command of the Word even at such a young age?
• The 119th Psalm has at least part of the answer.

Psalm 119:97-99 (ESV) – 97 Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day. 98 Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies, for it is ever with me. 99 I have more understanding than all my teachers, for your testimonies are my meditation.

Meditating God’s Word: Loving the Law

• There is a tremendous advantage to having the right words in your mouth.
• Listen to David here: ‘Oh, how I love your law. Oh, how I love your Word.’
• How did Jesus know the Word? – by meditating on it more than the ancients.

Psalm 1:1-3 (ESV) – 1 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; 2 but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. 3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.

• Blessed is the man – the question is ‘what kind of man is this?’
• Well, the scripture here tells you what kind of man it is.
• It’s a man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked.
• ‘Walking in the counsel of the ungodly’ means then not planning or taking advice for your life from ungodly people.
• Do not walk out that advice – do not incorporate that counsel into your life.
• Such a man who rigidly refuses to stand in the way of sinners.
• It’s a man who says forget about sitting in the seat of scoffers.
• If you walk, stand, sit in the ways of sin, you will not increase; in fact, you will decrease.
• This man who refuses these things is a certain kind of man – a man of God – a man from God – a man who walks with God.
• Now, these descriptors are all on the negative side.
• But, being a Jesus follower is not just about not doing certain things that are bad and sinful.
• Like some people who are stuck in their thinking when presented with the gospel.
• They think sin is fun and Jesus is no fun – so I don’t want to come to Jesus because He’s boring – because He asks you not to stand in the way of sinners.
• Sin is fun; that’s a fact; at least it starts that way.
• But, it won’t satisfy you, it is addictive, and you will always crave more.
• Sin leaves you longing – leaves you reaching – leaves you unfulfilled.
• But righteousness, living godly, is profitable, healthy, and satisfying and has rewards way past the boundaries of mortality – having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.
• Listen to it now: the distinguishing traits of a man who is having real fun in life – ‘His delight is in the law of the LORD.’
• The word ‘delight,’ in Hebrew, is a happy word.
• And, with that thought, here is the Definition of the Day.
• The Hebrew word ‘delight’ means of extreme pleasure or satisfaction.
• A plethora of pleasure and supreme satisfaction belongs to the godly man who engages the Word.
• So, here’s the scriptural principle, ‘if you are not having fun, you are not doing it right.’
• Bible reading is fun, revelation is thrilling, it satisfies that something deep inside your being.
• The world sees Jesus followers who are not doing it right; they have no joy, they’re worn down, broke down, falling into the same potholes they are.
• They fear the same things that they are fearing, so they are saying, ‘why do I need Jesus?’
• One person came into the office a way back – the company wanted a few people to take a trip to the main plant in Texas.
• This person said, ‘I don’t want to fly to Texas, I’ve never flown, and I’m afraid.’
• I told her, ‘You don’t have to be afraid, just fly with me – as long as I am on the plane, you’ll be alright.’
• Now, that’s not positive thinking.
• I am factual – I’m scriptural – not just positive – I can’t help that the fact of God’s Word is positive.
• The Lord doesn’t have a negative bone in His body.
• Do you understand that expression?

Romans 11:33 (ESV) – 33 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!

• His ways are so much higher than our ways – His thinking is galaxies wider than our thought processes.
• Listen to it – Listen to Paul.

Philippians 1:21ñ25 (ESV) – 21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22 If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. 23 I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. 24 But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. 25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith,

• Paul said, ‘I know, I will continue with you.’
• I know, not I think so – not I hope so.
• That’s what I was telling this woman.
• The woman didn’t understand what I was saying to her.
• So, the office secretary explained it to her.
• She said it’s because of his belief, his conviction, his faith.
• The woman said, ‘Well, okay, I am flying with you.’
• Well, okay, let’s fly – let’s have fun flying – now, you may be one that likes driving – you have great fun driving – then have fun driving – but whatever you do, ditch the fear because living in fear is never fun.
• The world sees Jesus’ followers who are not doing it right; they say I can have a sub-standard life without Him.
• So, this person described in these three verses in Psalms one is not a sad person who approaches the Word out of a sense of duty.
• This person doesn’t read their Bible because of duty.
• Living a life of passion is way more fun than JUST living a life of discipline.³
• So, this man loves Godís Word and has a good time when he engages it.
• On his law, he meditates day and night.
• That means all the time – that implies that the Word is the center of this person’s world.
• Build your life around the Word – don’t build the Word into your schedule.

Meditating the Word: Like A Tree

Psalm 1:3 (ESV) – 3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.

• Listen to God’s thinking.
• He shall be like a tree – not a scrub bush, a tree.
• Think big tree – mighty oak tree – huge pecan tree – think Sequoia style tree.
• A tree has increase built its photo-synthesized self.
• This tree is planted in its right environment.
• It has rivers of water to sustain it – did you hear that?
• Rivers – not little drips from a faucet – rivers plural – meaning more than one source – when you think God, think big.
• When you think river – think Nile River – think Mississippi River – think Amazon River.
• Big rivers, Big God, deeply rooted, super-sized increase.

