79: Have you thought about this?
Have you thought about this?
“I will remember the deeds of the Lord;
yes, I will remember your wonders of old.
I will ponder all your work,
and meditate on your mighty deeds.
Your way, O God, is holy.
What god is great like our God?
You are the God who works wonders;
you have made known your might among the peoples.
You with your arm redeemed your people,
the children of Jacob and Joseph. Selah”
Psalm 77:11-15
Most of us are so busy, and our schedules are so crammed from the time we get up til the time we fall asleep that we don’t even think about what is going on in our lives. Thinking deeply or meditating on something is typically not a regular practice we choose to do. Who has time to stop and think? Who has time to just sit and be quiet for a few moments? Our phones are especially unhelpful when it comes to being silent; they simply offer too much distraction, and we just can’t help ourselves from doom-scrolling.
One of the root causes that keeps us from thinking is that we are afraid of what we will actually think about. If we were silent with our thoughts, we might find our thoughts to either be disturbing or to cause us great anxiety. But there is hope for us and our thoughts.
The words we just read are from Psalm 77. In this particular Psalm, the writer Asaph is struggling with all the things that are worrying him. He is troubled, he is wearied, his spirit is fainting, and he is so troubled that he cannot even speak. So, what does he do? He goes to the Lord in meditative prayer. After he has sat and pondered all the anguish he is feeling, he goes to the Lord with his thoughts. He contrasts his misery with the goodness of the Lord.
“I will ponder all your work, and meditate on your mighty deeds.” The difficulties of the world pale in comparison to the grace and mercy of the Lord. Instead of being fearful of being quiet with himself, he decides to be quiet with his compassionate God. And then Asaph says, “You, with your arm, redeemed your people,” Asaph’s ultimate hope is in the redemption of the Lord. He decides to live his life in light of knowing that God has redeemed him and that his faith will lead him ultimately into eternity with God.
The people of the Old Testament looked forward in faith to the Messiah, who would be their ultimate atoning sacrifice for their sins and redeem them back into a right relationship with God. As believers who live on the other side of the cross, we look back in faith on Jesus Christ, the Messiah in the flesh, to be our atoning sacrifice, who paid for all our sins and redeems us back into a right relationship with God.
After the death of Moses, the Lord appoints Joshua to lead the people into the promised land. This would be a military campaign, with all the adversities that go along with it. The Lord’s encouragement was for Joshua to be “strong and courageous.” But the key to Joshua being “strong and courageous” was this,
“Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
Joshua 1:8-9
The key for Joshua to be “strong and courageous” was to meditate on God’s Word, the Scriptures. Joshua was to meditate, think deeply, and remember the promises and presence of God.
I want to encourage you today to start a practice of regularly being quiet before the Lord, thinking deeply about your life, and meditating on God’s goodness through Christ and what He is doing in and through you. I realize that there are many things that could be discouraging when you sit in silence to think about them. But contrast those with the promises of God found in Jesus. Soak in the Scriptures, read them, study them, ponder them, memorize them. God has given them to us for a reason. He wants to show us his insatiable desire to love us through his Son Jesus. Jesus is the gospel of God, and we all know, it’s the gospel that changes everything!
Photo by Evgeni Tcherkasski on Unsplash