Lesson 15

As we commune with God, God wants to speak to us.
God speaks to us through His word, His written word and His personal word.
His written word is the Bible, also called the Scriptures or the Law of the LORD.
We hear from God's written word by meditating on it, and believing in it.

God's word tells us how we may live a life pleasing to Him - a life of obedience, victory and fruitfulness.
His words carry His will - His commands, His promises and His plans.
As we believe and obey His commands, trust in His promises, and follow His plans, we shall find God's abundant life (Deuteronomy 28:1-14):

We will receive God's divine life; success in every work; fruitfulness in ministry and life; health and healing; victory over our enemies; God's abundant prosperity and countless other blessing (Deuteronomy 28:1-14; Ephesians 1:3).

It is through God's word that we receive salvation and participate in the divine life: forgiveness of sins, eternal life, the power of the Holy Spirit, and the love, joy and peace of God.

Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not LIVE on bread alone, but on EVERY WORD that comes from the mouth of God.'"
(Matthew 4:4)

Jesus said:
"The Spirit give LIFE; the flesh counts for nothing. The WORDS I have spoken to you are SPIRIT and they are LIFE."
(John 6:63)

Through these He has give us His very great and precious PROMISES, so that through them you may participate in the DIVINE NATURE.
(2 Peter 1:4)

As we meditate on God's word, and obey it, we will be prosperous and successful.
However, God's success is not measured by the world's standards.

It is defined as living in the perfect will of God for each of our lives personally.
It is to walk in God's riches in all areas of our life: financial prosperity; physical and mental health and strength; peace and joy in our soul; peace with God and our fellow-men; serving God in fruitfulness; walking in God's power and love.

E.g. Jesus lived a totally successful life, although He died young (at the age of slightly over 33 years), and painfully on the cross.
His life was successful because He walked perfectly in the will of God for His life.

Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; MEDITATE on it day and night, so that you may be careful to DO everything written in it.
Then you will be PROSPEROUS and SUCCESSFUL.
(Joshua 1:8)

As we base our life and ministry on the word of God, our lives will be fruitful.
Whatever we ask of God, we will receive.
Whatever ministry God has set out for us to do, we shall be able to accomplish.
Through His word, God will show us how to do the works of God: to bring in the harvest, to build up God's people, to heal the sick, to cast out demons, to raise the dead, etc.

Blessed is the man
     (whose) delight is in the Law of the LORD,
and on His Law he MEDITATES day and night.

He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
     which yields its FRUIT in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
     Whatever he does prospers.
(Psalm 1:1-3)

If you remain in me and my WORDS remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.
This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much FRUIT, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
(John 15:7-8)

God's word brings us healing when we sick (Psalm 107:20).
Meditation on God's word and obedience to it will keep us from all diseases and in good health (Exodus 15:26; Proverbs 4:22).

He sent forth His WORD and HEALED them;
     He rescued them from the grave.
(Psalm 107:20)

God said,
    "If you listen carefully to the voice of the LORD you God
          and do what is right in His eyes,
     if you pay attention to His commands
          and keep all His decrees,
     I will not bring on you any of the disease I brought on the Egyptians,
     for I am the LORD who HEALS you."
(Exodus 15:26)

My son, pay attention to what I say;
     listen closely to my WORDS.
Do not keep them out of your sight,
     keep them within your heart.
For they are LIFE to those who find them
     and HEALTH (MEDICINE) to a man's whole body.
(Proverbs 4:20-22)

As we obey God's word and walk in love towards our enemies, surrendering every situation to Him and trusting Him, God will always give us victory.
No demon can withstand us when we are walking in accordance with God's word.

If you fully obey the LORD your God and carefully follow all His commands I give you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations on earth.
The LORD will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be DEFEATED before you. They will come to you from one direction but FLEE from you in seven.
(Deuteronomy 28:1,7)

Meditation on God's word brings wisdom and God's favor.
As we obey God, His wisdom and favor will cause us to walk in prosperity on this earth (Joshua 1:8; Psalm 1:1-3; Deuteronomy 28:11).
From God come riches and honor, wealth and prosperity (Psalm 112:1,3; Proverbs 8:17-18).

If you fully obey the LORD your God and carefully follow all His commands I give you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations on earth.
The LORD will grant you ABUNDANT PROSPERITY - in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your ground - in the land he swore to your forefathers to give you.
The LORD will open the heavens, the storehouse of His bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hand.
You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none.
(Deuteronomy 28:1, 11-12)

Blessed is the man who fears the LORD,
     who finds great delight in His commands,
WEALTH and RICHES are in His house
     and his righteousness endures forever.
(Psalm 112:1,3)

I love those who love me,
     and those who seek me find me.
With me are RICHES and HONOR,
     enduring WEALTH and PROSPERITY.
(Proverbs 8:17-18)

In the Bible, the word "meditate" is translated from:

1.  HAGAH (Strong's Concordance # 1897).
   This word means "to murmur" as well as "to ponder, imagine, meditate, mourn, mutter, speak, study, talk, utter."
   

