In Love with the Bible

Learning to love God's Word

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Meditation

A Look at Jeremiah 29:11-13

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I first began to think about this passage after reading through the Bible looking for God’s promises. This is how it reads: For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.

After reviewing this scripture for a while, the word “then” particularly struck me. The second part of this passage is what I will do when I believe the first part of the passage. Seeking God wholeheartedly, calling on him, and praying with an expectation that he will hear are the fruit of believing that God’s plans for me are for my welfare, a certainty that there is a hopeful future for me.

These words were not spoken to people experiencing a life that met their expectations. These are words to exiles in Babylon—people who would prefer to be back in Judah. Jeremiah tells them the exile will last 70 years. They are to build homes, marry, and multiply in this foreign land—to actually seek the welfare of the cities they are living in. It may have been challenging to believe that God’s plans were for their welfare and to give them hope.

When life’s circumstances do not lend themselves to believing that my future is hopeful and God is working for my welfare, what do I need to ponder? As I considered this question, three things came to mind that I believe God wants me to be confident of:

  1. God’s love: Difficult circumstances are not proof that I have been abandoned. If God’s love surrounds me (Psalm 32:10) I should be able to trust that he is working for my benefit in everything I face.
  2. God’s sovereignty: God is not wringing his hands over my plight, wondering what can be done. In this particular case, God was actively at work to bring about the exile. Am I willing to believe that God can orchestrate the details of my life to work out his plans for me?
  3. God’s actions are right: As Abraham said to the Lord, “Shall not the judge of all the earth do what is just?” (Genesis 18:25) An assurance that God does the right thing can help me seek his wisdom for my circumstances instead of complaining about them.

When I am confident in God it is easier to call on him, to pray to him, and to seek him with all my heart, despite my circumstances. God, who created me for this time and this place, knows what is best for my life.

A Look at Romans 8:32

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Sometimes when I look at definitions in a Greek or Hebrew dictionary, I am really struck by one of the synonyms for a word in the passage I am studying. What is probably more often true is that none of definitions is particularly striking, but together they provide an aid for thinking about the passage. I’m going to use Romans 8:32 as an example of a scripture where looking at the Greek simply enriched my understanding of the passage a bit. It says: “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things.”

There are two places in this passage where the Greek includes the word “indeed” and it does not show up in the English translation. This is what the passage would look like if we inserted this word: Who indeed did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not indeed also with him graciously give us all things.” The meaning is not changed, but it is a bit more emphatic.

The word “spare” means to treat leniently or to abstain from using or doing anything. In other words, God was not lenient with Jesus, he used him—with Jesus’ permission!

There’s more than one word in Greek that gets translated “but.” The word used here is a strong word; I usually think of it as “contrariwise.” God did not treat his own son leniently, on the contrary, he gave him up for us.

The word “for” found in the phrase “for us all” is a word that means “for the benefit of,” or “in place of.”

“How will he not also with him…” There are two words in Greek that are translated “with”. One of the words would be equivalent to me asking, “Do you want to go to the store with me?” I’m merely asking if you want to accompany me. But the other word, the one used here, would be more like me getting ready to risk something significant and asking “Are you with me on this?” I don’t want someone who will just come along for the ride. I want someone who is one with me. This word conveys a sense of unity—the gift of Jesus includes the gift of “all things.”

The term, “graciously give,” is a word that has “grace” at its root. It refers to giving as a favor—in kindness. It is sometimes used to express pardon, rescue, forgiveness, or deliverance.

After looking at the Greek, I usually write my own paraphrase of the passage. This way I can include any insights I see from the words as a part of the passage. There are no “right” answers in this, and what I notice will vary over time depending on what is happening in my life.

Here is an example of this passage paraphrased: Indeed, he was not lenient with his own son; on the contrary, he gave up Jesus to benefit all of us. How indeed could God fail to favor us with all we need in Jesus?

You will notice that the paraphrase is not a word by word translation. It is not meant to be one. It is an expression of what the passage says to me at the time I write it. When I do this, I may or may not meditate on the passage using the paraphrase. With this particular passage the main thing I have meditated on is the whole concept that if God has given me Jesus, the most costly and best possible gift of all, how can I think he would be tight-fisted with anything else I might need?

