The subject of Bible meditation and its powerful positive benefits, which largely has to do with the changing of our minds to God’s Will, ways and purpose, is of utmost importance if we are going to experience and live in the blessings of God. So let us now take a look in God’s Word, the Bible, and see who God says we are in Christ Jesus, what God says we are in Christ Jesus and what God says is ours in Christ Jesus.
There are so many Scriptures concerning these things but we will examine three of them along these lines and how to meditate upon them.
Meditation in the Word of God is vital to Christian growth and development. The Word of God admonishes us to grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 3:18, King James Version of the Bible) To grow in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, we must feed upon the Word of God, getting an understanding of the Word and changing the way we think to line up with God’s Word, and then put it into practice in our daily lives. There is no other way.
God’s Holy Written Word, the Bible, is the greatest source of inspiration, motivation, information and truth that exist. It will give rest, peace, stability and refreshment to our weary souls and healing and health to our flesh if we read it daily and learn how to meditate in its precious promises. Yes, that is right, there is healing in the Word of God. (The Bible)
We should be feeding upon His Word, often. And through meditation we can feed upon His life-changing Word every moment of every day. You may not be able to read every moment of everyday. You have other things to do. You may not be able to study every moment. You may have other things to do. But you can meditate in His Word every moment of everyday, even while you do other things. If you can worry all the time (and you know that is possible), then you can meditate all the time, because worry is simply meditation upon fearful thoughts. Bible meditation is thinking based upon what God says, instead of what society says. God’s Word admonishes us to meditate in His Word day and night. That means meditate all the time.
Meditation in God’s Word, if properly taught and learned, can be done all the time. The Word of God can be going through your mind constantly and consistently, until it controls your thought life. When our minds are so filled and flooded with God’s Eternal Word concerning how to live and walk as believers in Jesus Christ, that it controls what we think, the way we think and how we think, and so fills our imagination that we are absorbed in it and can see and picture ourselves saying His Words and doing His Words, we will live the God kind of life with little or no effort.
I know that many of us have yet to really understand what I am about to say, but I really encourage you to muse, ponder and think upon the following statement until it becomes alive in you, until the Blessed Holy Spirit is able to reveal and unveil its essence and reality to your heart, in your spirit:
God’s Word is the place of His supernatural power. It is filled with God Himself because it is His Word. His Words are spiritual seeds of wisdom which when planted into the heart, through constant meditation and speaking, grows up in the every life and character of the person in and from the ground of whose heart it springs forth, and produces such as essence of Christ likeness that the believer literally is flooded with the very life and love of God and therefore walks in the power and glory of the presence of God, even in tangible ways.
Meditation in God’s Word changes the way that we think, therefore the way that we speak, therefore the way that we act, therefore the way that we treat others, therefore the results and experiences that we have in this journey of life.
Let us look then, at three passages of Scriptures and learn how to meditate in them to feed upon the truth and be transformed by their life-giving essence.
The first Scripture is found in the Book of 2 Corinthians. Let us feast upon this verse of Scripture so that God’s truth can come alive in us and thereby set us free from the past, releasing us to live anew in the present, with glorious hope and optimism for the future.
2 Corinthians 5:17-18
“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all these things are of God, Who hath reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation.”
Let us now meditate upon these verses that the Holy Spirit may illumine them to our hearts, teaching our spirits and altering our thoughts to give us a new self-image of ourselves according to God’s view of ourselves rather than the world’s view of ourselves.
As we muse and ponder upon these two verses, let us not be in a hurry. The very first word in these verses stands out. It makes us wonder. It is the word, “therefore”. As we think upon this word it becomes evident that we must go back up in this chapter and find out what the therefore is there for. So let us begin our reading from 2 Corinthians 5: 14-16.
“For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: And that He died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him which died for them, and rose again. Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we Him no more.”
Now this explains the therefore for us. Because of what God has done for us in Christ Jesus, because of His great love for us, because of our response to His love, because we have made to decision to live for Jesus now, and because we made Him our Lord, therefore, we are now in Christ. Think upon that. We are in Christ. Say it softly to yourself: I am in Christ. I am in Him now. I am a part of Him, a part of His body, the church. I am a part of Him as the branch is a part of the Vine. He is the Vine and I am a branch in Him. Ponder this truth for a few minutes. Say it again and again to yourself: I am in Christ Jesus. I am no longer alone. I am in Him. He is in me. We are connected. We are in each other. I am in Christ and He is in me.
