The Rewards Of Meditation - Part 1

Welcome to the intensified gas to town Thursday, December 2. Many blessings that come from taking the time to study Scripture. They went in length and in the rich rewards of meditating on God's word.

While most inspiring parts of the Bible to be personnel. The prayers always return it to return to Hotmail while first all almost look at this prayer for just a moment just want to just mention one thing about this particular prayer. You recall that on the arm is concerned about the news he's heard from Jerusalem and his city has been destroyed and walls are torn down the gates of burned and he begins this prayer, not just what you notice if you will, in verse four and I will read the whole prayer just what you notice something here. He says now it came about when I heard these words, I set down a well and mourn for days and I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven and I said, I beseech thee, O Lord God of heaven. The great and awesome God who preserves the covenant in loving kindness for those who love him and keep his commandments left on Aaron LB attended a non-eyes open to hear the prayer by servant, which I'm praying before the now day and night on behalf of the sons of Israel by servants confessing the sins of the sons of Israel, which we have sinned against the I and my father's house have sinned. We've acted very corruptly against the and not kept the commandments to the statutes nor the ordinances which thou command is not servant Moses and then he continues this prayer and it's an awesome prayer praying and confession of the sins of his people, and of course, praying that God would do something about that situation. If you turn over the Daniel chapter 9, another wonderful prayer of one of God's servants in this ninth chapter he is praying about wisdom and knowledge to understand what God has prophesied through the prophet Jeremiah and if you notice in the ninth chapter beginning in verse 20 says in the first year of Darius the sun has Soros of median dissent was made king of the kingdom of the Chaldeans in the first year of the reign of Daniel observed in the books.

The number of the years, which was revealed as the word of the Lord to Jeremiah the prophet for the completion of the desolation of Jerusalem famous 70 years, and so he's figuring now that's getting close, so listen what he says. So I gave my attention to the Lord God, to seek him by prayer and supplication with fasting sackcloth and ashes and I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed and said alas, the Lord, the great and awesome God who keeps his covenant in loving kindness for those who love him and keep his commandments, we sin committed iniquity acted wickedly and rebelled even turning aside from my commandments and ordinances and then he goes on to pray and then is seeking the Lord's direction and guidance. And if you come down the last verse 19 rather listen to how he cries out to God, O Lord, here, O Lord, forgive, O Lord, listen and take action. For thine own sake all my God, do not delay because thy city now people are called by my name with these men couldn't pray like that. If they had not been man who knew how to meditate upon God, so that all of your praying will not be as long impressive prayers that they pray impressive because they were trying to be impressive, but these are men who meditated upon God. What I would like to do in this message is simply say, here are the rewards that come to anybody and everybody who makes meditation and times of prayer along with him in silence included being still and thinking about him and absolving him in the things that you can expect to happen in your life. So when you jot them down.

The first reward of meditation is a godly perspective. You just see things differently when you sit before the Lord listen to him and read his word and since you and I have this book we call the Bible. I always want to include that when I talk about meditation because we are so far all blasted these men were because if they had a few scrolls like Daniel had of the prophecy of Jeremiah he had a little bit. You and I have the whole Old Testament the whole New Testament to meditate upon the word of God is to listen to him tube so these things. What happened we get a hold of perspective. For example, if we are worried somehow the worries seem to disappear in our weakness.

God somehow makes a strong because we begin to see things from God's perspective. When you and I begin to look at things the way God sees them. Everything seems to change. And that's what reading the prayers of these men that's what reading the Scriptures and how God worked in the lives of his saints, and I would say to you if you want to start somewhere and you don't know where to begin. You want to grow in your Christian life you to start with the life of man like Abraham and Moses and Joseph and David and Daniel, you just choose those and you just read how God worked in the lives I tell you, if you will do that and make notes in the Scriptures of what God is saying to you, you will begin to learn how God worked in their life and what you can learn is that these were all men of prayer. For example, if you recall, in the first chapter of Ephesians.

Look at that from you member this first chapter in Ephesians what Paul said concerning these vision Christians. He said concerning his prayer for them. He said in verse 16 he said, I do not cease giving thanks for you while making mention of you in my prayers as we pray. He says this is what I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the father glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope of his calling. One of the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of his power toward us who believe these are in accordance with the workings of the strength of his might.

So when he prayed, he prayed specific things and one of things he prayed for is that their eyes would be enlightened. One thing that all of us need is God's perspective on anything you think about this.