A Look at Colossians 1:27

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One easy way to meditate on scripture is to read a verse repeatedly and emphasize a different word every time, thinking about what each word brings to the passage. (I think this works best on scriptures that are “sound bite size.”) Colossians 1:27 reads, “To them [the saints] God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” At a time when I was discouraged in my walk with the Lord, the last part of that verse really spoke to me. I personalized it and frequently reminded myself, “Christ in me, the hope of glory.” Let’s take a closer look at it.

Christ in me, the hope of glory. Christ, or Messiah, means anointed. He is the one the Jews were looking for to save them. In Jesus’ day, the main thing they wanted to be saved from was the Romans. God thought a different kind of salvation was needed. In the Old Testament we see people anointing things (like Jacob anointing his stone pillow after his dream of angels ascending and descending into heaven) or people (like priests). This anointing was done to consecrate, purify, dedicate, or set apart for a special purpose. Jesus, as the anointed one, came to bring salvation—a task he was set apart for and only he could fulfill.

Christ in m,e the hope of glory. Christ is not just near, but actually lives inside me. This is meant to be an intimate relationship. I can find pleasure in his companionship.

Christ in me, the hope of glory. There is no way I can look at who Jesus is and think I deserve the sacrifice he made for me. Jesus has not looked at my worth, he has acted out of his love. He lives in me, undeserving as I am.

Christ in me, the hope of glory. Hope, as it is used in the Bible, is an expectation of good. Something is being anticipated. There is something that I can eagerly await because Christ is in me.

Christ in me, the hope of glory. There is a yet-to-be-seen glory that someday will be revealed, which is why it’s a hope of glory. I’m not personally clear on just what this glory refers to, but I can anticipate it anyway. I am looking forward to the day when I can see God in all his glory, have an eternity to explore the depths of his infinity, and join with the saints and angels in praising and glorifying him.

If I’m having a bad day, these words are very comforting to me .Christ is in me. I can have a hope—for this life and, especially, for the next.

A Look at John 6:1-14

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I have not usually found it helpful to meditate on scripture by focusing on a character in a Biblical account—but one day I did. So this post illustrates meditating on scripture by placing yourself in the story, via a character in the passage. I’m going to start by telling you how I came to meditate on this passage.

At a time when I was dealing with a particular habitual sin—one in my thought life—I was getting ready to take a walk and realized I wanted to choose that sin. As a walk does not require much attention, I knew my mind would need something to focus on if I were to avoid sin. I grabbed my Bible and just asked God to give me a passage that I could think about while walking. I opened up to the feeding of the 5,000—and was unhappy with that selection. I didn’t think there was much food for thought there and I knew I needed something that would capture my attention. I decided, in a grumpy way, that I could at least make a beginning. I got about as far as saying something like, “Thank you, Lord, that when we give you our little bit, you make it sufficient for the need,” when I was interrupted by the thought that I should consider the possibility that the biggest miracle in the story was not the multiplication of the loaves and fish, but the boy giving Jesus his lunch. That thought surprised me, but I pondered it. I realized it’s easy to imagine why a boy would not want to give his lunch to Jesus to feed 5,000 others (the foremost being, it seems like a good way to go hungry.) I thought of some other reasons, too. The thing that struck me the most is that every one of those reasons applied to why I was having problems with a sinful thought pattern. I ended up thinking about this for a good week. (Not bad for a passage with “no food for thought.”) In the end, I found myself thinking particularly about how the boy must have felt when the leftovers were picked up; the “garbage” was significantly bigger than the original lunch. I can imagine the boy saying, in awe, “You did that with my lunch?” I think God invites me to believe it’s possible that I might say to him when my life is over, “You did that with my life?”

I want to point out that through meditating on this passage I ended up with a good understanding of why I had a particular habitual sin. Dealing with those issues did not come from meditating on this passage. It came from meditating on scriptures that spoke to the root issues of my sin: my unbelief—doubting God’s sufficiency. Meditation on one passage can often lead us to meditating on other passages.

