The Power of Godly Meditation – Dr. Charles Stanley

how often do you pick up your Bible you read a passage of Scripture you lay it down and very shortly you've forgotten everything you're it Amen that's in that true that's true a few of you let's be honest right up front that's true in it yes it is so you read it and you fulfill your promise that may be pray or to read the Bible all the way through in a given year or whatever it might be whatever your goal is and so you have the assurance that God's going to bless you because you read his word which he will but what about the application of what you read when you read the Bible do you apply the truth you say well sometimes I don't want to say that I understand that but most of the time you understand at least of something or he said to you and if you ask him Lord speak to my heart then he's going to lead you to a passage that he has something to say does that mean that you understand everything that you read no probably nobody can say I understand every single thing I read and so the whole issue of meditation upon the Word of God it's far more involved than most people think most people think that meditation means I read it quietly and then I go on my way that's not what meditation is meditation is one of the most important things that is biblical meditation and there's a Eastern meditation that believes all kinda thyself but we're talking about meditation upon God's Word which I'll explain when you read it would you say that you meditate upon it that that is you think about it you ask questions like lord have might apply this to my heart Lord what are you saying to me Lord is is a word of encouragement is this a warning am I to be careful am I to be sensitive to somebody around me am I to give something that I hadn't thought about giving what are you saying I mean no words meditation isn't just reading a passage and moving on meditation is thinking asking giving praying whatever God may be saying to you and so it involves far more than just reading it it involves prayerful listen it involves prayerful application Lord what are you saying to me personally I can't imagine anybody coming to church and hearing a whole sermon for 30 or 40 minutes and saying God didn't say a thing to me unless you didn't come in with an open heart so let's just think right now wherever you sit and whoever you are and whoever you are why don't we just agree right now we are going to listen to God we're gonna believe that God's gonna speak to us in this message we're gonna listen to him and we're gonna do our best to apply it to our heart because I'm sure God has something that said to all of us so the scripture says in 104 song let my let my meditation be pleasing to you O God let my meditation be pleasing to you so that's what I want to talk about the power of meditation in the life of the believer so I want you to turn to the hundred and nineteen song now I know what you're gonna be thinking for a moment so I'll get to this in a minute you say well that was written thousands of years ago well who hadn't written Almighty God did he not know what was going on today yes he there so that none of us can say well you know God doesn't speak today he spoke a long time ago but not today yes he does because he's given us his word he's preserved his word so that every generation from the time he spoke it can hear it from someone or read it today or listen in fashion so this 119th song listen to what David is saying beginning in verse 97 oh how I love your law it is my meditation all the day which is David's way of saying I think about it all the day your Commandments make me wiser than my enemies that's a promise his commandments make us wise their enemies for their ever mine I have more insight than all my teachers because you're listening to God for your testimonies are my meditation that is meditation I'm thinking about what God is saying to me I understand more than the ages and which age has nothing doing understanding necessarily because I have observed your precepts that is because I'm observing and attempting to do what you asked me to do Lord in this passage I understand what you're saying I have restrained my feet from every evil way that I may keep your word I have not turned aside from your audiences for you yourself have taught me how sweet on your words to my taste yes sweeter than honey to my mouth from your precepts I get understanding therefore I hate every false way and look at this 150 your word is a lamp to my feet and the light to my path let's say that one day yellow your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path now if I really and truly believe that I'm gonna be in this word I'm gonna be reading the Word of God and believing in and applying it to my heart your word is a lamp to my feet and light to my path so ask discussion if the Word of God is not a lamp to your feet a light to your path what is I can tell you what is the other stuff that people read the other things they watch on television the other things they hear peep say but he says your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path all of us watch this carefully all of us are following something in some fashion to some degree to what we see and what we hear this is what makes every con amigo what you see what you watch on television if you listen and you watch and you listen and you watch and next thing you know you've got you bought it because they have programmed your thinking into thinking you must have this product you'll be more beautiful you'll be richer you'll only know they go with promises and so what happens you go out and buy some and that's true that's true you go ahead and buy because somebody said to you this is what will happen to you you'll be better looking you'll feel better you look like a