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Seven Biblical Reasons Why Singing Matters

Have you ever wondered why God desires for his people to sing? What role should singing play in the life of a Christian? What is it about worshiping through song that is so important to God?

You may not know it, but God has already answered these questions in the Bible.

Seven Biblical Reasons Why Singing Matters

The seven reasons below answer these questions and unpack more important truth about singing in the life of an individual Christian and the church.

1. When you sing, you obey.

Singing isn’t an option in Scripture. It’s a command:

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. (Colossians 3:16)

And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart… (Ephesians 5:18-19)

God’s people are more than just invited to sing; we are commanded to sing. When we sing, we’re doing what God asks of us!

2. When you sing, you dig deep roots in the Word.

Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly…singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs… (Colossians 3:16)

The Apostle Paul lays out this exhortation to let God’s Word dwell in us richly, and then, he tells us how to live out that command. The first, of course, is teaching. But the second, is singing!

Singing is one of the two chief ways in which God’s Word dwells in us richly.

And, as we observed in the last point, singing is a command. But this command comes with a promise: As we sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs together, we are promised that the Word of Christ will dwell in us richly, which is what we should crave as believers!

Our singing is more than a warm-up for the sermon or a filler in the service. Colossians 3:16 is clearly laying out for us that: Singing stands alongside of preaching as one of the two great ways that God has ordained for his Word to dwell richly in each one of us!

C.J. Mahaney calls church singing “Take Home Theology” because the best songs we sing together serve as a 3-minute, easily memorizable, deeply biblical summary of important truths from Scripture. Take for example, “In Christ Alone.” There, in an easily memorizable form, you’ve got a thorough theology of the cross of Jesus Christ with clear and practical applications that you can use for your life this week!

3. When you sing, you build up others.

First, you build up fellow believers when you sing:

Note specifically here in Ephesians 5:19 that it says: “Addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs…”

We see the same thing in Colossians 3:13-16: the exhortation to sing comes on the heels of bearing with one another (v. 13a), forgiving one another (v. 13b), putting on love (v. 14), being at peace as one united body of Christ (v. 15), and teaching God’s Word to one another (v. 16).

When we do what the Bible says and sing together as a church family, we are hearing confessions of faith all around! We are hearing hundreds join with us and sing, “In Christ alone, my hope is found!” We are hearing hundreds of testimonies of faith all around us!

Also know that as you sing, you’re helping unbelievers. In Psalm 105:1-2, the Lord is calling the Israelites to be a light unto the nations, and to do this he tells them: “Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works!”

Think of the impact on someone who doesn’t know Christ to hear those hundreds of testimonies, those hundreds of confessions of faith as we sing together! This is why Pastor Tim Keller says in his book Worship by the Book:  “Good corporate worship will naturally be evangelistic” (219).

4. When you sing, you make war.

Chances are you didn’t connect singing and warfare together, but it’s a theme visible in Scripture. In Colossians 3, Paul is challenging the Colossians to literally put sin to death in their lives, to kill sin. So all the commands to love and peace and forgiveness and teaching and singing are attitudes and habits of the believer that will kill sin!

We see the same thing in Ephesians 5, the command to address one another in song comes right on the heels of “[make] the best use of the time, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:16).

A singing heart is a heart at war with the work of the evil one and the power of sin.
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And the more you think about this, it makes total sense: What posture must be more hated by the evil one than the posture of a believer who is singing? I can’t think of many stances you can take that identifies you with Christ and against Satan more than eyes, heart, mind, and voice lifted to heaven in song!

It’s very hard to lie, be greedy or to look at something inappropriate when, you’re “singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart” (Ephesians 5:19). Simply, a heart that’s doing that will not easily give in to temptation.

A singing heart is a heart at war with the work of the evil one and the power of sin.

5. When you sing, you are spiritually strengthened for trial.

Often times, we think only of singing when we’re happy and times are good, but singing bringing strength for trial comes out in Acts 16. Paul and Silas are unjustly imprisoned for the sake of the Gospel, and what do they do while they’re in prison? Sing! (Acts 16:25)

And this truth is confirmed in the lives of persecuted believers throughout history. Hear the words of one pastor recently imprisoned for his faith:

…When we were in prison we sang almost every day because Christ was alive in us…they put chains on our hands and feet. They chained us to add to our grief. Yet we discovered that chains are splendid musical instruments!When we clanged them together in rhythm, we could sing, ‘This is the day (clink, clank), this is the day (clink, clank), which the Lord has made (clink, clank), which the Lord has made (clink, clank). (persecutionblog.com)

Our persecuted brothers are showing us the truth we see in Acts 16 with Paul and Silas. Singing strengthens you and helps you persevere in the face of trial. If it can strengthen them in the face of these trials, what can it do for you?

