Big Idea: Jesus' birth into the world represents the light of God coming into a world of darkness; we as Christians should live as people of the light.
Out of Darkness
If you ever toured a cave, probably the guide turned off the lights for a few seconds. I remember not seeing my hand 2 inches from my face.
Darkness can be an oppressive, frightening thing.
Separated from Day One
The Bible says a lot about light and darkness, from day one.
Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. Then he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day” and the darkness “night.” And evening passed and morning came, marking the first day. Genesis 1:3-5 NLT
It is a fascinating and lengthy topical study to look at light and darkness in the Bible.
Darkness is hard for humans. We stumble and find tasks difficult. Strange noises are frightening and even ominous. Though like the blind, one can become accustomed to it and compensate.
Light shining into darkness
God saw that the light was good (Genesis 1:4). But in the history of the earth, people have lived in a world of darkness and even found it normal.
How delightful when light breaks through the darkness. A Messianic prophesy says:
The people who walk in darknesswill see a great light. For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine. Isaiah 9:2.
Light in the face of Christ
The coming of the Son of God, the Christ, into the world is our Christmas celebration. It is His light that penetrates our darkness. The Apostle Paul tells it so well.
For God, who said “Let there be light in the darkness” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.” 2 Corinthians 4:6 NLT
I love that verse. To know the glory of God, looking to Jesus!
Paul also says to the first century believers,
For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! Ephesians 5:8
Live the Light
This Christmas from the lights on the tree, homes decorated and even the backlight of your phone, remember the value of light.
Meditate on what it means to live as people of light.
The Big Idea: Bible meditation is an excellent way to immerse in the Word of God, strengthening our friendship with God and accessing His help for our daily life.
Living by the M & M's (Memorization /Meditation)
A verse in the Psalms calls it “hiding God’s Word in your heart.” This refers to memorizing the Bible but it also applies to reflection.
I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. Psalm 119:11 (NLT)
Memorize words: easy. I can memorize the Lord’s Prayer in Portuguese but not knowing Portuguese it is not meaningful or useful to me. More than pure memorization, meditation lets Scripture flow and process in our heart and mind.
It is also a Biblical command!
Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. Joshua 1:8 (NLT)
And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Philippiens 4: 8 (NLT)
Tips for Learning to Meditate on God’s Word
1. Invite the Holy Spirit to be a part of your meditation process. He is the author of the Word and is our counselor (John 14: 26). One of His roles is to teach us understanding.
2. Let your mind linger on a phrase or a verse, reflecting over and over on the same words. I like to think of it like ironing as the hot iron repeats over the same section to smooth it out.
3. Mull over each word or phrase in your mind. Reflect on the meaning, and various nuances of it.
4. Put it in your own words. I call mine the "Di version".
5. Pray it back to God, using words and concepts in the verse. Expound on it to God.
6. Put emphasis on a different word of a phrase each time, reflecting how that Word is significant. Example from Psalm 23:1
THE Lord is my shepherd.
The LORD is my shepherd.
The Lord IS my shepherd.
The Lord is MY shepherd.
The Lord is my SHEPHERD.
7. Think what God might be saying to you. Don’t expand on what you think, but dwell on the wording of that particular verse.
8. Try out conversation with God. Is He speaking to you through this verse? Listen. really listen with your heart. Then, what would you say back to Him?
9. If you have not done so already, consider memorizing this verse. That in itself is a worthwhile exercise and useful for future meditation.
Meditation is a buzz word in our secular spiritual minded society. Meditation on the Creator of the universe and His Word to us is of the highest value to our life.
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This post is thirty-seventh in a series as a Practical Starter Guide for Inductive Bible Study. Table of Contents
1. Have you done any form of meditation, either for stress reduction or Biblical reflection? Was it rewarding or was it a bit difficult? How might reflection on the Word of God be of higher value to you than secular meditation?
2. Take a moment right now to reflect 1 minute on a phrase from the Bible . You can time yourself if you wish. If this is your first time it may seem like it a minute goes on forever. “The Lord is my shepherd.”
3. Would you ever consider adding some meditation time to your devotion to God, or increasing the time you spend in devotions?
The Big Idea: When you can't sleep use Scripture verrses to help
Six ways the Bible can help you sleep!
As a baby, my mom said sleep was impossible for me. She thought maybe I was too curious about everything going on. A creak in the floor or a cough from my dad, and I was wide awake looking around.
I am a very light sleeper. I hear ever tick of the clock and every car that zooms up the street. At least until I can finally fall into deep sleep. After an evening meeting, I play over in my head all the conversations I participated in.