million dollars you'll prosper in your job you'll get a head about though it's only known and on that they go with promises from man that most of the time are not true then when you come to the Word of God which is all true you and where it is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path the direction I'm going in is gonna be according to God's Word so ask yourself the question do I walk and do I talk and do I live according to the Word of the Living God am I am I more attuned to advertisement and propaganda on television than I am the Word of God they say you've got to have this you've got to have that you're more beautiful you'll be a much more accessible you believe that you believe the Word of God we're all believing something right we're all listening to somebody and we're all responding to something as somebody and I'm simply saying you the Word of God is the most important book in the world and the guidance from the Word of God is the most important guy because listen you'll choose wise friends you will not get into debt and only could go of the promises that God makes and the promise and the response you experience in your life when the word of God becomes your guidebook meditation is the process by which you and I learn to listen to God apply these principles throughout life and watch him work you can't read the Word of God apply the principles of the word of God to your life without him having an affect you so how do you know that I'll tell you why because the day you trusted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior the Holy Spirit came into your life the sealed you as a child of God and to empower you enabled you to teach you to believe the Word of God and therefore direct your life so we have God's divine direction to every one of us and somebody says well but that's not everybody well who does he leave out only people who refuse to listen to him the Word of God is applied to your heart and my heart by the same Holy Spirit but the Holy Spirit applies the Word of God to your life in my life according to the need of the moment not according to somebody else according to the need of the moment so the needs of the moment of change all the time God gives direction in every circumstance of life to those who are listening and believing what he says teach me thy way O Lord my God that I may walk in it so meditation is your thinking about the word is the application of the word of God in your life to give you direction and so when people say I don't believe the Bible is what that's like it's like being in the middle of the Pacific Ocean no compass no map nothing in a sailboat or their oars that you had you threw those away and you finally tossed the sail away and then you are where would you be where would you go what direction would you have for your life you and have it you'd float around till finally you sank if something happened to you many people are living without a guidebook many people living a lot without the guide and many people are living their life out according to what the world says that's why they missed the best part of life so much you listen carefully what we just read is the promise your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path now what do we mean by meditation according to the Word of God it's important enough that you write them down you may say well I'm not even a Christian write them down anyway because you may get save the time this message is over and if not say some point you may so what we're at what we're talking about here we're talking about what meditation is first it's focusing my heart on God and shutting out everything else that's meditation not reading the world watch this carefully now don't get upset and don't get mad don't get angry it isn't reading the Bible or the television set on unless you're reading what I'm preaching while you're watching that's the difference but it's not I'm gonna do my devotions while I'm watching my favorite program now meditation is shelling out everything else think about this you're talking to omniscient I'm the president I'm never done Almighty God who loves you unconditionally why would you want to be listening to watching anything else when you are talking to holy Almighty God who has over who has power over all of your life so it's shutting out everything else secondly it's more listening than talking meditation is more listening than talking Lord what are you saying and in any given time you may go through a lot of emotions when you're talking to God is he things to your line thirdly it's the most important activity in the life of a follower of Jesus now you may have been a Christian a short period of time and nobody's ever said that to you but I want you to listen carefully meditation reading and we're gonna talk about what that's involved reading the Word of God meditating upon the Word of God is the most important activity in your life because that's where you get clear direction about what to do who to talk to who to listen to what about what not about meditation you're focused in on the one God Jehovah God who has the answer to every question you have and secondly who is they're willing to give you direction and guidance in your life if you're willing to listen now think about that you don't have to make mistakes I'm not saying you never will but you know words you should know how to make any spiritual mistakes and on your job is God listening to you I mean any vocation absolutely is when you trusted him as your Savior he became involved in every single area of your life so if you want the best then you make meditation a priority in your life which says the most important thing I can do is listen to God either through reading his word or if God sends somebody to me who is giving me wisdom for my life and that can