2. SIYACH (Strong's Concordance #7878).
   This word means "to ponder" or "to converse aloud with oneself, utter, commune, complain, declare, meditate, muse, pray, speak, talk with."
   

3. MELETAO (Strong's Concordance #3191).
   This word means "to revolve in the mind" or "to imagine, premeditate."

Taken together, all these original words for biblical meditation involves:

This is the first aspect of biblical meditation.
Biblical meditation is not sitting cross-legged silently with your mind blanked out.

Biblical meditation involves murmuring or muttering God's word to ourselves.
It is like a man talking to himself.
He must speak loud enough for himself to hear.

Thus we are commanded to mutter or murmur God's word instead of murmuring or grumbling against one another or against God.
The former brings God's favor while the latter brings God's judgment (Joshua 1:8; Numbers 14:26-29).

This is the second aspect of biblical meditation.
Our mind must totally agree with what our mouth is saying.

We must see in our mind the promises of God in operation in our lives.
We must not have vain imagination or imagination that contradicts the will of God (Psalm 2:1).

Whatever in our mind focuses on will bring either light or darkness, life or death.
If the eye of our mind is pondering on the goodness of God in our lives, then God's goodness will manifest and prevail in our lives.
If our imagination is vain or evil (contradicts God's promises), then we shall reap evil and darkness in our lives.

Thus our Lord Jesus declared:

 The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is GOOD, your whole body will be full of LIGHT.
But it your eye is EVIL, your whole body will be full of DARKNESS.
If therefore the light that is in you is full of darkness, how great is that darkness.
(Matthew 6:22-23)

Thus God's word reminds and commands us to use our imagination (our mind) think on the things of God.

Fix these words of mine in your hearts and MINDS; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.
(Deuteronomy 11:18)

Finally, brother, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - THINK about such things.
(Philippians 4:8)

E.g. Our minds are not to ponder on the possible ravages and growth of cancer in our body, if we are meditating on Isaiah 53:4-5, Matthew 8:17 and 1 Peter 2:24 which together states that "Jesus has taken our sicknesses and carried our pains, any by His wounds we are healed."
Instead see yourself healed, talking, walking and eating, according to God's word.

E.g. Do not see your business closing down and falling.
Instead, see in your mind your business growing successfully as you meditate on God's wisdom and strength from 1 Corinthians 1:30; 2:16 and Philippians 4:13 which together states that "I have the wisdom of God, the mind of Christ, and I can do all things through Jesus Christ who gives me the strength."

God commands us to meditate on is word day and night (Joshua 1:8 Psalm 1:1-3).
In other words, we are to speak God's word and think God's word as often as we can.
God wants our lives and our children's lives to be surrounded by and be reminded of  God's word, physically, mentally and spiritually (Deuteronomy 11:18-21).

Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; MEDITATE on it DAY and NIGHT, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it.
Then you will be prosperous and successful.
(Joshua 1:8)

Blessed is the man
     (whose) delight is the Law of the LORD,
and on His Law he meditates DAY and NIGHT.

He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
     which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
     Whatever he does prospers.
(Psalm 1:1-3)

Fix these words of mine in your HEARTS and MINDS; tie them as symbols on your HANDS and bind them on your FOREHEADS.
TEACH them to your children. TALKING about them when you SIT at home and when you WALK along the road, when you LIE down and when you GET up.
WRITE them on the DOOR FRAMES of your houses and on your GATES, so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land that the LORD swore to give your forefathers, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth.
(Deuteronomy 11:18-21)

When we meditate on God's word, the following steps take place:

The ultimate purpose of continual meditation on God's word is to allow God's faith to be built up in our heart and to maintain this faith.
When we have faith in God's word, all things are possible for us (Mark 9:23).
We will see God move in glory and miracles.

Jesus said:

"All things are possible to him who believes."
(Mark 9:23)

"Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?"
(John 11:40)

It is through continuous hearing of the word of God that faith comes into our heart.
This continual hearing takes place when we meditate on God's word day and night.

So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
(Romans 10:17)

There are many hindrances to the various steps for the building of our faith through meditation.
In Proverbs 4:20-22, God gives some guidelines on overcoming such hindrances:

Your thought

1. What ways and means that will help in the meditation of God's word in our modern world today, based on Joshua 1:8; Psalm 1:1-3; Proverbs 4:20-22; Deuteronomy 11:18-21.