Meditating the Word

• So this godly person meditates the Word all the time – that’s what day and night means.
• What does it mean to meditate on the Word of God?
• With that thought, here is the Quote of the Day.

Meditation is simply thought prolonged and directed to a single object. Your mystic chambers where thoughts abide are the secret worship of an unseen Sculptor chiseling living forms for a deathless future. Personality and influence are modeled here⁴

Joshua 1:8 (ESV) – 8 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.

• Bible meditation is where you FILL your mind with God’s Word.
• What does that mean? Fill your mind with God’s Word?
• How do you do that exactly?
• Take a particular scripture and quote it to yourself.
• Turn it over and again in your mind.
• Dissect each word.
• Ask questions of the scripture.
• Turn your questions over to the Lord – ask the Spirit of God – what did you mean by that?
• Check your spirit – see what rises up.
• If He says something – great – if not, shelf your question and wait on Him.
• He will give you the answers you seek in the course of time.
• Why wouldn’t He?
• The very hairs of your head are all numbered.
• Eastern meditation – the weird stuff – the chanting stuff is a chameleon copy.
• It’s falsehood and deceptive – with the enemy’s version of meditation, you EMPTY your mind.
• Chanting is not the way of God.
• The Lord doesn’t want your mind empty; He wants it full.

Isaiah 26:3 (ESV) – 3 You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.

• God wants you full of peace.
• He wants your mind fixed on Him and His Word.
• Now, instead of saying fixed on His Word, can we instead say fixed on His words?
• Think about what He said.

Colossians 3:1ñ3 (ESV) – 1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

• Setting your mind on the things above has in it the element of meditating.

1 John 1:5 (ESV) – 5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

• When you think about the God who is light, light comes.
• Illumination comes ó what was in the dark becomes clearer.

The following illustration from A Primer on Meditation points out what happens when the mind is directed and focused on one thing: ‘M. A. Rosanoff, long associated with Thomas Edison, had worked futilely for over a year to soften the wax of phonograph cylinders by altering their chemical constitution. The results were negative. Rosanoff relates how he mused night after night trying to ‘mentally cough up’ every theoretical and practical solution. Then is came like a flash of lightning. I could not shut waxes out of my mind, even in my sleep. Suddenly, through headache and daze, I saw the solution. The first thing the next morning, I was at my desk; and half an hour later I had a record in the softened wax cylinder…This was the solution! I learned to think waxes…waxes…waxes, and the answer came without effort, although months of thought had gone into the mental mill.’⁵

• If you meditate on God’s Word long enough and strong enough, the way to act on the Word will suddenly come into focus.

Meditating the Word: Feed Yourself the Word

• So many of God’s people depend on the ministry gifts He has placed in the church for their sustenance.
• That is, the only they receive is the Word they get from their pastor on a Sunday morning.
• God put those gifts in the church for you – but you understand there are rivers of water to sustain you.
• Learn to feed yourself the Word.
• One of the great areas of joy and development in a baby’s life is when they learn to feed themselves.
• What smiles and gladness that puts in the heart of a parent.
• The same is true of your heavenly Father.
• As you look to Him alone for help – for growth – for development – for direction – that brings joy to His heart.

Meditating the Word: Observing to Do

• In close connection with meditation is doing the Word.
• We are not just thinking about working out and exercising; we are going to the gym – we are using resistance – that helps us grow.
• Take another look at the verse in Joshua one that we already quoted.

Joshua 1:8 (ESV) – 8 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.

• Notice, you, meditate so that you may OBSERVE TO DO.

Leviticus 26:3-6 (ESV) – 3 If you walk in my statutes and observe my commandments and do them, 4 then I will give you your rains in their season, and the land shall yield its increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. 5 Your threshing shall last to the time of the grape harvest, and the grape harvest shall last to the time for sowing. And you shall eat your bread to the full and dwell in your land securely. 6 I will give peace in the land, and you shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid. And I will remove harmful beasts from the land, and the sword shall not go through your land.

• If you want an increase, you must put into operation what you already know to do.
• You know way more Bible than you give yourself credit for.
• As we get ready to close, let’s revisit the words of the Psalmist.

Psalm 1:1ñ2 (ESV) – 1 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; 2 but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.

• The Law of the Lord, the Torah of God, means His direction, His instruction, His teaching.
• Doing the Word should be our joy.
• It should be our delight.
• We should be happy and ecstatic to know His teaching.
• Your insides should be flipping cartwheels as you think about the pricelessness of knowing His thoughts.
• Meditation is one tool in your toolbox.
• You guys have a great God week, and we will see you next time for another edition of Light On Life.

Time in the Word So Rivers Can Flow

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