Joan Boney ... apostle/prophet
Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. 2But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. 3And he shall be like a tree 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. Psa. 1.
What does it mean to "meditate" in the Word of God? How do you do that?
To "meditate" means:
- to think deeply upon
- to focus mind upon
- consider what is being said, especially in regards to how the instruction applies to your life
God says:
Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest. 8This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. 9Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest. Joshua 1
First let's look at this instruction:
Only be thou strong and very courageous, ...
First, I pray, asking God to help me to understand this instruction and how it applies to me for all understanding is from God and without HIM I can know nothing. It is God who opens our eyes and enables us to see as we need to see.
Then I begin to think of what it means to "be strong" ...
I might take a dictionary and look up the meaning of the word "strong" ...
- being able to withstand pressure
- not easily disturbed or upset
- showing determination, self-control and good judgment
- not easily affected by disease or hardship
- intense and firmly held belief in what you are doing
What we should see is we are going to need help to have the strength to do this. This requires us to spend much time thinking about the specific scripture at hand. The reason for meditating day and night in that word before you is so you will have the strength and power to do what it says. You have to put that specific word into your daily life. This requires much attention and usually change of habits. The only thing strong enough to enable you to do this is the constant focus on the instruction given in the specific word at hand.
Only be thou strong and very courageous, ...
"courageous"
- not stopped by danger, disapproval, or pain
- the ability to do that which frightens you
- strength in the face of pain or grief
- dealing effectively with something difficult
turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.
Do not compromise the instruction given you in the specific scripture at hand.
This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou
shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do
according to all that is written therein:
To have the strength needed to do the instruction, you must think about the instruction day and night. You must make appropriate changes as you see something to do. It may take days or weeks or months to put that instruction into your life.
I have one scripture I have been working on for the past 10 months. I think of this instruction often. And when I see something to do, I do it. Then I just keep reviewing that scripture. Bit by bit God is showing me how to change my life to fit that scripture.
This is what it means to "meditate" in the word of God.
But which scripture do we choose to focus on? If the Holy Spirit has reminded you of a scripture, that is where you begin. Or when you read the Bible, if a scripture stands out to you and you try to read past it but you keep being drawn back to that verse, God has a special message for you in that verse. So stop and look at that verse prayerfully, asking God to show you what you need to see. Sometimes it does help to look key words up in a dictionary. Often as you do this, you will be reminded of something in your life. Focus on that. God is able to communicate with us in a way which we can understand.
This is what we do daily ... seeking the will of God as we consider the word HE has spoken to us (dreams, scriptures) ... and also daily Bible reading, focusing on that which seems to stand out as we read.
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