Thursday, March 24, 2005

Chew On It -- Meditation 101

Chewin the Cud -- Meditation 101 Chew On It Like a Big Ol Cow.

As you grow in your relationship with God you'll discover some verses in the Bible that really speak to you. Verses that seem like they were written just for you. Verses that give you a ‘God’s Eye View’ of a challenge you are facing or that uncover His will for you. Treat these great verses like a Look Out post from a high mountain pass. Pull off and take some time to enjoy the moment. Don’t rush past it, because in these moments you may uncover a truth that will change your life.

One of the best ways to take in all that God is trying to say to you is to slow down and turn the verse over and over in your mind. The Bible calls this ‘meditating’. Meditating is taking in the ‘view’ that God has taken us to. Meditating is like pulling off at a high mountain overlook and enjoying a wide angle view for miles. Meditating is taking a verse and letting it ‘roll around in your head’. The challenge for us is slowing down enough and knowing what to do to hold the verse in there long enough to really get the juice out of it.

The word ‘meditate’ comes from the same source word as ‘ruminate’.

Ruminate is what a cow does when it chews it’s cud. Cud is kind of like cow bubblegum. Seein as you aint no farmer you haint never seen a cow up close so I’ll splain to ya what ‘chewin the cud’ means...Cows have multiple stomachs and they eat lots of grass. In order to get the grass to digest a cow will eat the grass, pass it into the first stomach, then bring it back up (yuck!) and chew on it’s ‘cud’ (the partially digested grass brought back up from it’s first stomach). If you’ll watch a cow for a while you’ll notice that they chew all the time. They love chewin the cud!

Here are a few ways you can ‘chew on God’s Word when you find one of those verses you really want to dig into:

1. Write it over it and over and over and over … slowly and deliberately so that you can focus on each word.

2. Write in on 3 x 5 note card and carry it with you everywhere for a week. Every chance you get pull it out and read it slowly and deliberately like you’re enjoying a great view from a high mountain.

3. Read it out loud in several different ways. This feels a little strange at first, but can be powerful because your brain takes the verse in differently than when you read silently.
a. Slowly, deliberately, softly.
b. Fast, like a famous celebrity.
c. Word for word like a preacher.

4. Break the verse down word for word. Read a word and then think about what that word means. Go the next word and think about what it means. Do this until you have finished the verse.

5. Write a response to the verse in your journal. Don’t worry about grammer, punctuation, etc. Just write what God seems to be saying to you in this verse.

6. Write it in lipstick on your bathroom mirror! (This may get you attention you really don’t want, so be wise!)

7. Draw a picture of what the verse means to you.

8. Rewrite the verse in your own words.

9. Write a song that uses the verse as the chorus.

10. Grab a permanent marker and write the verse on your basketball so that every time you play ball for a while you’ll be reminded of that verse again.

11. Head on over to http://www.blueletterbible.org/ and study the original Hebrew or Greek the verse is built from. This isn’t nearly as scary as it may sound. If you enjoy challenging your brain you’ll pick this up pretty quick.

Here are some verses about Meditating that you may want to Chew On…
Joshua 1:8 (NIV) 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.

Psalm 1:2 (NIV) But his delight is in the law of the LORD,and on his law he meditates day and night.

Psalm 27:4 (NIV) One thing I ask of the LORD,this is what I seek:that I may dwell in the house of the LORDall the days of my life,to gaze upon the beauty of the LORDand to seek him in his temple.

Psalm 48:9 (NIV) Within your temple, O God,we meditate on your unfailing love.

Psalm 77:12 (NIV) I will meditate on all your worksand consider all your mighty deeds.

Psalm 119:15 (NIV) I meditate on your preceptsand consider your ways.

Psalm 119:23 (NIV) Though rulers sit together and slander me,your servant will meditate on your decrees.

Psalm 119:27 (NIV) Let me understand the teaching of your precepts;then I will meditate on your wonders.

Psalm 119:48 (NIV) I lift up my hands to your commands, which I love,and I meditate on your decrees.

Psalm 119:78 (NIV) May the arrogant be put to shame for wronging me without cause;but I will meditate on your precepts.

Psalm 119:97 (NIV) Oh, how I love your law!I meditate on it all day long.

Psalm 119:99 (NIV) I have more insight than all my teachers,for I meditate on your statutes.

Philip. 4:8 (NIV) Finally, brothers, 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.

Chewin on it,
Jeff Fuson

p.s. Okay last one! Feel FREE to distribute this content as long as you pass it along in it's entirety with all links in place pointing to original urls. Give credit where credit is due and use this to build other people up. Thanks for playing and thanks for passing this along. Jeff Fuson

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home