"Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night." (Psalm 1:1 and 2 NKJV)
When many people envision meditation the picture that comes to mind is that of a person seated in the Lotus yoga position (cross legged) repeating the same sound or phrase (Their Mantra) over and over. I used to practice what I called meditation. I would sit comfortably and concentrate on some spot on the horizon, and try and empty my mind of any thoughts whatsoever. As God's people we are encouraged to meditate. In the above verses the word meditate is a translation of the Hebrew word "hagah" which means to ponder, imagine, or study. It also means meditate out loud or mourn by muttering, speaking, talking, or uttering. What we are given to concentrate on is the written revelation of God found in the Scriptures.
In the New King James version (NKJV) Psalm 119 has a subtitle that says, "Meditation on the excellence of the Word of God". The 176 verses that make up the Psalm 119 the Word of God is referred to by a variety of terms. It refers to the Law, or the Torah, the first five books of the Bible authored by Moses. The Testimonies which are the ordinances or standards of conduct expected by God. The Way is the pattern of life laid out in the Law. Precepts are the injunctions, requirements, and commands. Statutes are the enacted laws. Commands are distinct authoritative orders. Bindings refers to binding judicial decisions. The word Word is the general term for God's revelation. All these carry the idea of how authoritative the Bible should be in our lives.
Psalm 119 also tells us that acceptance of and adherence to the Word comes with great benefits. These include peace (Vs 166), power to resist (vs 165), joy (vs 16), understanding (vs 99), strength (vs 26), freedom (vs 65), hope (vs 114), comfort (vs 50), no shame (vs 6), reverence (vs 20), a thankful heart (vs 60), a worshipful heart (vs 164), a clean life (vs 9), and generally personal revival (vs 25). I can personally testify to the truth of these benefits, and the opposite as well, when I have had times when God's Word was not what I concentrated upon.
Some may ask "How do you meditate?". Any number of excellent books have been written on how to study, the basic idea behind meditating. My suggestion is to get one at your local Bible bookstore or at the library, and then follow the instructions given.
Dr. Jerry Oberg
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I would consider amending your final paragraph encouraging readers to go to a 'Jesus Junk' store (thanks Bro. Seth Wilson) for meditation methodology assistance. With eastern mysticism's tremendous inroads into churches and the abject ignorance of leaderships in haplessly allowing and even promoting said philosophy under the advice of 'Christian' authors, I believe they would be quite harmed.
Present-day, eastern-influenced meditation calls for altering one's conscious state and emptying one's mind, whether through breathing techniques or repetitious mantras (repeating a word or phrase like "Jesus" in low, even-toned exhale) or a combination. This is as opposite an activity to what scripture means by meditation as can possibly be imagined. Your readers may be better served by a little study (from scripture) on meditation the Holy Spirit calls for.
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