be true at times most important thing in your life then I want you to turn to two passages of Scripture let's turn first of all to Matthew 14 and I'm sure you know these by heart but I just want to emphasize them Matthew 14 and you recall that Jesus has just fed the 5,000 and they just about worn him out talking to him and and imagine what he did so listen to this there were about 5,000 men and women besides children and so what happens when he finished feeding everybody immediately now there's there's a reason for immediately he was worn out physically speaking immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go ahead of him he didn't get in there with him go ahead of him to the other side while he sent the crowds away exactly he's got to have some time by myself after he sent the crowds away he went up on the mountain by himself to get away from it all to pray and when it was evening he was there long Jesus got tired he had to be refreshed imagine if there were 5,000 people was children and so forth imagine what was going on his mind and heart so he needed time to be refreshed so do you so do I Jesus who was the son of God who had all power had that human part of him that when he was tired and worn to get away and not just the other way and take a break but he go up into the mountain and do what went up in the mountain and prayed separated himself from them to pray and when it was evening he was there long if meditation was important that Jesus is very important to us it's where we get refreshed it's where we get a good new sense of direction God is always speaking to us children whether we're listening or not but he's willing to give you direction in every area life and so if you want to turn one little passage and just so you'll be familiar with them in mark Oh 1:35 and listen to what he says in the early morning while it was still dark because he knew better than to wait till 8 o'clock in the early morning while it was still dark Jesus got up left the house went away to a secluded place and he was praying there think about this Jesus the Son of God they'll fit necessary to spend time away from everybody and be alone with God and so the most important thing you and I can do for our life in spend time meditating you so how long that's between you and God but giving God at least some portion of your day to be alone with him shut everything else out and just ask God to speak to your heart you say well I don't know that you'll speak to my heart why don't you think so maybe you have guilt in your life sin in your life and you think well go to and speak to me you may be the one he's really working on so you can't say God won't do this anymore do that you set aside or you say God I just need you in my life God is there to give direction for your life with us for confession of sin repentance and just simply saying Lord what do I do about this opportunity I have he had three choices Lord I don't know what's what what am I to do he's there to help you so that's what meditation is all about it's the most important thing in your life because think about this who else can direct you in such a way to live your life that you live it out the best you live it out the fullest you let out the happiest you live it out with the most profitable who can direct you other than God nobody knows your life by God knows it he knows why he created you news he knows what purpose he has for you in your life and what the Word of God this demonstrates in this passage are all these passages and throughout the scripture he is willing and ready to give direction to those who willing to listen and so once you trusted Christ as your Savior that opens the door until you trust Christ as your Savior you have no promise that God will speak to you except a conviction of your sins when you trust him as your personal Savior God begins to speak to your heart immediately and so we have the privilege of meditating upon the word receiving direction and divine guidance about any in a situation in his circumstance we face we have the promise of his assistance ask and it shall be given you if I need to know what to do here he will direct me whatever it might be so when we learn to meditate what will happen it listen it's a way of life that we live in a relationship to God where about meditation waiting upon him is having those times in life we shut out everything and listen to him so what can you expect to happen jot them all down first of all it'll quieten your spirit your trouble you come home late the traffic was horrible everybody around you is sort of you know saying things and doing things that you didn't like or you didn't feel comfortable in your job quiet in your spirit that is meditation will calm you down when you get before God and say Lord you know what are they I've had and so forth or maybe you had some bad news whatever it might be God will quiet in your spirit he's promised that secondly he will enlighten your mind to think the way he thinks about what concerns you when you begin to think the way God thinks about what concerns you there is an immediate sense of degree of peace because your heavenly father has said to you and shown you made it known to you I understand and I know what to do and I'll direct you and I'll give you guidance so don't worry you trust me and don't worry just trust me the third thing that'll happen is it'll increase your energy so what's that got to do with all everything and there been many times when I look back over the years that I'd wake up on Sunday morning and just get on my knees and say God you you gonna have to help me Lord I don't I I I'm not gonna be able to preach me I have to help me I didn't have an associate pastor and so it was me or nobody and they're expecting it and I just I could Holly get out of the bed at some