Now that we have seen and settled the matter, even as the Word has already settled it, that we are in Christ, let us look at who we are in Him. The verse goes on to say, If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. Oh my. Muse upon this. Say it, mutter it to yourself, I am in Christ Jesus. I am a new creature. I am new. Now think about the word new. You are new. Say that, I am new. Think about this. You have started life all over again. You are new. The old you is gone, gone, gone. You are new. Your past sins are gone. Your past failures are gone. Your past hurts and wounds are gone. They are gone. You are new. Say that again: I am new.
You can stop feeling guilty for sins you did in the past. That old you is dead and gone. You are new. New. What about the past hate you had for people who may have harmed you in the past? The, you, that was hurt is gone and with it, the hurt that they caused that old you and the hate that old you had for them as well. You are new. And the new creature (creation) that you have become is filled with life, the life of God. The life of God is the love of God for God is love. Therefore you are a new creation, a love creation, filled with God’s love. This means you can love the people that the old you hated. You are new.
Look at that first statement in verse eighteen: And all these things are of God. All what things? All the new things that we have become in Christ. All these new things in the new creation are of God. This means that the new you and the new me has God’s life and nature. Again, His nature is Love. So we are full of love, God’s love. This brings to mind, Romans 5:5. God’s love is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given to us. We are full of love. Say that: I am full of love, God’s love. In Christ, I am a new creation, a new person, a love creation, a love person. As a love person, filled with God’s love, I can love anybody. My Lord Jesus commands me to love everybody. His commandment to me is to love people as He loved me. So, in obedience to Him I choose to love everyone. I’m new and the new me does not want to hate anyone. The new me is a love me and the new me in Christ loves everyone.
One of the components of love is forgiveness. Therefore the new me in Christ does not hold a grudge. The new me loves, therefore the new me forgives all who try to hurt or offend me. Now whisper it to yourself over and over again until you hear it: I am a new person in Christ Jesus. I am a love person in Christ. I am a forgiving person in Christ Jesus. My past is gone and should be forgotten. My past failures are gone. The old me who was a failure is gone. The new me in Christ Jesus is not a failure. God made me new. I am new.
Now visualize yourself as new in Christ. See yourself brand new. See yourself as new love creation or person, who has no hurt, no unforgiveness, no failure. Can you see you as a new person, a loving person, a person who holds no grudges, a whole person, a clean person, a forgiving person? If you have trouble seeing yourself this way, then go back and repeat the above confessions until your mental view of yourself changes to match what God says about you. When His image of you becomes alive in your spirit and becomes a stronghold in your mind and thinking, it will transform your behavior.
You will begin to act like a new person, a love person, a forgiving person, a person whose sins are gone, a person who is in Christ, because that is who you now are. Feed on these truths until they become alive in you. Then believe and practice acting like you are a new person, a love person, a forgiving person in Christ, because this is who you, the real you, the new you, that you have become.
Let us meditate upon another passage from God’s Word concerning who we are and what we have in Christ. Keep in mind that we are doing this so that we may change the way we think. In thinking different, we will speak different and act or live different. Our minds are must in the process of change. Our spirits are not the problem. Our spirits are reborn, born again, born from above, born in Christ Jesus. But if we don’t change our minds to think as this new creature or new person that we have become, we will never be able to live in the newness of life. Therefore it is vital that we deal with our thought life, the way we think, about ourselves and even about other people.
Let us now meditate Ephesians 2:10
“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”
Let us look at this passage from the Amplified Bible before we begin to meditate upon it.
Ephesians 2:10 (Amplified Bible)
“For we are God’s [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live].”
Oh my, this particular verse of Scripture is so filled with life, so full of good truths that we should take our time and muse upon it.
Firstly, we are God’s workmanship, His own handiwork. We are recreated of God. We are born of Him. Oh wow. We are born of the Almighty God, the Creator of the universe. This reminds me of John 1.
John 1: 12-13
“But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His Name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”
Say it: I am born of Almighty God. I am born of Him. I am His child. I am His creation, His recreation. Not only so, but I am His handiwork. As the potter makes the clay into a vessel of beauty and usefulness, even so God has recreated me and made me into a vessel of beauty and usefulness. Say it under your breath: I am born of God. I am born of God. I am His handiwork.
Notice again that we have been recreated in Christ Jesus. Say it aloud: I am in Christ Jesus. I am bone of His bones and flesh of His flesh. I am connected to the Lord Jesus Christ. I am a branch in the Vine. I am in Christ Jesus now.