It is even more difficult when I have something serious to worry about. However, I have learned a few tricks over the years how to apply scripture to my need for sleep. I can tell you I have put this into practice
I would like to recommend six ways to use Scripture to fall asleep.
1. Meditate on a verse or a passage familiar to you
I gave an example recently about using the 23rd Psalm to meditate on. With that you could take a verse or a phrase and emphasis different aspects in your head. You could repeat a phrase, examining it, and making it a prayer.
Here are a couple examples:
It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to his loved ones. Psalm 127:2
You can go to bed without fear; you will lie down and sleep soundly. Proverbs 3:24
Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28
2. Get up and read the Bible
There are several ways you could approach this. If you are reading through the Bible in a year and have gotten behind you can catch up on some reading. You might want to go through a shorter book in its entirety such as Ruth in the Old Testament, or Philippians or another epistle in the New Testament.
a. List of sleep verses. Read over a list of sleep and peace from worry verses. Here is a PDF of a list.
b. Read a favorite Psalm or one good for sleep. Suggestions might be Psalm 4, Ps 91, and Psalm 116. Favorites are often Psalm 1, Psalm 19, Psalm 23, Psalm 34, Psalm 103, Psalm 139.
c. Read stories in the Bible involving sleep. There are a lot of them but here are a couple good ones to recommend.
Genesis 28:10-22 - Jacob sleeps as God speaks to him.
1 Kings 19 - How God brought sleep to Isaiah when he was worried.
Mark 4:35-41 - Jesus asleep in the storm. Read the whole chapter
3. Listen to Scripture
Put earplugs in for your ipod or phone with the audio Bible or meditation songs based on Scripture. YouVersion has audio Bibles on it and you can start listening.
But each day the Lord pours his unfailing love upon me, and through each night I sing his songs, praying to God who gives me life. Psalm 42:8
4. Think through lists in the Bible.
This might really test your Bible knowledge, which may drive you to study it more the next morning. Here are some examples to think through.
What happened on creation each day.
Recite a Psalm or the Lord's Prayer.
What are the books of the New Testament in their order.
Think through I Corinthians 13 for the "Love is" section.
Name the Armour of God or the Fruit of the Spirit
5. Pray
You can use a Bible verse to help you pray. You can also pray for lists of family or friends. Are you worried about someone or an issue in particular? Pray about it.
God knows how often I pray for you. Day and night I bring you and your needs in prayer to God, whom I serve with all my heart by spreading the Good News about his Son. Romans 1:9
Morning, noon, and night I cry out in my distress, and the Lord hears my voice. Psalm 55:17
6. Godly Fantasy
Imagine yourself in a Bible story. Think of being in a crowd when Jesus is getting ready to feed the 5000 and imagine what it would be like to be there. Talk to the little boy with his five loaves and two fishes. Interview one of the disciples. Or think about being in the tent with three strangers visit Abraham, or put yourself with Sarah as she is listening from the other tent while preparing a meal for them. Talk with Sarah about this crazy promise from God to have a son.
Each of these methods help me get my mind off of the issues trying rob my mind of peace.
You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! Isaiah 26:3
The Big Idea: When anxious about the unknown use Bible verses to keep your sanity.
The doctor says it might be WHAT?
If you ever had
an MRI you know how disconcerting all the pulsating noises can be. Last week I
needed a brain MRI. They strapped me in and fit headphones over earplugs in an
effort to provide enjoyable music for the experience. Imagine the stress
knowing you need a brain MRI. You hope they find nothing out of the ordinary!
As they
strapped me tightly in with whirring and piercing beeping sounds gearing up, I
wondered how I would endure the next hour or so. I recently read about the
value of Scripture meditation. It seemed the perfect time to put it to good
use. I knew I must stay still and this verse came to mind.
“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” Psalm 46:10
SCRIPTURE IN OUR MEMORY
One of the first verses or chapters that a Christian often memorizes is Psalm 23. “The Lord is my shepherd.” One of the benefits of scripture memory is the ability to meditate on it. Chew on it, as it were. I began with those first five words, repeating them and putting a different emphasis on each word sequentially, thinking about the difference of the phrase by each particular emphasis.
THE Lord is my shepherd.
The LORD is my shepherd.
The Lord IS my shepherd.
The Lord is MY shepherd.
The Lord is my SHEPHERD.