point between there at that moment and the right time God get me up get me dressed get me ready looking over the message get me excited and preach like nothing ever happened I can tell you God knows how to give us the kind of energy we need because he knows what the need is now watch this my God will meet all of your needs according to his riches in glory and certainly his timing what I want you to see says God's a personal God he's not just something up in heaven so I got us an intimate personal be who the moment you received Christ as your Savior he enters your heart through the whole is ready promised it and one of the things he promises is to give direction and peace and quietness and godliness in our heart when we willing to listen to him and so there's gonna be an energy he knows from the worn out and he knows when we need divine energy and one of the wonderful things about God is think about this he knows what you need and he's unlimited to give you exactly and everything you need whatever you going through in life but meditation this means watch this you and God have a relationship more intimate than a relationship between a husband and a wife because but with God everything is right you'll always have the truth you always know what to do when you listen to him and waiting upon him and obeying him you always do the right thing that you have the capacity to now you can disobey Him but he will give you wisdom to know exactly what's right he will increase your energy you'll be able to do things otherwise you couldn't do I've reached the times from every cell of my body was crying no God knows what you need he knows when you need it how much you need it why you need it so that every day you should spend a little time talking to him listening to him don't do all the talking you can't listen to you doing all the talking and I've heard a few people pray uh house as far as I'm going with that I've heard a few people pray God didn't have a chance to say a thing because as soon as they finished praying that up and gone I'm saying God loves you give him time to express that love whatever that love is needed in your life if you would even somebody to cheer you up sometimes you're not gonna find anybody God's always there and listening he knows exactly what you need when you come to him and say Lord you know that I'm needed today I don't exactly know everything I need but I'm just needed you don't have to define your need to God he knows exactly what you need he knows exactly how to fulfill that need he's a wonderful God and didn't think thinking about this also meditation purifies your heart what I mean by that simply this the Holy Spirit within you will expose exposed sin in your heart you think well you got nothing's working right you God knows why it's not and here's what we did watch this we call our friends we called our friends whom we know will agree with us who will feel sorry for us oh my goodness I'm so sorry you're not doing good and so we love to be pitied and we love to hear friends tell us well you're a Christian and certainly God only known and only you know God knows how to purify our heart we need to come to him saying Lord Here I am I don't understand why this is going on in my life Oh Lord I do understand and I'm needy I need you to help me Lord and He will show you whatever there is going on in your life that should not be he will always point you in the direction and the right direction is first of all to him to ask him Lord forgive me of my sin if that's an issue what show me exactly what to do this is why he says if we confess our sins listen to these words faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and to do what cleanse us from all unrighteousness that's the promise we have and when I think about how he purifies our heart he promises unmistakably if we can't a confession means I agree with him Lord here's something my life is not right if we confess our sins he's faithful and just that means yes he will every time every time but you know what I've done I know what I know this when Jesus went to the cross we'll watch this that made it possible for God to say if we confess our sins he's faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and they cleanse us from all unrighteousness and so purifies their heart it also enlarges our view of God when you're praying and you're meditating upon the Lord and you listening to him and you're reading the word what's that what happens you you get a you get this enlarged view of who God is I don't mean sighs I'm talking about capacity of a loving God who's able to forgive you and how many times have I heard people pray when we talk together and they said well you know what I don't even deserve forgiveness surely you don't nobody does it's not a matter of deserving it's a matter of God exposing our heart and helping us to see what's there and enlarging our view of God in other words when you get on to pray and you pray and you pray and you pray and you pray and you pray and you pray and you pray and you pray and you pray and pray nothing happens and don't look around somewhere else look right here because there's something going on in your heart that's not right well let me give you some assurance you know we'll take you long to find out if you asked him Lord what is it in my life that's holding me back whatever it's in my life that's that causing me and not to have answered Fred Lord why am I so miserable why is nothing please me god oh I mean such a mess he'll show you if you want to listen because remember this that every act of get watch this one every act of God his children is an expression of the love of God every act even the chastisement is an act of love from God so what happens is when you meditate upon his word it enlarges your view of God you begin to see