I believe one could also gain good insight by looking at this passage from the viewpoint of the disciples. Jesus tells them to have the people sit down. Until then there may not have been any expectation on the part of the crowd that Jesus is going to provide food—the disciples certainly did not have any such expectation. To have the crowds sit is to imply that food is coming and the disciples know full well that there is not enough food. Even when Jesus began to divide the food, the disciples had no way of knowing it would be enough for such a crowd. I wonder if any of the disciples were thinking, “Jesus, how could you ask me to do this?” It’s easy to be confident of the outcome when you know the end of the story, but what if I’m the one being asked to do what I know is not possible? How do I respond when the outcome is unknown? Do I want to put the biggest guys in the front to make sure they get something? Do I want to put them in the back in hopes I’ll be far away from them when the food runs out? Or do I trust Jesus to fully supply what is needed (with leftovers)?

A Look at Romans 12:2

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There are three word pictures in Romans 12:2 that are very helpful to me when I ponder the passage. In my experience, focusing on them creates a source for fruitful meditation. This is how the verse reads in the New American Standard Bible: “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” I’d like to focus on the words conformed, transformed, and renewing.

The word conformed means to fashion in the same way—being made from the same mold, cut from the same pattern. I’m not a great seamstress, but I have done enough sewing to know that you can get a wide variety of looks from the same pattern by changing fabrics and using different finishing touches. Within all that variety there will, however, continue to be a certain sameness because the pattern is unchanged. In spite of the great variety of sizes, shapes, complexions, and personalities that people come in, being shaped by the world will leave a certain sameness to us—one that is not pleasing to God. It is worth asking ourselves some questions. Do I recognize where I’m cut from the same pattern as the world? Do I see ways God has made alterations to the pattern? Am I willing to let God (metaphorically) rip out some seams in order to make further alterations?

The word transformed used in this verse is the same word that is translated as transfiguration when it talks about Jesus’ skin and clothing becoming radiant. It is a word that expresses a real change. The Greek word looks like this: metamorphoo. When I saw it, my first thought was “metamorphosis,” and they are indeed related words. I found it worth thinking about the level of change that happens when a caterpillar becomes a moth or a butterfly. It’s not a matter of the caterpillar growing wings, but it really becomes something new—the old body is dissolved and a new body is restructured. Something is lost, but something is gained. Would the caterpillar be willing to form a cocoon/chrysalis if it knew what would happen while it was inside one? Am I willing for God to take me apart and put me back together in a new way? Am I willing to go through the loss of being a caterpillar in order to become a butterfly? (Will I believe a butterfly is on the other side of the process?)

Renewing our minds means renovating our minds. The architect with his plans and the contractor with his skills enter into renovating a home without any concern for the fact that some walls may come down, new boards may be nailed in, or new windows may be cut out while old ones are boarded over. But when it comes to renewing our minds, we are neither the architect nor the contractor. We are the house. We may not see or understand the architect’s plans. We may not understand the reasons the contractor removes some things and adds others. Maybe we don’t like some of the changes or the messiness of the work. It helps to have confidence that the final product will be worth it (i.e. trust the skills of the architect and the contractor). Of course all analogies have their limits. If a house is being renovated, it does not actively participate in the work being done. But we do. God cannot renew my mind with his word if I don’t spend time in his word. It is worthwhile to ask God where he wants to renovate and what scriptures he might want me to meditate on to help it happen. Truth is the building material for mind renewal.

We are told the transformation that comes from a renewed mind enables us to “prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” Let’s take a quick look at some of these words, too.

  • Prove: to test, discern, to approve (it is a word that connotes checking to see if something is worthy of being received or not)
  • Good: benevolent, profitable, useful
  • Acceptable: fully agreeable, well-pleasing
  • Perfect: complete, adult (i.e. full grown), having reached the goal

I believe that those areas of my life that have been transformed by God’s word demonstrate that God’s word is worthy of being received—life lived God’s way is useful, well-pleasing, and accomplishes God’s goals.