VISUALIZE GOD WITH US
I reflected on how
much I could remember of the whole Psalm. I learned it as a child
in the King
James Version of the Bible with its archaic poetic style. That left food for
thought, because its style helped me remember it. I mulled over each verse in
my mind. I took the archaic KJV asking myself how I would express it in modern
English. I dwelt on the idea of God as my shepherd. I was his sheep. Because
of my anxious thoughts inside the MIR machine I pictured myself as that little
lamb safely in His arms. His soothing presence was very real to me.
After about a
half an hour the exam continued but I felt like I was running out of fodder.
Then I remembered that I knew this Psalm also in French. Could I remember it
all? Were there fresh insights for me in French, and from my time working in
West Africa? Indeed there was much more to ponder.
Finally, I
thought of a song or two I knew based on this Psalm. I sang it to myself,
lifting up an attitudeof prayer to my
God.
THROUGH THE NIGHT
You would think I had saturated everything there is to think about Psalm 23. However, that night as I lay in bed, my mind was vexed with worry.
What would they find? Would I be OK?
I knew I could be up for a sleepless night if I did not reign my thoughts in and turn them toward my Creator who loves me.
There are numerous verses in the Bible about meditation as we lie on our bed. Undoubtedly the Psalmist and other saints of old also had trouble with vexing night accusations.
The Bible is a true and accurate portrayal of real people with real world problems. They teach us how to live.
This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. Joshua 1:8a
But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. Psalm 1:2
When I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night. Psalm 63:6
Laying in bed with eyes wide open, I reviewed each verse of the Psalm and what I had reflected on earlier. It is always good with Scripture to review, review, review! Remember what God has shown you. Do not forget! This is one of the reasons the Old Testament patriarchs left so many stone alters and monuments in the desert. It was to remember!
USE THAT BIBLE APP
Earlier that week I sat in a waiting area with delays. Though I did not have a hard copy Bible with me, I had Bible apps on my phone. I turned to a verse I have been studying, one I have not committed to memory yet, and used that time to reflect, chew, pray through and just think about who God is and what He means to me in that verse. It is a wonderful way to fix our eyes on Him in an anxious place.
Incidentally, my brain is fine. However, this week God's Word has brought my mind to return to Him and focus on Him and how much I need His Word. It comforted me and guided my thoughts. This is how we can use God's Word for our benefit and our edification. His Word is meant to be useful to us for life and godliness.
His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence. 2 Peter 1:3
1. Can you think of a stressful or anxious moment recently when you could have taken a moment to reflect on God's Word?
2. Do you have a meaningful Bible verse memorized or that you can easily go to on a phone app when you need to focus on Him?
3. Have you ever considered memorizing some of God's Word, or reviewing what you already have memorized, to put to good use for life's stressors?
Where do you turn when your world caves in? This is the first post in a blog series on how to rely on Scripture in crisis. The crisis may entail health news, a death of someone close, catastrophic world events or some personal angst that no one around you knows. But God knows and wants you to turn to His living Word to uphold you. This series is on how to incorporate the Bible for that very purpose. It's about Surviving by Scripture.
The Big Idea: Use meditation with visualization to reflect on God during Advent.
Do you See What I See?
Do you enjoy watching children reenact the Christmas story,
a living Nativity display or a Nativity set up in your home? Seeing the Christ
child in humble surroundings is a meaningful part of the
holiday. It reminds us of the reason for the season. The Christ who came to
earth as a baby for our redemption.
Saint Francis of Assisi was the founder of the Nativity
scene. In 1223 A.D. Saint Francis asked the Pope for permission to do
something special to spark more devotional interest in the birth of the Christ
Child. He gathered a manger of hay with an ox and a donkey and used it to
illustrate the humble means to which Jesus came into the world. Ever since then
it has been represented in paintings and as Nativity scenes both life size and
miniature. The Bible never mentions animals being present at Christ's birth,
nor do we see the shepherds and the magi present at the same time in Bethlehem.
Even so, the Nativity tableau is meaningful and useful to us in remembering the
literal incarnation of our Lord. Here is a video from Sight and Sound Voices of Christmas showing St. Francis so many years ago starting a new Christmas tradition.
Visualization in meditation of Scripture has its
value. I am a visual learner so this is particularly helpful to me. I am not
referring to New Age type visualization and meditation. That kind of focus can detract
from or eclipse Scripture and God as core truth. I am referring to what we can
see directly in Bible passages.
Remember Jesus was a story teller with parables and
illustrations. A large chunk of the Bible (at least 40%) are narrations of stories in both the Old and New Testament. When we picture stories so vividly
presented, we learn more about God, the Biblical characters and even ourselves.
