water sky2I like what Norman Vincent Peale said: “It seems there is an invisible reservoir of abundance which can be tapped by obeying certain spiritual laws.” In difficult times people search out resources to sustain themselves. Those who put their trust in God and learn to tap into His supply will not lack and will even flourish. There is an art of meditation upon God’s Word, which draws out His wisdom and His supernatural power to produce amazing results. Meditation is often overlooked and skipped as we go through the daily affairs of life; it’s important to study how to meditate and what to meditate on in order to see the results of Christian meditation.

But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in His law doth he meditate day and night; and He shall be like a tree that’s planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. (Psalm 1:2-3 KJV)

You thrill to God’s Word, you chew on Scripture day and night. You’re a tree replanted in Eden, bearing fresh fruit every month, never dropping a leaf, always in blossom. (Psalm 1:2-3, Message Bible)

Most blessed is the man who believes in, trusts in, and relies on the Lord, and whose hope and confidence the Lord is. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters that spreads out its roots by the river; and it shall not see and fear when heat comes; but its leaf shall be green, It shall not be anxious and full of care in the year of drought, nor shall it cease yielding fruit. (Jer. 17:7-8)

Most blessed is the man who trusts me, God, the woman who sticks with God. They’re like trees replanted in Eden, putting down roots near the rivers. Never a worry through the hottest of summers, never dropping a leaf, serene and calm through droughts, bearing fresh fruit every season. (Jer. 17:8, Message Bible)

In 1 Timothy 4:15, Paul said to “meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them, that thy profiting may appear to all.” When a tree is well watered, it is evident to all because you can see the fruit and the green leaves. In the same way, those around you can see the results of the Word working in your life. The fruit of blessing, health and peace is very tangible!

HOW TO MEDITATE

The dictionary defines the word meditate as this: to talk with yourself, mutter, cogitate; it is an inward and outward conversation; it means to study, chew over, think over, ponder, excogitate, muse, reflect, mull over, speculate. The word “cogitate” means to think deeply, think out, think up, dream up, and to hatch. Excogitate is to invent; create mentally. Christian meditation is NOT sitting on the floor with your legs crossed, humming to yourself and emptying your mind. Meditation is a relationship with the Word of God.

If you know how to worry or if you have been offended, then you know how to meditate. You constantly think about what could happen, what is happening and speculate about the results. It even affects your body and emotions! The Bible originated in the East where the culture is given to meditation and it has much to say about this exercise.

Philippians 4:6,7 says not to worry about anything, but to turn those worries into requests followed by thanksgiving. God promises to surround your heart with His peace. According to verse 8, our part is to do something with our thoughts. We are to meditate or think about things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous, and begin praising instead of worrying.

According as His divine power has given unto us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises; that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. (2 Peter 1:3-4)

As Christians, we do not have to participate in the corruption around us. There is an escape! Because of the new birth, you are a partaker of God’s divine nature and have in you everything you need to overcome in life. Through meditation, the Word becomes engrafted in you and is able to save or restore your soul which is your mind, will and emotions. (James 1:21) When you are speaking the Word of God, pondering, muttering, turning it over, digesting, and dreaming about all of these great promises that are given to you, you begin to draw up divine power, just like a tree draws water out of the soil it is planted in.

WHO ARE YOU WEARING?

While I was watching the Academy Awards on television, I listened to the announcers interviewing the actresses and discussing the beautiful designer gowns that the ladies were wearing. I noticed the announcers asked the ladies WHO they were wearing? Really they were asking the name of the designer…Versace, Oscar de la Renta, etc. Like those actresses, we must put on or clothe ourselves with the garments of praise and robes of righteousness.

When a Christian meditates on who they are in Christ and allows the Holy Spirit to clothe them with power from Heaven, they are putting on or wearing Christ. In Ephesians 4:23,24, Paul said, “be renewed in the spirit of your mind…put on the new man, which is created in righteousness and true holiness.” Again, Paul says in Romans 13:14, “put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof.”

You should not be wearing your old identity. God has designed new clothes for you to put on.

Put on the consciousness of your redemption and who you are in Christ. People around you will be able to see Jesus’ love, joy, peace, ability, and wisdom. You will bring glory to Him and people will ask, “Who are you wearing?”

FEAST ON THE WORD

Your words were found and I did eat them and they were to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart. (Jer. 15:16)

 
My mother was the slowest eater I knew! We would start our meal together and two hours later she would still be chewing! I would tell her to take the rest home because I had things to do! She would then tell me the benefits of eating slowly. Doctors say you should chew your food 32 times before swallowing and that digestion begins in your mouth where the food is broken down before you swallow. God’s Word is faith food and is meant to be eaten. “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” (Matt. 4:4) Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God and it has to be digested for faith to come. When you meditate, the Word gets in your eyes, your ears, your mouth and then into all of your body.

In Mark 4, Jesus taught the importance of hearing the Word and compared it to seed. The most important thing was for the roots of the seed to go down into the soil, causing growth and eventually fruit to come forth. Wherever you have a need in your life, begin to gather seeds of the Word so that you can plant them in your heart and grow a crop of healing, peace, finances, your family’s salvation, etc. 1 Corinthians 3:6 says, “I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.” The planting occurs when you first hear the Word and then it must be watered by repetition. Some reject the watering process and get no results from the Word they heard. If there is no increase, check out your watering or your meditation of the Word. Proverbs 4:20-22 instructs us to keep the Word in our mouth, before our eyes and in our heart. When we do this, health is the result. Take it just like you would take medicine. He wants you to be well because He sent His Word to heal you! (Psalm 107:20)

DELIGHT IN THE LAW OF THE LORD

David said his delight was in the Law of the Lord. What are those laws? They are His Word. They are the Law of Faith (Rom. 3:27); the Law of Love (1 Cor. 13); the Law of the Spirit of Life (Rom. 8:2); the Law of Sowing and Reaping (2 Cor. 9:6-11). Every Christian must be personally responsible to tap into the power of God in these areas in order to live above the corruption in the world. Psalm 119, the longest chapter in the Bible, overflows with David’s love for God’s Word. He mentions meditation seven times. When you sing psalms like David, it is a form of meditation. He said, “I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the Lord.” (Psalm 104:33,34)

GOD IS CLOSER THAN YOU THINK!

There are warning signs on some rearview mirrors that say, “the objects in the mirror are much closer than they appear.” God is closer to you than you realize and when you acknowledge Him, He will respond to you! When Paul was in Athens, he addressed the philosophers there on Mars’ Hill who had an altar to the Unknown God. He told them about the God who made the Heaven and earth and how that if they would seek Him they would find Him. “...He be not far from every one of us: For in him we live, and move, and have our being… For we are also His offspring.” (Acts 17:27-28) God is not far from you and when you call on Jesus, when you acknowledge Him and His Word, you will tap into His presence.

As you meditate on Hebrews 10:19-22, the Holy Spirit will paint a vivid picture of how, through the Blood of Jesus, you have access with boldness into His throne room. God’s Word will begin to flood your consciousness. You will have tapped into that great reservoir of abundance, love, and unlimited grace. You will have the mind of Christ. You will enter the realm where all things are possible. WHATEVER PART OF THE BIBLE YOU GET THRILLED ABOUT IS WHAT WILL WORK FOR YOU. It will walk off the page and into your heart, living and abiding in you, guiding you into good success every step of the way, every night and day. Fall in love with it! Eat it! Delight in it! Speak it! Sing it! Shout it!



Copyright © Mark Hankins Ministries
Used by permission. All Rights Reserved.