A Look at Psalm 23

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At one time, a number of years ago, I was experiencing depression. I borrowed a book on mental health that was written by a Christian for Christians. I do not remember the name of the book or the author, but I do remember that the author claimed he did not know anyone who faithfully meditated on Psalm 23 who continued to have problems with depression. He then gave a brief synopsis of what it means to shepherd sheep as an to aid in meditating on the Psalm. I cannot speak to whether or not he is correct that anyone who meditates on this chapter will be set free from depression (I’m sure there are a variety of factors linked to depression), but I do know that mine lifted. Another benefit for me was that I realized that a shepherd loves his flock because he cares for the individual sheep. This was important for me because previously when I read, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son,” I believed that God loved the world, so I got in on the deal. This Psalm made me rethink that and see that God loves the world because he loves the individuals who make up the world. A few years later I saw a book called A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 (by Phillip Keller), I remembered how fruitful my earlier meditation on the Psalm had been. I snatched up the book and refreshed my mind with the blessings of having God as my shepherd.

I found learning about shepherding was more helpful to meditating on this Psalm than word studies or cross-references. Here are some concepts from the two books that aided my meditation on this passage:

  • The Lord is my shepherd: how good a shepherd is at his job impacts every aspect of a sheep’s life. Our shepherd knows his job and knows his sheep. He does his job well.
  • I shall not want: a combination of having needs met and being content with the care given. (A sheep that insists on wandering even when its needs are provided for may need to be butchered because of the bad influence on the rest of the flock—that was an unhappy thing to see.)
  • Lying down in green pastures: a sheep is most quieted by the presence of the shepherd, and a sheep cannot ruminate well unless it is quiet. If the pastures are green, the shepherd has taken good care of his pastures; he has provided good food for his sheep.
  • Beside quiet waters: one of the best sources of water for sheep is the dew-drenched grasses of early morning, so this is a good time to graze them. Additional sources of water must also be available. A shepherd needs to make certain there is clean water, as the sheep will otherwise drink filthy, contaminated water. He also needs to make sure the water supply is not from fast flowing sources, or the sheep may be swept off their feet (not in a romantic way!) A shepherd will sometimes dig to create a pool of quiet water from a fast flowing stream.
  • He restores my soul: a sheep is “cast” when it is on its back and cannot get back up. If the shepherd does not find it and set it on its feet, the sheep will die. One way a sheep can become cast is when it seeks soft hollows to rest in. (I can find easy parallels in my life!) Another way is when the sheep have too much wool, especially if it is matted with mud, manure, burrs, or other debris. This is a problem the shepherd must deal with. The sheep cannot clean themselves up.
  • Paths of righteousness (i.e. right paths): Pasture rotation is important for the health of both the sheep and the land. Left on their own, sheep overgraze their pasture and it can take a long time for the pasture to recover. The sheep are also more likely to become infested with parasites by staying in the same place too long. The shepherd keeps an eye on the condition of his sheep and his pasture, moving them as often as needed.
  • The valley of the shadow of death: the valleys are the best route to the fresh pastures of higher ground used in the summer. This is where grass is best and water can be found. It provides the gentlest slopes. There are also dangers associated with valleys, and it is the shepherd’s job to protect the sheep from those dangers.
  • Comfort from a rod and staff: the rod is used both to discipline the sheep and to protect the shepherd and his sheep. The staff is used to draw sheep together (or to the shepherd), to guide them, and to rescue them from situations where they cannot rescue themselves.
  • The prepared table: a shepherd who cares about his sheep will remove toxic plants, add minerals to the soil as needed, clean water holes of debris and be alert to any signs of predators in the area.
  • Anointing heads with oil: oil is mixed with other substances and applied to the heads of the sheep to protect them from pests and parasites. Greased heads also help rutting males to not kill or injure one another when fighting.
  • Being followed by goodness and mercy: a mismanaged flock can ruin the land, but a well managed one benefits it greatly—even to the point of restoring ruined land. A flock of sheep has the potential to greatly bless the land.
  • Dwelling in God’s house forever: this is the picture of sheep fully satisfied with the care of the shepherd and a shepherd who delights in his sheep.

I think it is especially beneficial to spend time meditating on this Psalm if you need to grow in understanding how much God loves you. A shepherd spends a great deal of time caring for his sheep and their pasture lands. It is good to remember God invests time in us, too. He looks after our welfare and is alert to what affects us. I hope you find the information on shepherding aids you in that mediation.