WATCHWORD:
6 “Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them. 7 Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do.8 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. 9 This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:6-9
Blessed is the one…whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on His law, day and night. Psalm 1:1-2
Meditation:
There’s a place in the Getty Museum of Los Angeles, where you can stand in one spot and see this beautiful tree, straight and tall. Something happens if you were to edge even slightly to the left or the right, the tree changes. It’s an interesting phenomenon, because there isn’t a single tree, there are eight or 10 in a row, each the twin of the others. What you are experiencing is a form of art called anamorphic.
If you ever have a chance to tour the Meijer Sculpture Garden in Grand Rapids, take it! It is a fantastic place, so much to see and to enjoy. Creative and amazing sculpture, some as tall as 40 feet. There are examples of art in the anamorphic style, when viewed from multiple angles, each view is different, even with different colors and shapes.
In a recent Our Daily Bread devotional, the author tells us of the wonder of anamorphic art. In this form of art what appears as an assortment of random parts, only makes sense when viewed from the correct angle. In one piece, a series of vertical polls align to reveal a famous leader’s face. In another, a mass of cable tangles becomes the outline of an elephant. Another piece, made of hundreds of black dots suspended by wire, becomes a woman’s eye, when viewed correctly.
That latter point has application to our understanding the Master’s Word—when viewed correctly, from different angles. In both scripture passages, above, we read ‘Meditate on it day and night’, referring to the Word of the Lord. The English translations of the Hebrew root word meditate, includes talk, pray, speak, and ponder. It should be noted, that there is a difference between meditate and read.
Jesus used parables in his teaching because it caused the listener to think about, or ponder, to use Mac McKinley’s favorite word, digging deeper for meaning. I don’t need to say that the Bible can sometimes be hard to understand, we all know that. There is so much there, history, poetry, prophesy. But the scripture itself is telling us how to unlock its meaning, meditate on it day and night. Look at it from all angles as if it were an anamorphic piece of art. Seek the deeper meaning, open your eyes to “see” better the meaning.
What would happen to your understanding of a single parable, if you were to meditate, or study it over an extended period of time, say a week? Or, for a greater challenge, how about reading an entire gospel in one sitting, not a lesson, the entire book!
I am not convinced that setting the bar so high as reading an entire gospel in one sitting, or dwelling on a parable for a week is the point. As I said, there is a difference between meditating and reading. I believe that meditating on scripture or a parable has a calming, reverence to it, digging to the deeper meaning of the Word. It’s like praying the passage.
On September 21, the Watchword meditation was entitled A Lay-Person’s Prayer. In that devotional, I wrote it as if I was praying a series of scripture passages, fashioning them into a single, rather lengthy, prayer. If you still have that, you will note that I referenced the scripture passages that were used. (If you would like a copy, let me know.)
How about you, how do you go about your devotional time? On my desk, I have framed a little thing I call “Creativity – Inspiration”. It has three points which have helped me both in my writing and in my meditation time. Three meditation points: 1. A quiet place. 2. A mind cleared of ‘junk’. 3. Then, a conversation-prayer beginning with ‘Speak to me, Lord’. For me, it’s the beginning.
One final point. Routine. Regular time, regular place. May God bless your meditating on His Holy Word. Amen.
Prayer:
From the Collect:
Almighty God, unto whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid; Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of thy Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love thee, and worthily magnify thy holy Name. Amen.
Closing Prayer:
Gracious Father, as we begin a new day, help us to engage your will with a reckless faith. Teach us to trust in you, and help us grow in righteousness. Heavenly Lord, give us the courage to step out in faith this day. Fill our hearts with your spirit, and let us speak your words with pride. We offer our prayers, Father, in the Name of your Son, Jesus the Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen.
