Meditation on the Word

Noise.  Dizzying, mind-numbing noise.  Its in our phones, our radios and our televisions.  Alerts buzz us night and day and the talking heads indoctrinate us with their opinions about everything from sports to politics from food to pet grooming.   

I T     I S     L O U D.

So loud even that you can begin to feel that your thoughts aren't even your own anymore.  Like your consciousness has been replaced by news feeds, with your thoughts being little fish that swim in the river of whatever is streaming online.

And while this challenge may be new in its current form -- a culture of people who's primary communication comes from glowing screens -- its not new in the spiritual sense.  Choosing the source we will draw from has been the challenge for believers since day one.

Consider the first Psalm.  The first chapter in a book centered around a life of devotion and worship; one that is dedicated to having a heart that is focused on knowing God.  Verses 1-3 read:

 Blessed is the one

    who does not walk in step with the wicked

or stand in the way that sinners take

    or sit in the company of mockers,

² but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,

    and who meditates on his law day and night.

³ That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,

    which yields its fruit in season

and whose leaf does not wither—

    whatever they do prospers.

Considering the context of our culture gives the phrase "walking in step with the wicked" a whole new meaning.  We are so inundated with raw data from our electronic devices that if we don't watch ourselves the opinions, perspectives, desires and worldviews of those who reject the Lordship of Christ will make their way into our thoughts.  Without knowing it, we find ourselves walking in step so to speak with those who do not know God -- having our minds filled with whatever is inside of them, be it good, bad, wicked or indifferent.

While it is obvious that the first step is to create distance from yourself and your electronic device , what is actually more important is that we fill our minds with that which is life. We see above that the man/woman is blessed not only when they don't sit in the company of those who mock God, but when they delight in the law (or Word) of the Lord.

It is so important that we proactively fill our minds with the Word of God.

This can be done in numerous ways.  It obviously involves devotional reading, but I would say that the most effective way for me to fill my mind with the Word of God is to memorize it and confess it throughout my day.

Memorizing the Word tends to get a bad wrap nowadays, some think it to be a pointless chore that only finds application in Bible Trivia contests, but in reality memorizing the Word of God is like adding bullets to your spiritual gun that fights off the attacks of the devil.  And in world in which there is a real devil that is after our souls its important that we Remember the Promises of God.