things about God that you did before you you know it's how could how could God be interested in this how many times I've heard people say well when I've said to them well if you want Direction ask God God is not interested in yes he is your spending money God's interested you're living in sin or sin again you know it go right that front listen from A to Z in the alphabet God is interested so when you say well God can be interested in me yes he is he created you he created you you have a soul you gonna spend eternity somewhere no matter how long I has short life is you know what is God interested in you personally yes he knows the day you were born and he before you were gonna be born he knows the day in the moment when the clock ticks your last second click you're gone does he are to know that yes he does he's this awesome wonderful holy God who's has our best interest at heart and the best way to live your life is to live it and make meditation your relationship with him a vital part of your life listen it determines everything it determines everything either I'm gonna live a life of obedience or not I can explain it away well you know I didn't have this listen if somebody says well I just didn't have the privileges other people had forget it I didn't have an approval azita my mom and I lived in one room for a while before I went to college I had no money at $75 and I told somebody else going to college how much money do you have I had $75 well they said you can't go to college on $75 what they didn't know is a few months later I'm standing on a street corner a pastor that I heard a new walks by and as a result of me meeting him gets me a four-year scholarship University of Richmond that's that you don't don't underestimate God I didn't even know this pastor I just started to that church a few months of before that don't underestimate God don't think about well well when I look back now thank God I had nothing to do it I just told my friend what I needed and my friend had until the past in the past that tell somebody else and finally everything I needed Lord you provided was that an accident no was it an answer to my prayer yes because I've been praying and praying God I know you've called me to preach but how am I going to school here's what I want you to see God is not only perfectly and eternally interested in your life in every aspect of it he can handle it all he wants you to do is to be willing to spend time with him listen how can you know what to do without God you may guess a few things but you'll make wrong decisions in your life and think about people who have made wrong decisions and come to me crying and we begin saying you tried to tell me but I didn't listen you God tried to tell you you didn't listen this is the kind of awesome guy than words here's what happens when we get a whole different perspective of God when we started meditating upon his word because just what you lose cover you can't bring up anything God doesn't already know he knows everybody in other words whatever you bring up to him he doesn't have to say haha that's not god yeah watch this you know instantly has an answer because he had an answer before you ask him but he oftentimes will wait until we're wise enough to acknowledge we don't have dance and we do need him and need his direction purifies your heart and larger serve you have God increases your love for God yes what happens when you read the Word of God and you get it in your heart and you read such I think for example and this probably started up more love of God I believed him but I think this verse probably stirred up more love for God for me than any other one when Joshua was asking for direction the air gotta tell him he was to take Moses place and he had a lot of questions and here's what he said to him have I not commanded you be strong and courageous do not tremble or be dismayed for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go he didn't tell him and he didn't say well look we don't knock down a Jericho wall no here's what he said heaven God commanded you to be strong and courageous do not tremble or be dismayed for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go that verse of scripture before I preached my first sermon and naturally I was a little bit uptight fact that's probably very all dice and it was in my home church and that's where and nobody believes you when you're kidding and you say God's called you to preach it but I had a chance to preach my mother came in the bedroom she says I want you to read this verse that verse inscription gave me the courage and the realization it didn't make any difference how well I did I didn't do and what they thought of me or not God said be strong and of a good courage he met he promised to help me through this and I'm saying to you here's the key to meditation if you will meditate upon the Word of God there will be times that arise in your life of situations and circumstances that God will take you back to a passage that you read you say yes Lord thank you thank you thank you because at that moment you shut out everything else you remember done listen and read again what God said to you and your faith skyrockets meditation is a concentration upon God we believe what he says we expect him in any moment of our life whatever we need he's gonna be there to give direction for our life you say well but suppose I'm living in sin well here's what happened you get end you say Lord no I haven't been doing what I'll do but I need some direction God says hmm God's not promised to answer our petitions about anything as long as I'm living and willful known disobedience to God you say well listen he knew all about yes he does think about this if God let us get by with living in sin you know what we would do it keep sinning so what does he do