Be Still and Know - Day 9
While I was reading in the Psalms today, two particular passages stood out to me and seemed to speak directly to experiences I have had in meditation.
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be pleasing in your sight,
be pleasing in your sight,
O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.
~ Psalm 19:14
Yesterday I wrote about how my prayers have changed. How they have shifted from words spoken to God, to more of a direct communication from my soul to His Spirit and back. I've read this verse above hundreds of times, but I just today see that it seems to capture that distinction I realized about myself yesterday - the distinction between the words out of our mouths (or in our minds, or on paper) and the meditation of our hearts - that gut connection and communication between one's soul and God. He's not talking about our thoughts here, but our meditations. How cool is that?! Just to think that David (or someone in his reign) who wrote this poetic prayer to God ending with this verse, clearly understood this distinction. And 2000+ years later, it has become clear to me! Both our words AND our meditations are important and pleasing to God.
O Lord, you have searched me and you know me... Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord... For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mothers womb... How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!... Search me, O God, and know my heart...
~ Psalm 139: 1, 4, 13, 17, 23
This entire Psalm 139 is filled with the intimacy between each of us and our Creator, and it, too, speaks to the reason why my prayers have do not always need words. Because I am fully known by God (even better than I know myself, because He knows the True Kim - the Kim I was created to be from even before my birth), He already knows the deep desires, longings, and needs I have. And when I open up myself to Him in meditation or prayer, I allow that flow of communication to take place. So, it's not that His knowledge of me means I don't need to pray. It's actually the opposite. I MUST pray so that the flow of communication is open. Prayer is not about God needing to know what I want or what what He needs to do for me, it's about me needing to know what I want and then really understanding what He wants. And the more I pray, or meditate, the easier it gets to keep that flow open even when I'm not in those quiet moments of prayer... the easier it becomes to praying without ceasing. (1 Thessalonians 5:16)
Today I meditated in the evening instead of the morning. Blogging at night about my meditation and my day has become a time of connection with God in and of itself. I still felt so "full" this morning when I awoke (just 5 short hours after I had blogged) that I actually forgot about meditation - as opposed to most days lately when I notice right away my need (and desire) for it. Interesting. Anyway, it was too late in the morning when I realized that I hadn't meditated... Not enough time before all the to-dos, so I decided to do it this evening.
The meditation was short and sweet - about 20 minutes or so. I focused on a universal truth about giving and receiving. As St. Francis of Assisi puts it: "It is in giving that we receive." As Jesus taught it: it is when you give yourself away, that you receive treasure in heaven (meaning heavenly treasure, the stuff that lasts - not necessarily just something you get when you die), and treat others the way you want to be treated (The Golden Rule), and you reap what you sow. Others may say it like this: what you put out into the universe is what flows back to you. During the meditation I acknowledged that an attitude of giving is the only posture to take, because it is only then that I can experience a fulfilled, abundant life. I am blessed to be a blessing! AND living life as a blessing to others is something that can only flow out of you if you are connected to the Source of blessing! My time in meditation reminded me of how very blessed I am.
That seems to be a theme doesn't it. :)
2 Comments:
So I haven't been diligent about reading all of these, but I love this project. Lately I've been having some sweet prayer time in the middle of the night when I wake up. One thing that I love about having solid times of meditation with scripture in the morning - or consistently whatever time of day it is - is that God brings that scripture back to mind in other times if we'll just be quiet and listen.
One thing He's been pressing into me the last couple of days - and this a result of reading the Psalms - when I read "Rejoice in the Lord always," so often I immediately think, "Yes, I rejoice in the Lord always.... because He's done this, this, and this for me." But then God has stopped me and said, "And what about without those things? Can you rejoice in Me just because? Because I am the Great I AM? Not because of anything I've done for you, but just because of who I am?" So, I had the sweetest worship this morning at about 2 a.m. blessing my God with all the names I could remember of who He is. Just so cool. I never had times like this until I got serious about consistent time with Him.
Thanks for sharing your journey, Kim. I love you... you're inspiring.
Thanks for reading and for sharing, Beth! I have done the same thing before - waking in the middle of the night and not being able to sleep, so I spend time listening to God, being with God, blessing Him. Precious time. And it's so true how important silence is for the Holy Spirit to be heard - through reminding us of scripture or through the whispers. It's that kind of relationship with God that allows us to rejoice in Him no matter the circumstances. Thanks for sharing!
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