Now look at the next statement in this verse of Scripture: I am God’s handiwork created in Christ Jesus unto good works. Wow. Muse with me upon this marvelous truth. We have been recreated in Christ for a purpose a Heavenly Purpose. And that purpose is to do good works, to do the works which God had set in our destiny from the foundation of the world. This means that we are not an accident. We are not here by happenstance. We are by God’s Divine Design. We are recreated in Christ Jesus so that we may fulfill God’s Will. The Amplified Bible says we are recreated in Christ Jesus so that we can live the good life, which God had predetermined for us. The good life. Say that to yourself five times: God recreated me in Christ Jesus to live the good life. God recreated me in Christ Jesus to live the good life. God recreated me in Christ Jesus to live the good life. God recreated me in Christ Jesus to live the good life. Now say it aloud. I am recreated in Christ Jesus to live the good life.
What is the good life? Jesus said that He came so that we could have life and have it more abundantly. The Amplified Bible renders that phrase,
“I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows.)” John 10:10b, Amplified Bible.
Repeat that to yourself: God wants me to have and enjoy life. I am supposed to enjoy life, the good life that He has predestined for me. The good life belongs to me. I am in Christ Jesus.
Wow. Just pause and think about this for a moment. God set some good things in your destiny before the foundation of the world. Before you were even conceived the first time, He had you on His Mind. You were in His thoughts before you were a thought in your parents, grandparents or even great grandparents minds. God made a wonderful, life-altering, beautiful plan for you to live the good life, to experience and enjoy life, abundant life, to the full, until it overflows. Then He made sure that you heard the Good News of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ so that you could receive Him, be born from above, recreated in Christ, and enabled by His Spirit to have and enjoy life, real life, God’s kind of life.
So if I am not enjoying life, I am missing out on God’s best for me. I am missing out on the fullness of His Will. What is the good life that He has predestined for me? It involves me experiencing the richness of His grace that He has provided for me in Christ. It involves all of the blessings that He has blessed me with, in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 1:3)
Now read through the entire Book of Ephesians at least three to four times and mark every verse that shows what you and I have inherited in Christ Jesus. These spiritual blessings, understood, received and experienced, helps us to enjoy that good life which Almighty God had predestined or set in our destiny from the foundation of the world. There are so many of these blessings which we have inherited in Christ, that it would take an entire book on its own to elaborate upon them all. But I believe you can see how awesome this particular verse of Scripture is. And I trust that you are getting a better understanding of meditating in God’s Holy Word, how to do it and gain knowledge and wisdom, as well as the power His Word has to change the way you think, thereby change the way you talk and thereby change the way you live.
God has designed that we live the good life. Sickness is not a path of the good life, is it? Living in poverty is not what we would consider a good life either. Neither is living the good life, a life filled with misery, depression and regret, would we?
These are not a part of what God had envisioned for us, when He prepared the path to the good life for us. According to the Word of God, the good life is a life of healing, health, prosperity, well-being, love, peace and joy. This is what our Wonderful and Loving Heavenly Father has provided for us, His children. And, to top it off, we shall have the great pleasure and awesome delight of spending eternity in His very Presence. Oh glory to Almighty God our Father.
Let us look at and meditate one more verse from God’s Word and practice meditating on it as to our standing in Christ Jesus. It is a familiar verse of Scripture. Yet I believe that as we meditate upon it we shall be enlightened and our thinking shall be changed even more and come in line with God.
Philippians 4:13
“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”
As we prepare to meditate, mutter this verse to yourself over and over, at the least, three to five times. Remember that muttering God’s Word is one of the definitions of Bible Meditation. Now before we muse upon this powerful truth from God’s Word, let us refer to the Amplified Bible’s translation of Philippians 4:13.
Philippians 4:13 (Amplified Bible)
“I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency].
Oh my beloved in Christ Jesus. Meditate upon this marvelous truth from God’s Word and it will release you from fear, doubt and inferiority.
Firstly note and mutter the words, I can do. I can do. This reveals that I have the ability to do. This shows that I am able to do. This tells me that I am good for something. I have some worth and value. I can accomplish things that are noteworthy, wholesome and good. I can do. Away with thoughts of inefficiency and inability. Away with thoughts of fear and doubt, which try to tell me that if I attempt to do something, I would always fail. The devil is a liar. I am good for something. I have worth and value. I can do. I can do. I can do.