Is there anything you and I don't need God's viewpoint on anything that I know we are all dependent upon him to do the right thing that we must have the right perspective where you get that in the word of God do some reading through it hurriedly.

No, but meditating upon it, which means that I read it and then I think about it and not try to see how I can apply to my heart and I may read it again and pray over it and print back to God. Especially if it's something that I'm dealing with. I talked to him about it and then I listen and I read and I told him about it again and I listen. I read him quiet.

I may come back to it today.

Tomorrow the next day whatever one of my looking for I'm looking for God's viewpoint, you can't mean anything, but which God does not have a viewpoint in this book he has. If I want God's viewpoint.

I must be willing to sit still before him and listen and ask and wait and be willing to hear what God is willing to say and that's why you find these men listening pray and the prayers that they pray were prayers. As a result of how God had worked in their life and that's why most of them begin something about God, not about themselves.

When we get our perspective we get on her face before God on it don't mean that you always have to be like that. What I'm saying in times of meditation that won the first rewards of meditation is, we begin to get his perspective. I believe in this day and time.

We need God's viewpoint about everything and tell me where you going to get it if you sell Viennese. I don't know you got lots of the viewpoints are there but you won't get in anywhere like you get there. Second thing when you and I begin to spend time alone in seclusion with him the pressures of life begin to dissipate. To me personally. This is one of the greatest rewards of meditation that one often times I feel the pressure of the enormous pressure whether it is schedule of what it is talking to people who have needs that all the things that I have to face one of the greatest rewards of meditation is what happens to the pressure and sometimes I can think about.

Often times, just lying before the Lord and reading some passage in thinking about it and asking God what he wants to say to my heart and that being quiet as I said to you sometime. Just go to sleep wake up whatever happens, the pressure seems to dissipate because that's what God does is what he does. It's like when you and I come to him he takes it. It's almost like he lives the burden which is really what he does. He lifts the bird he is like he just saw to it absorbs all of these things that I cluttering Almon out and so then we can think clearly and honestly and openly and freely, and what have the pressures now. You will never learn that until you try instead of cutting on the radio turning on the television just get on your face before God to said Lord I want to try this out. I want to see if you can really take the pressure away what he loves proving himself so he does open the word and if you don't know where to start.

I just say start 11 chapter 12 chapter Genesis will Abraham are start in Samuel with David R. Start in Daniel start with with one of these biblical characters and let God walk you through some experiences in his life, God will do something amazing in your life.

The third thing that I think is a real reward and that is one that you and I can expect that his peace. I do not know how to tell you what will take away the frustration and the anxieties of life like being quiet and still before the Lord God does he not say my peace I give under you, not as the world giveth, give on the you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. It's no accident than anything is that in the Philippians chapter for this passage that you and I know by heart. Listen to what he says when he talks about this peace that passes all understanding. Notice how he begins. That passage, he says be anxious for nothing, but in everything, what prayer supplication with thanksgiving. What is he saying he says is you and I come before the Lord. Praying to him being quiet listening, sharing our hard what happens. He says the peace that surpasses all human understanding, will do what gardeners he says it becomes like a garrison around us and what happens is that God takes away the anxiety and the frustrations of the fears and the worry is what is he do.

He replaces that with this overwhelming sense of peace.

Now there's no way to describe it, and there is nothing else in the world that will provide that kind of peace and this is how inexpensive it is. You just get along with God get in his word and just tell them Lord you know what's bothering me. You know it's frustrating that you know what I'm anxious about you know what I'm worried about.

And you say God I want you to take it. I just want you to take it and as you begin to meditate upon some passage of Scripture. This is the miracle of the word of God. It's like God absorbs through his word. What troubles your heart, the anxiety is the word and I can tell you how many times I have followed my face before God and said, Lord, I can handle this.

I don't know what to do about it on the trust you not to long ago I woke up about 4 o'clock in the morning and I can sleep. It was Sunday morning that was bad for talking Sunday morning came, sleep. I lay there about an hour.

I guess trying to figure everything out, make it all work out it wasn't working so I thought Lord. This is foolish.

I got them of the bed, clock rings on them when I get up at 6 o'clock and I just got my Bible open that up to a passage not to send the Lord you don't have to handle this because I can handle this. I can handle this.

