Meditation of My Heart
May 27, 2020
By Pastor Dan Chun
Psalm 19:14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.
How can we have hearts that are meditating on Godʻs Word? With all of the stress and challenges in life, we certainly need that refreshing stream of Godʻs thoughts and wisdom from Scripture, slowly flowing into our hearts and souls. We need that calming effect. We need His Word to rinse and cleanse our hearts. The result is that we live good and healthy lives that are acceptable in Godʻs sight.
This is not to say that God is the kind of god that watches our every step to make sure we are perfect. No, this is the God who is trying to say if we know and follow His Word, we will live a life that He and we will find acceptable. We will have a full and meaningful life that even our mouths are repeating the wisdom from above.
But how do we have that stream of Godʻs thoughts running through us? We are all so busy.
So it really comes down to choice. Can we choose to have hearts that meditate on Godʻs Word? Can we make the choice to carve out some time to meditate on Godʻs Word, to just listen to it. Is there a way we can meditate on His word whether sitting in a chair, or while cooking or cleaning, or while driving or walking?
Hereʻs the interesting thing. If ever there were a generation to whom God has given the aids to help in that daily meditation on Scripture, it is this generation. We have apps, audio Bibles, and tools on social media that make it possible.
Here are a few tools you can use to listen to on your phone or computer that can truly help us hear the words of God, and feel it washing over us and into our souls.
• Pray as you go: An app with contemplative music, a Scripture passage, questions for reflection, and a framework for your own prayer.
• BIOY (Bible in One Year): An app, out of Holy Trinity Brompton Church in London, with Scripture passages and commentary from Alphaʻs Nicky Gumbel. In one year of listening to this, you will have heard the entire Bible!
• YouVersion: Get this app on your phone, and just pick from a wide variety of Bible versions. As you know, I personally like the NIV UK version with David Suchet (the actor who plays Hercule Poirot in the Agatha Christie Mysteries). Pick a Bible version or a daily devotional (in addition to the First Prez daily devotionals), and go through it every day.
• The Bible Experience: An audio Bible featuring an all black cast as Scripture readers, including Denzel Washigton and Samuel Jackson.
• The Word of Promise: A dramatized audio Bible featuring an all-star cast of actors as Scripture readers, like Jim Caviezel, Richard Dreyfuss, Gary Sinise, and Marisa Tomei.
• Daily Faith Sharing: This is a reflection and teaching by James Martin, S.J, on Facebook live. He’s a wonderful Jesuit priest (gee, I’m getting ecumenical here), who gives a delightful 30-minute presentation of a Scripture passage every day at 9 am (except Saturday). You can even write real-time questions and comments.
There are so many ways we can be assisted in our meditation that we really have no excuse.
But like dieting or exercising, sometimes itʻs easier to do it in a group. So there is always the popular Just Show Up that our Sarah Umamoto heads up and right now you can do it from your home and listen with others for about 25 to 40 minutes depending on the selected Bible passages. You can find out about that by writing Sarah at sumamoto@himonline.org.
Prayer: Lord, may we have lives thar are always meditating on Your words. Fill us with Your wisdom and the Holy Spirit as we listen. And may we truly live lives acceptable to You. In Christʻs name, Amen.
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