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THINKING DEEPLY ABOUT GOD IN A SHALLOW WORLD
Meditation — or as some of your Bibles translate this word ”take pains with “. What is meditation? Meditation can be described as selecting the digestive faculty of the mind. What we take into our minds we process by meditation.
Meditation is thinking deeply about something; meditation digests what we have learned. There is a terrible spiritual condition of Biblical anorexia — a lack of hunger for God’s Word and its twin sister — Biblical bulimia. Both are the result of a severe deficiency of Biblical meditation.
When we meditate were taking God’s Word, examine it, and turn it over and over in our minds. That is the only way to proper nutrition in our unhealthy world. Surrounded by confusing voices, twisted paths, and hurried lives — God has just the cure for His children.
Paul instructs Timothy to devote himself completely to Jesus Christ. He gives him a simple list of items to follow; they start back in verse seven. He is first to exercise himself toward godliness; then he is to command and teach the truth. In verse 12 is commanded to be an example in all that he does. Then he is to get focused and use his gifts. Then we come to verse 15, meditate on these things. Paul says to think deeply, digest these, and apply them to his life.
In the New Testament world, the Word Paul chose to meditate carries the idea of “being in something” and “giving yourself totally to” that. Like a napkin absorbing water, it’s hard to keep them apart — the napkin draws water to itself. The believer draws the Word into his life.
Meditation controls our thinking; it dominates us. One way to look upon meditation is to think of all of the applications to life that is certain verse could have for us. I would challenge you this morning — start applying God’s Word to your life.
o Think deeply about what this verse implies your response should be to God.
o Think of every possible application that a Scripture can have in your life. If you do that — you are meditating.
A word to all you students — what would you think of a computer class that had no computers for you to work at? Would you feel cheated if you never held a mouse, never typed on a keyboard, never looked at a monitor? Do you get the idea? You’re not really studying the Bible if you read it and never apply it to your life. Meditation is the application to my life.