Sermon Cloud

SAM, 2-3-08, CLC

Meditating the Word for our victory part 2

The things of God are learned a little at a time.  Everything we learn either builds the foundation for something else we will learn later, or it fills in the gap of something we didn't understand before, like the final piece to a jigsaw puzzle.

Isa 28:10-13

10 For precept [must be] upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, [and] there a little:

11  For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.

12  To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.

13  But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.

God told Joshua that meditation of the Word would make him successful in all he does.

Joshua 1:1-9

1 ¶ Now it came about after the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, that the LORD spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' servant, saying,

2  "Moses My servant is dead; now therefore arise, cross this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them, to the sons of Israel.

3  "Every place on which the sole of your foot treads, I have given it to you, just as I spoke to Moses.

4  "From the wilderness and this Lebanon, even as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and as far as the Great Sea toward the setting of the sun will be your territory.

5  "No man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you.

6  "Be strong and courageous, for you shall give this people possession of the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.

7  "Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go.

8  "This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.

9  "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."

In verse 2, God gives Joshua the plan

In verses 3-6, God gives him the promise.

In verses 7-8, God tells him what he is going to have to do in order to possess what the Lord has told him in the plan and the promise.  This was the part that Joshua had to do.

The more we meditate in the Word, the more it becomes real in us.

The more it becomes real in us, the more faith we have in the Word. 

The more faith we have in the Word, the more faith we'll have in our words as we speak out what the Word says.

The more we believe it, the easier it is to act on it.

Meditate means to speak out of our mouth, where we can hear it.  Speaking to ourselves.

Vine's expository dictionary says about the Hebrew word for meditate.

To meditate (prop. to speak to oneself, murmuring and in a low voice, as is often done by those who are musing...

Meditation on the Word helps us understand.

Pr 4:7

"The beginning of wisdom [is:] Acquire wisdom; And with all your acquiring, get understanding.

Knowledge means nothing without the ability to understand and apply it.

Meditating on the Word of God is kind of like a sheep eating grass.  They don't get the nutrients out of it until it's been swallowed, regurgitated, chewed and swallowed again 4 times.  Only then do they get what they need from the grass.  Only upon constant meditation in the Word will we truly get everything that God intends for us to get from His Word.

Mediation sows the word in our hearts.

Mark 4:3-20

3 "Listen [to this!] Behold, the sower went out to sow;

4  as he was sowing, some seed fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate it up.

5  "Other seed fell on the rocky ground where it did not have much soil; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of soil.

6  "And after the sun had risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.

7  "Other seed fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it yielded no crop.

8  "Other seeds fell into the good soil, and as they grew up and increased, they yielded a crop and produced thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold."

9  And He was saying, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."

10  As soon as He was alone, His followers, along with the twelve, began asking Him about the parables.

11  And He was saying to them, "To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God, but those who are outside get everything in parables,

12  so that WHILE SEEING, THEY MAY SEE AND NOT PERCEIVE, AND WHILE HEARING, THEY MAY HEAR AND NOT UNDERSTAND, OTHERWISE THEY MIGHT RETURN AND BE FORGIVEN."

13  And He *said to them, "Do you not understand this parable? How will you understand all the parables?

14  "The sower sows the word.

15  "These are the ones who are beside the road where the word is sown; and when they hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word which has been sown in them.

16  "In a similar way these are the ones on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy;

17  and they have no firm root in themselves, but are only temporary; then, when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they fall away.

18  "And others are the ones on whom seed was sown among the thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word,

19  but the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

20  "And those are the ones on whom seed was sown on the good soil; and they hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold."

God provides the seed, the ground, and the increase; we have to do the sowing.  He will not do our part for us.

If you don't like what you have now, change the seeds you're sowing.  Start sowing the seeds of the Word of God, not doubt and unbelief.

WE can also control how much seed we put in the ground.  If we want more harvest of what we're sowing, we increase the seed that we put in the ground.

More inflow means more outflow.

Find scriptures that deal with what you need and meditate on them.  Find a way that works for you.

Meditation is not memorization, but memorization helps us to meditate.

Meditation is not confession.

Jesus said that the Word of God is the bread that we are to live our lives on.  We don't eat bread just once a week.  We eat 3 meals a day.  We should be feeding on the Word just as much.

Mt 4:1-4

1 ¶ Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

2  And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry.

3  And the tempter came and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread."

4  But He answered and said, "It is written, ‘MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.'"

Further scriptures on meditation

Ps 1:1-3

1 ¶ How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!

2  But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night.

3  He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers.

Ps 4:1-9

1 ¶ For the choir director; on stringed instruments. A Psalm of David. Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have relieved me in my distress; Be gracious to me and hear my prayer.

2  O sons of men, how long will my honor become a reproach? How long will you love what is worthless and aim at deception? Selah.

3  But know that the LORD has set apart the godly man for Himself; The LORD hears when I call to Him.

4  Tremble, and do not sin; Meditate in your heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah.

5  Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, And trust in the LORD.

6 ¶  Many are saying, "Who will show us any good?" Lift up the light of Your countenance upon us, O LORD!

7  You have put gladness in my heart, More than when their grain and new wine abound.

8  In peace I will both lie down and sleep, For You alone, O LORD, make me to dwell in safety.

Ps 63:6

When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches,

Ps 77:6 

I will remember my song in the night; I will meditate with my heart, And my spirit ponders:

Ps 77:12 

I will meditate on all Your work And muse on Your deeds.

Ps 119:15 

I will meditate on Your precepts And regard Your ways.

Ps 119:27 

Make me understand the way of Your precepts, So I will meditate on Your wonders.

Ps 119:48 

And I shall lift up my hands to Your commandments, Which I love; And I will meditate on Your statutes.

Ps 119:78 

May the arrogant be ashamed, for they subvert me with a lie; But I shall meditate on Your precepts.

Ps 119:148 

My eyes anticipate the night watches, That I may meditate on Your word.

Ps 143:5 

I remember the days of old; I meditate on all Your doings; I muse on the work of Your hands.

Ps 145:5 

On the glorious splendor of Your majesty And on Your wonderful works, I will meditate.

Isa 33:18 

Your heart will meditate on terror: "Where is he who counts? Where is he who weighs? Where is he who counts the towers?"

Pr 23:7

For as he thinks within himself, so he is. He says to you, "Eat and drink!" But his heart is not with you.