Even in suffering, sing!

6. When you sing, you walk a God-designed pathway to joy.

Here is a sample of what the Psalms say about singing:

Psalms 5:11: “Let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy, and spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may exult in you.”
Psalms 9:2: “I will be glad and exult in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.”
Psalms 51:14: “Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, O God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness.”
Psalms 59:16: “I will sing of your strength; I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning. For you have been to me a fortress and a refuge in the day of my distress.”
Psalms 63:7: “For you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.”

If you still don’t believe me, here’s a clincher from James 5:13: “Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise.”

As you study Scripture on this point, you’ll notice that sometimes singing gives birth to joy and sometimes joy gives birth to singing. But persistently in Scripture, joy, and singing are bound together. You can’t study one of those two biblical themes without encountering the other.

If you struggle for joy…sing! If you are joyful…sing! In God’s perfect design and understanding of the human condition, he has bound joy and singing together for his people.

The first six reasons get summed up with this:

7. When you sing, you glorify God.

True obedience, deep roots in the Word, building up others, making war against Satan and sin, persevering, finding joy in God: All these things bring glory to God, which is each person’s chief goal and purpose.

Colossians 3 and Ephesians 5 bring this out simply but powerfully, telling us to sing “to God” and “to the Lord” because he is the object of our praise. Ephesians 5:19 says, “singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart.” It is to him and about him that we sing!

Singing has such a unique way of bringing your heart, soul, mind, and strength together to focus entirely and completely on God. In an age of distraction, singing grabs the attention of all our senses and focuses us on God.

In Revelation 7:9-10, the Apostle John describes a glimpse of eternity with a great multitude of people from every tribe, peoples, and languages singing before the Lamb, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”

Eternity awaits.

On that day, will you be one of the great multitude that no one can number, singing the song of the Lamb, singing his praises? I hope you’ll be there, singing the song of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

[Photo Credit: Lightstock]

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The post Seven Biblical Reasons Why Singing Matters appeared first on Unlocking the Bible.

Overwhelming Joy in Ministry

One of our biggest challenges in ministry is that it’s often difficult to know what comes from our work.

It’s easy for builders. In the morning, bricks lie scattered on the building site, and by evening a wall has been built! The builder has the satisfaction of seeing clear and measurable results from a day’s work. But ministry is different.

Farming is a better analogy for the various ways in which we serve the Lord. When the farmer sows seed, the field looks much the same in the evening as it did in the morning. At the end of a hard day’s work, the farmer has no visible or measurable results to show for his efforts, and if he has a “builder’s mindset” he might wonder if his work is really worth it.

Good News for Sowers of the Word

Christians have the same experience. Looking back on the various ways we have tried to serve the Lord, it is often hard to know what came from our effort.

And then there’s another problem: Why is it that some people get the joy of great success stories while the rest of us labor on, sowing our seed without anything dramatic seeming to happen? Reapers have the joy of bringing in the harvest. Sowing just seems like hard work with no immediate reward.

But Jesus has good news for sowers. “The reaper,” he says, “is already receiving pay and gathering fruit for eternal life so that the sower and reaper can rejoice together” (John 4:36, emphasis mine).

The Eternal Reward of Ministry

Sowing and reaping are separated by many months, and seasonal workers may never meet, let alone rejoice together. But when God’s great harvest is finally gathered in, our Lord says the sowers and the reapers will rejoice together. The reward is not for reapers only; it is for those who did the sowing as well.

None of us knows what God will do in a person’s life after we have sown the seed. But Jesus makes it clear that you will share in the joy and the reward of all that comes from every seed you have ever sown.

In this life, you only see a small sample of the full harvest God will bring from what you have sown through your faithfulness in serving, giving, going, speaking, helping, and praying. But when God reveals the full effect of every prayer you ever prayed, every dollar you ever gave, and every hour you ever served, along with the full outcome of your perseverance in loving and trusting Christ even through the valleys of disappointment and loss, you will experience overwhelming joy!

