meditation: psalm 19

Text: Psalm 19

Ah! happy those whose hearts can break
And peace of pardon win!
How else may man make straight his plan
And cleanse his soul from Sin?
How else but through a broken heart
May Lord Christ enter in?
– Oscar Wilde, from “The Ballad of Reading Gaol”

“We meditate to give God’s words the opportunity to penetrate, not just our minds, but our emotions — the places where we hurt — and our will — the place where we make choices and decisions. We meditate to encounter the Living Word, Jesus himself. We meditate so that every part of our being, our thoughts and our affections and our ambitions, are turned to face and honour and glorify him.”
– Joyce Huggett (emphasis added)

Meditation and confession can be loaded words when used in the context of religion. Let’s strip away the baggage and get back to the bare bones definitions, shall we?

Merriam-Webster defines the words this way:

meditate:
“to engage in contemplation or reflection; to focus one’s thoughts on: reflect on or ponder over”

confess:
“to admit that you did something wrong or illegal; to talk about or admit something that makes you embarrassed, ashamed, etc.; to tell (your sins) to God or to a priest”

I think the phrase “easier said than done” applies here, yes? Meditation and confession are not easy practices. In fact, they require exactly that – practice. Contemplation, reflection and focus are tough to come by in our noisy, non-stop lives. And admitting that of which I am ashamed? No thanks.

There’s a reason meditation and confession are called spiritual disciplines. They don’t come naturally. They are not comfortable. But then again, comfort is not the point, is it?

Setting our minds on things above (Colossians 3:2) is the point.
Coming clean to be cleaned (1 John 1:9) is the point.

Taking in the commentary of scholars is valuable, and reading the thoughts of peers can be encouraging – but there is no substitute for soaking in the Word itself, for sitting with the Living Word Himself.

In this third section of our 4-part Lent series, we’ll spend 10 days practicing the spiritual disciplines of meditation and confession. The format will be slightly different than you’re used to. We’ll alternate between the two: On Meditation days, we’ll read a passage of scripture and think, focus, reflect on it together. On Confession days, we’ll read a short passage followed by a prayer of confession.

Let’s begin today by meditating on the words of Psalm 19. Read it a few times over, the second and third times more slowly than the first. If the Holy Spirit stills you on a particular verse, don’t be afraid to stop and sit there for awhile. Listen. Pray. See what God has for you in this psalm today. Feel free to use the prompts below if you’d like, or simply be quiet before the Lord and His Word.

For reflection:

Think on the glory of God’s creation. Where do you see Him in your home, your yard, your everyday?

Reread verses 7-9, thanking God for the surety and lasting glory of His Word.

What would it look like to desire God’s Word as the sweetest, richest thing? Picture that in your mind and pray for what you see.

Pray verse 14 for yourself, then pray it for someone you love.

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psst – We made graphics for you girls to use in your #SheSharesTruth posts this Friday!
Feel free to click, save and share at will. xoxo