Now what can I do? I can do all things.
We must not just meditate upon the words all things because it is obvious that we cannot do all things. God never made us to do all things. He gifted us for various things, but not all things. So, keeping these words in line with the rest of the passage and indeed within the context of the entire Book of Philippians, where it is written, is a must.
Therefore, looking at the all things that this verse of Scripture is speaking of, from the context of the passage and the entire Book, it says I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me. So, the all things that I can do are dependent upon the all things that Christ strengthens me to do. So my dependency to do the all things which Christ strengthens me to do should be upon the Christ Who strengthens me to do the things, for apart from and without Him I can do nothing. (John 5:5)
But for what purpose does Christ strengthen me? What, all things, does He strengthen me and thus empower me to do? From reading the verses before verse thirteen, I can see that He strengthens me to handle situations and circumstances in His wisdom and ability. I am empowered therefore to face challenges and win. I need not fear challenges for they are opportunities in disguise. These situations which I face moves me to look to Him Who strengthens me, to show me what to do, how to do it, when to do it, where to do it, who to talk to and find favor with, who not to trust, and take an impartation of His power ability and energy to remedy the situation or withstand the storm.
I therefore know that no matter the challenge, I am a victor in Christ Jesus, for He is enabling me to meet it and defeat it as more than a conqueror, to His glory. Praise the Lord.
When reading the entire Book of Philippians and therefore seeing Philippians 4:13 from the entire Book perspective, I can see that the apostle Paul was speaking of his standing before Almighty God as an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ. He was saying that he was enabled by Christ to carry out his calling and purpose from God, going through every difficulty, conquering every situation and staying focus upon what God called him to do.
Seeing that this is what the Blessed Holy Spirit was saying through the apostle Paul in this verse of Scripture, I then understand that He is letting me know that I, likewise have a call from God, a purpose for what I have been chosen, a path which I am supposed to take. And God is letting me know that this path has its share of challenges, its obstacles, its times of temptations and snares, set by the adversary, to try to turn me away from my call and break my focus from the path He has given me to walk.
God is not hiding anything from me. He is letting me know that when and as I submit to His Call upon my life, I must not think that it will all come easy, with no setbacks, with no giants to challenge me. But He is also letting me know that through Christ, I can defeat each giant, weather each storm and conquer every obstacle and fulfill His Will for my life and finish my course with joy.
How can I do this? What do I have at my disposal? Some of these giants I face can sometimes look pretty big. But I can conquer them through Christ which strengthens me. Through Christ. Meditate upon these seemingly simple, but yet powerful words with me. Through Christ. The reason I can overcome each obstacle is because of these two words, through Christ.
I am not alone. I am never alone. Christ is with me. He has promised that He will never leave me, nor forsake me. (Hebrews 13:5) He has promised that as I fulfill God’s Will for my life, He will be with me to the end of the world. (Matthew 28:20) So, I am never alone. I am not facing my challenges alone. I am not in the situation alone. I have Somebody with me. I have Somebody in me. And greater is He Who is in me, than he who is in the world. (1 John 4:4)
In Jesus Christ are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. So I have at my disposal all of the wisdom and knowledge I will ever need to deal with the storms of life that come my way. I can handle them, because He is with me, giving me of His wisdom and empowerment to be the master of each challenge. Therefore these obstacles are really opportunities in disguise, for leaning upon the Greater One, I overcome each one and God gets the glory. (Praise the Lord)
How am I overcoming each challenge? Through Christ which strengthens me. But what does the word Christ mean? According to James Strong’s Concordance of the Bible, Christ comes from the Greek word, Christos. It means, The Anointed One. So Jesus is the Anointed One. And I am thus enabled to do all I am supposed to do, to God’s glory, through drawing my strength from His Anointing, which is His power to be effective and get results.
As you can see, through meditating upon this passage from God’s Word, we can, by the enlightenment of the Blessed Holy Spirit, go on and on and on and understand more and more. It is loaded with revelation.
But we must stop here and move on with our lessons on how to grow and develop spiritually for there are several more keys we must examine, a few more areas that we must discuss.
It was my goal, as we mused upon these three passages of Scriptures from God’s Word, to show you, in a more practical way how meditation in the Word is done, so that you may personally avail yourself to it and thereby be blessed by its various benefits, one of which is changing the way you think, therefore altering the way you speak and the manner in which you behave, and therefore, changing the experiences that you have, to enjoy the fruit of the life God has provided for you and I in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.