“Praise the Lord, my soul; and all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits.”- Psalm 103:1-2
Timothy Keller continues Chapter 10 of Prayer by exploring the relationship between meditation and our mind/heart. He notes that when Psalm 1 calls us to meditate, it uses a word that literally means “to mutter”- referencing the fact that, particularly in ancient times, Scripture was recited aloud from memory.
Pastor Keller emphasizes that meditation on a biblical text only is possible if we already know something about what that text means. However, before we can meditate on what the text means to us and our time, we need to know as much as possible about what the author was saying to his readers when he wrote the text. Pastor Keller adds that Christian meditation is not only quite rational, but also argumentative. The author explains:
“Christian meditation . . . stimulates our analysis and reflection- and centers it on the glory and grace of God.”
Yet, the metaphor in Psalm 1 of a “tree planted by streams of water” indicates that we must not merely know a truth, but take it inside and make it a part of ourselves. Thus, Christian meditation is:
1. spiritually “tasting” the Scripture
2. spiritually “digesting” the Scripture
3. drawing strength from Scripture
As David wrote in Psalm 103, we must take truth down into our hearts before the face of God, for often our instinctive responses don’t connect themselves to the truth we profess.
Today’s question: How has being intentional about memorizing Scripture been a blessing during your desert, transition time? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “Enjoying the Lord”