I'm just giving all of this to you and you got to hand. I got back in the bed went fast asleep and if they let the alarm had awakened me at 6 o'clock Ottoman sleep about 8 o'clock. I had the most perfect please no one say something that you know I've had the most perfect peace ever since the most overwhelming sense of peace that I cannot describe, except to say is nothing less than the work of God and without. It is negatives what's going on your life if you get on your face or your knees before him and open the word and just tell them Lord, I can handle this. He loves to hear that because he wants to handle everything in our life and what happens he can replace the most vicious turmoil with the sweetest piece you know what pieces that Greek word I ran a means to bind together in one you know what happens when you and I word and fretted about things.

It's like as sold is fragmented. It's pulled apart and what piece is the peace of God is that glue puts everything back and is like the puzzle that we can put back together. He puts every piece back in its proper place. That's what quietness stillness aloneness with God.

Well, there's another ward to me that's a really precious and that is that it results in a positive attitude and what happens is you get real negative about something and you're wondering both you know God. This is not working. That's not going to work and what's going to happen here. What's gonna happen there. I guarantee you if you get on your face before the Lord and getting his word.

Your attitude will change.

What happens is we begin to view everything from his perspective, everything gets sifted through aggregate system of Christ being our life and what happens I will change if you spend time in meditation upon him you were going to move from a negative attitude to positive attitude. First of all about yourself about other people and about what God can do in your life you listen on the most fascinating things to me as to what somebody who's about 50 below zero in their own spiritual begin to get the word begin to read begin to meditate upon God, and watch what happens there attitude. It is the most important thing you not doing a single that you cannot name anything more important than getting in this book and reading it and being still and quiet before God alone, that I would attend is a businessman about a set you you are sick. Senior business, what you say what yes indeed I do. No doubt about it.

Well you know what happens. People spend hundreds and thousands of dollars going to business conferences and seminars.

Learning how to succeed in their business to say a whole lot of money whole of the money is the greatest seminar you have a fine on how to be successful in business. Only about turning to Psalm one. How blessed, how happy is the man or woman who doesn't walk in the counsel of the wicked listen to the world's ways no stands in the path of sinners do what they do or sit in the seat of the scoffers the critics the negatives, but his delight is in what the law of the Lord to look at this. His delight is in the law of the Lord and in his law, the word of God, he does what meditates will win and as a result, he will be like a tree firmly planted by what streams of water which yields its fruit in season.

It sleep does not wither with. I have recession or whatever happens, and in whatever he does he want that you believe that how many will be a success.

You know what some of you can raise your hand. Why can't you say yes I will be a success. Do you think that's probably negatives no it's not. Listen to what he said to Joshua, he's a Joshua I want you to succeed.

In fact, I don't know of a single servant in the bottom of the gods do not want you to fail is that I want you to succeed. Listen what he told him he's in his how you can succeed in verse seven Joshua one only be strong and very courageous. Be careful to do according to all the law which Moses my servant commanded you.

Do not turn from it to the right or to the lab so that you may have what success wherever you go, per se. This book of the law. Presently the whole Bible shall not depart from your mouth but you shall do what meditate on it when day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it.

But then you will make your way. What and then you have what success now listen, that's how simple it is.

He says it. We will meditate upon his word day and night. There's no such thing as any man, a woman meditating upon the word of God. They are not in failing and what God told him to do because if you could, then God would have contradicted himself. And it's interesting that in this first Psalm the David said the man who meditates upon the word of God, and God said to Joshua.

Joshua you want to be a success. Learn to meditate. Learn to feast upon getting the law of Moses. Remember what he said keep reminding yourself focus upon and he says don't turn to the left don't turn the right.

He says don't depart from it and he says I will make your way prosperous, and I'll make you good success because what you do is you begin to get God's perspective and you begin to learn the ways that God operating the lives of these Old Testament saints, and what happens is what happens then you and I begin to make decisions based on what godly principles, God's ways, trusting him relying upon him saying all these impossible situations that God told his servants, the place and they meditated upon the Lord, they waited upon him. They trusting what happens in government and the success you can go through and find the times when God servants either gotten too big a hurry were not listening to God doing their own thing and they failed every time you think. After a few thousand years you not catch on with you that you think we would he says you will be a success in the seminar is the word of the living God, thank you for listening to the rewards of meditation.

If you'd like to know more about Charles Stanley were intact ministries enhance data OIG's podcast is a presentation at intact ministries Atlanta, Georgia