The Bible tells about sounds (i.e. the crow of the rooster), smells (i.e. the
incense) and tastes (i.e. honey). Always pray asking the Holy Spirit to guard
and guide you in your time in the Word.Learn
to read the Bible using your mind's eye and think about what you can see, hear,
smell and taste. Pastor John Piper discusses visualization of Christ as a way to overcome lust. He talks about both the usefulness and the pitfalls of Biblical
visualization.
A favorite Michael W. Smith song for worship reminds us to look with spiritual eyes
toward God.
Open
the eyes of my heart, Lord Open the eyes of my heart I want to see You I want to see You
You may have found as I have, that songs we
sing in church over and over with repetitious verses can cause the mind to
wander. A little trick I do to keep my mind on the Lord while singing is to
visualize what the song says and how it impacts me.
THE CHRIST CHILD IN THE BIBLE
The shepherds went to see the child in the
manger.
When
the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go
to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing
that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” Luke
2:15 NLT
The wise men followed the star, and thus saw
the Christ.
The star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them
and stopped over the place where the child was.When they saw the star, they were filled with
joy! Matthew 2: 9b-10 NLT
The Bible points us continually to look to Jesus.
In fact we are to fix our eyes on Him as our compass for life. That is what
this verse means when we dig into the meaning in the original language - to
focus our view fixed on Him.
Let us run with endurance the race God has set
before us.We do this by keeping our
eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Hebrews 12: 1b-2a. NLT
Take time this Christmas to focus on Jesus' birth and dwell
on it a little. Reflect on His humble birth in a manger and the players who
moved in and out. Imagine yourself as a fly on the wall as you read the
Christmas story. Imagine what may have been the sounds you heard and the scents.
Does this give you insights into the Christmas story? What does it tell you
about God become man?
God became flesh to identify with us and be sympathetic to
our pain, our suffering and our temptations. He became like us to empathize and
extend to us mercy and grace when we need it most. What a gift!
[Jesus] understands our weaknesses, for he faced
all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin.So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God.
There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need
it most.Hebrews4:15-16
Jesus became flesh to take our sin upon Himself, to make us
right with God. To rescue us completely from our sin and make us right with God.
What a gift!
And
all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ.
And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer
counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of
reconciliation. 2 Corinthians 5:19 NLT
The Big Idea: In the Christmas story both Mary and Joseph model reflection. Take time to reflect during Advent.
Time to Think.
Most years Christmas is one of the busiest times of the year
(this year of COVID may be an exception). We do special baking, shop for gifts,
attend parties and special programs. Everything takes longer getting stuck in
traffic with everyone else prepping for the holidays. Basically at Christmas, we do, do, do and find little time to ponder.
Thinking is important. Warren Buffet, one of the wealthiest
men in the world is said to spend 80% of his time thinking and reading. Those who want to be a successful leader, businessman or to be well rounded
and influential are advised to carve time in their schedule to just think.
The Bible certainly advocates thinking.
Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure
to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all
you do.Joshua
1:8 NLT
“Be
still, and know that I am God!Psalm 46:10a NLT
I
will study your commandments and reflect
on your ways.Psalm 119:15 NLT
Don’t
copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a
new person by changing the way you think.
Romans 12:2 NLT
Fix
your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely,
and admirable. Think about things
that are excellent and worthy of praise.Philippians 4:8 NLT
I find it intriguing that the Nativity Bible passages tell us
about both Mary and Joseph's think time. Clearly at this busy time of year, it
is useful to observe Jesus' parents as they took time to think
during this monumental life event. The birth of the Savior.
JOSEPH
We do not know much about Joseph, Mary's spouse. Typically
in ancient Israel, the men were older and more established when they took a
young wife. There was a long period of engagement, but it was a very serious commitment
that demanded a divorce to break the deal. When Mary was found to be pregnant,
she and Joseph had already become formally engaged. Since Joseph knew he was not the father
of the child, this really set his mind reeling. Here is what the Scriptural
text says.
Joseph,
to whom she was engaged, was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her
publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly.As he considered this,
an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the
angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within
her was conceived by the Holy Spirit.Matthew
1:19-20 NLT
This text tells us Joseph was a righteous man. He did not
want to disgrace Mary publically. He must have been a good man with a kind
heart, but this was a serious situation. If this was not his child, whose was
it? Would it be obvious it wasn't his if they stayed together? Did someone else want Mary for a wife? Was she molested? Just imagine all the
thoughts swirling around his head.
