meditate = memorize

I have been memorizing scripture passages every day this last week. WOW. I mean WOW. I can't believe that I shunned and hated this practice as a child and even in college.

The passage I just memorized is John 14:12-14 "I can guarantee this truth: those who believe in Me will do the things I am doing. And they will do even greater things because I am going to my Father. Whatever you ask the Father in my name I will do so that the Father will receive glory because of the Son. If you ask me to do something, I will do it."

This is an amazing passage, but can I just say that only through memorization will we really ever meditate on something? King David said that he "meditated" on the Word BOTH MORNING AND NIGHT. That doesn't mean that he read it and then read it again, it means that he was memorizing it. He was storing it in his heart.

One of the disciplines of Israel's Kings (if they were righteous), in my understanding, is that they had to memorize the books of the law on a regular basis. The spent a significant amount of time studying and applying to memory the law of God. This is most likely where Psalms 1 comes from

1[a]BLESSED (HAPPY, fortunate, prosperous, and enviable) is the man who walks and lives not in the counsel of the ungodly [following their advice, their plans and purposes], nor stands [submissive and inactive] in the path where sinners walk, nor sits down [to relax and rest] where the scornful [and the mockers] gather.

2But his delight and desire are in the law of the Lord, and on His law (the precepts, the instructions, the teachings of God) he habitually meditates (ponders and studies) by day and by night.(A)

3And he shall be like a tree firmly planted [and tended] by the streams of water, ready to bring forth its fruit in its season; its leaf also shall not fade or wither; and everything he does shall prosper [and come to maturity]. (Amplified Bible, biblegateway.com)

Did you see that?? "his DELIGHT and DESIRE are in the law of the Lord" "and on His law he habitually meditates by day and by night."

Holy stinkin' awesome! David KNEW! He knew the results of applying God's word to our lives because he lived it. He experienced it. Furthermore, he understood that God's word changes us.

When we store the word inside of us it begins to change us. And the more we put in the more we are transformed. John Decker, in his and his wife's book "Doing What Jesus Did" talks about hearing God. This is always something that I have struggled with. Always-- it used to make me angry because I KNEW that God was real, I had seen, literally, seen the evidence of His hand; so why did He not speak to me?

In the book, John tells a story, and as it turns out, he had a hard time hearing God too. But he found, when he began to memorize the word that he could hear God clearer and clearer. SO, I think that part of the changes that occur in us when we study the word, when we store it inside us, as it changes us, is that we begin to hear. It opens up our ears to the supernatural.

If you are reading this, I just want to encourage you, when you next get on your knees before God, and begin to study His word, find a passage and memorize it. Even if its just one verse, or 3. If you do this regularly you will NEVER BE THE SAME.