he shuts heaven down until we're willing to submit to his will until we're willing to listen to him and do first of all what's necessary be confessing of that repenting evidencing good okay I'm just laying my life before you and I'm gonna trust you he's a loving God willing willing to help us at any moment in their life then of course even it will increase our sensitivity to the authority and power of God meditation well increase that will become more and more aware of what of his authority and power in our life I wouldn't dare walk up here on a Sunday morning and open the Word of God and propose to preach a message unless I knew it was all of God and none of me this is why prod is so devastating pride says I can do it pride is devastating in any area of life prod is devastating it's humility it's the awareness that we need him and it's the awareness that being in need my God shall supply all not most of all your needs according to his riches in glory means according to what he possesses a person is foolish not to meditate upon God it's the key to everything then strengthens their faith when you watch God answer your prayer you watch me everything else is looking bad everything else is stormy it looks no other way and I can think of times many times in my life when I thought God only you can handle this very critical times God only you can have this but I'm trusting you he listened he's willing to come to your rescue in any situation if you're walking in his will he's willing to because it gives him glory and honor you serve God only you can do this you you've you've glorified God in expecting and then anticipating and then watching God do his work in whatever situation you're faced with and one other thing here strengthen your faith naturally and it'll increase your awareness of the presence of God and nothing does that anymore than meditation when you set aside time to read the Word of God and talk to him what does it do it increases your awareness of his presence and the possibilities and you look at the scripture how does God work in David's life how did they work in Joshua's life you go right through the world of God and then the last one I would say isn't it infuses those with joy when you have spent time meditating upon the word reading the word and listening to him watching him working at life what happens there's a joy that's there why is there such a joy because you have this awesome sense of awareness that whatever happens God's in control if I should ask you do you believe God is in control of your life what would you say well about 10 of you would now I'm glad you didn't answer that because that means a lot of you not sure so let me ask you this you don't say anything I don't get too personal if God's not in control of your life who is who is is your husband is your wife are your children are your parents are your boss all the doctor it was vici all right and if God's not in charge then who is so that's why I take the time to go through all these simple points because whatever else in like you face you of you will face it depending upon the influence or your response to the time you gave God in meditation you said I just don't have time for it then you know what you reap the results and the results is confusion indebtedness lack of love sickness we go right there once you're right down the line of all the things that happen to people and most of the time you said well when spends time you talk to God I don't talk to God so I want to say to see the most important event in your life in any given moment at any time since the moment you're saved is your time you spend alone with God he's reading his word or just talking to him it's very important to be reading the Word of God no words nothing is so important in shutting the world out you and God to get along in other words it's like this physically it's like you getting in this closet they've already put a strip on the bottom of the door there's no light you're in pitch-black darkness absolute pitch black darkness when you learn to meditate upon the artist like being in his room with total light God opens the door shows you things you won't see in LA you know what the issue is do I value my relationship with God enough to spend time with him that I'm spending doing something else so listen to something elsa watching something else god is so awesome and and defend the truth is that lots of times I feel totally inadequate to tell you how awesome God is I can best do that by giving you one illustration after the other one how God works in their life hey listen yeah God's not prejudiced and yes he does not play favorites you say well passes this that no no no no no no being a past has nothing to do with this what has to do with it is it's the truth of God's Word applicable and available to every single person godly meditation is a powerful fruitful exciting habit that we should develop because it changes everything Amen father we love you and praise you not because of what you do just because of who you are and I pray that you'll sink this message into the heart and life of every person who hears it today now tomorrow in years to come it is the truth it is the most important area of a life because it determines everything else make these truths crystal clear we love in we praise you and I pray God make this message stick cement it glue it fastened it father and every heart who hears it in Jesus name Amen [Music] you

Channel: In Touch Ministries

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Keywords: Charles F. Stanley, Charles Stanley, In Touch with Dr. Charles Stanley, In Touch Ministries, Preaching, Bible teaching, Dr. Stanley, Intouch ministries, intouch

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Length: 43min 53sec (2633 seconds)

Published: Fri May 22 2020