He wanted to do right by Mary, so he "considered" (NLT)
how to deal with this. This word "considered" in the original
language means to reflect and ponder, but it is a very strong emotional word.
Let's take a peak at how a couple of Bible versions choose to describe this. The
bulk of them use the word "considered" (ESV, NLT, NIV). Some use "thought or thinking" (KJV,
NASB).
If you want to check how different translations
present a verse (it is after all a translation from the original language of
the New Testament, ancient Greek), go to Bible Gateway and only enter 1 verse.
You will find a link to see it in numerous translations.
The Passion translation says, "While he was still
debating with himself."
The Living Bible says "As he lay in bed considering
this."
We all know what it is like to have night thoughts. The
weight of the world goes to bed with us. I know this happens to me time to time
and it is likely you have done this too. In fact right now we have lots of issues to
contemplate, that weigh us down in the night, wondering what life will be like
tomorrow morning for a financial matter, or a health matter, or some other
grave concern.
It is good to have an example such as Joseph, a righteous
man. He was a man who wanted to do what was right, a man who wanted to be kind
in the midst of what seems a betrayal. And God spoke to him in a dream through
an angel. Today we have the wonderful Word of God to speak God's very
intentions to us. Slow down and think. Ponder. Reflect. And see what insights
His Word reveals to you.
MARY
We are never given Mary's age when the angel first comes to her.
Given tradition in Israel at that time, scholars put her age as likely 14-15
years old. When I worked as a nurse in West Africa, I was the health care
worker for quite a few newlyweds whose wife was between the age of 14-15. Yes it is
still like that in some parts of the world. These young girls at our Bible
Institute joined their husband studying for ministry. Many had left a
village of family and familiar community to join ministry preparation in a new
place without the usual support structures of an ancestral village. These women had a sharp learning curve to care for their own household. Many became pregnant in their first year of marriage. They
were so young with much to learn.
Mary remarkably took on this pregnancy at her young age. It
was all a learning experience of life. She travelled with her new husband to
Bethlehem during her final trimester. Here's a Google map of Israel with the traffic
routes of today. Nazareth to Bethlehem is almost 100 miles apart. They would have travelled on
foot and perhaps with a donkey. Google says the modern route is a 33 hour walk,
not counting a stop for meals and other needs.
Traffic is busy in our world during the holidays. Bethlehem
was similar as the census caused new travel bottlenecks. Imagine Joseph and
Mary's situation, arriving late to Bethlehem with no place to stay, everything
unknown. They were offered an animal shelter for lodging. No woman of the
family was with Mary to help with the birth. What must have been going through
Mary's mind at that time was probably the cold, finding a sheltered place, the
unknown of how well the birthing process would go, food and care for the baby
and a myriad of other practical things. Perhaps the birth went rapidly and
smoothly. We do not know but I am more inclined to think our Savior came into
the world in pain, just as He died before He resurrected. He was not sent from heaven to earth to
have a kingly life of ease and comfort. He was born to die. First time births are often hard and
long. And so our young and brave teenage Mary gave birth in the night among the animals.
Then, a group of motley shepherds smelling of sheep and
dirt and sweat come rushing through the entrance of their shelter. Their story
is fantastic, describing the angel choir and God's message of "good news of great
joy which shall be for all people" (Luke 2:10). Their lives are clearly
changed. They will never be the same again. They pour out of the shelter
telling everyone they see about this wondrous event.
If you enjoy watching the new series, The Chosen, enjoy seeing the shepherds visit Mary and Joseph on that night here on YouTube (~25 minutes).
Our verses of contemplation for Mary follow the Shepherd's visit:
All
who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished,but Mary kept all these things in her heart
and thought about them often. Luke 2: 18-19 NLT
The phrase in the New Living Translation, "thought
about them often," is one word in the Greek that is often translated as "pondered".
The origin of the word implies weights used
on a scale. It is the balancing of the weights. Used in this case Mary weighs the
various happenings in her mind. She goes over it again and again. The pieces of
the puzzle start coming together in amazement at what God is doing.
A LOT TO THINK ABOUT
Both Mary and Joseph had much to think about in those early
days of Jesus' life. There were angels, shepherds with their lambs, Uncle
Zachariah, Old man Simeon and Anna… It certainly deserved much contemplation.
This Christmas, find the time to think. Take time to weigh
the truths of Jesus the Messiah, Emmanuel God-with-us, Savior and Coming King. Consider your life, your family, your dreams and your future. Live life intentionally. Be prone to ponder.
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