The Reason You Can Rejoice Now

The shared joy of sowers and reapers also reminds us that we may have the joy of reaping what someone else has sown. Our Lord says, “One sows and another reaps. I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor.  Others have labored, and you have benefited from their labor” (John 4:37-38).

In our increasingly secularized culture, we may sometimes fear that people are no longer interested in spiritual things. That’s simply not true! There are always people who are ready to hear the gospel and respond to Christ, and there may be people in your sphere of influence who are more open to faith in Christ that you would think.

Jesus makes it clear that you will share in the joy and reward from every seed you’ve ever sown.
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Someone else may have “labored,” doing the hard work of praying and sowing the seed of the God’s Word in the life of your friend or neighbor. They did not see a harvest but, unknown to you, the seed was planted, and now you may have the joy of reaping what someone else has sown.

How could you know if your colleague at the office has a believing cousin who has been faithfully praying for her? How could you know if your new neighbor down the street once had a Christian friend who made a deep impression on her for good?

The joy we have in ministry is that you never know what God has been doing in a person’s life before, and you never know what he will do later as a result of your sowing the seed.

[This article is adapted from Pastor Colin’s August 2017 column in  Mature Living Magazine . Photo Credit: Unsplash]

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The post Overwhelming Joy in Ministry appeared first on Unlocking the Bible.

20 Tips for the Christian College Student

For the most part, I loved my college years. My parents’ faith became my own, and I experienced greater joy in Bible reading, prayer, fellowship, and evangelism than I ever thought possible. I also made mistakes and have regrets that I’ve had time to reflect on these past 10 years.

Some of the following tips may not be helpful to you; some may change your life. That’s the fun of the college years—things happen so quickly, you often don’t realize how decisions you make in college will steer the rest of your life.

I pray the following tips will keep you from wasting your college years.

1. Put the Lord first in all you do (Matthew 6:33; Proverbs 3:5-6).

God doesn’t have grandchildren. That means your parents’ faith (if your parents are believers) needs to become your own – and that doesn’t just happen at a Christian school. You can follow Christ at a secular school, you can reject Christ at a Christian school, and vice versa.

Prioritize the spiritual disciplines by studying your Bible, meditating on its truths (Psalm 1), and dedicating yourself to prayer. Knowing Jesus is infinitely more rewarding than any possession, relationship, experience, or temporary pleasure. That may sound crazy, but it’s 100% biblical: “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11).

2. Make sure your best friends love Jesus.

Who are you spending time with and why? Are they leading you to Christ or away from him? Are they good influences?

Many claim to follow Christ, but live as the world lives. Follow 2 Timothy 2:22’s exhortation: “Flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.”

What does it mean to pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace with other believers? Seek God together. Read the Bible together. Pray together. Wake up at 6am and seek the Lord through prayer and meditation on the Word together. You will grow deep friendships and rejoice together in how the Lord is changing you.

3. Quit complaining about busyness.

I say this for two reasons:

Many college students keep themselves way too busy.
Many college students complain about busyness when they actually waste time.

If you’re honestly too busy (like my brother was the semester he ran track, took 23 credit hours, led a campus ministry, and worked a part-time job), it’s your own fault. Prune your schedule to leave margins, or you won’t enjoy anything you’re doing.

If you’re the second person, don’t stay up till 3am binge-watching TV and complain about being tired or busy the next day. Post-college lives are busy too, and students need to learn to use their time wisely.

4. Get involved in a church.

Going to a campus ministry or attending a Christian school can be great for your faith, but they are not enough (see Hebrews 10:24-25). The gospel of Jesus is bigger than you and your friends who are just like you; it encompasses people of all ages, ethnicities, languages, and nations. The church – not a campus ministry – is home-base for the Christian.

Escape the artificial bubble you live in and enter the real world by getting to know people in your church. You might be surprised how your appreciation of Christ deepens as you see faithful believers enduring hardship, serving others with their gifts, and shining the light of Christ in the world.

5. Defend your faith.

Each day our culture seems to grow more opposed to Christianity. That means we must be prepared to make a defense of the hope we have (1 Peter 3:15). Don’t shy away from doubts or questions on today’s issues (sexuality, gender, biblical authority, etc.), but engage trustworthy resources to separate truth from lies. I recommend The Gospel Coalition, Desiring God, Stand to Reason, Breakpoint, and Got Questions?. Don’t be afraid to share the Christian perspective on issues—the world desperately needs the truth and hope of Christ in a sea of life-destroying and eternity-damning lies.

6. Value your education, but don’t overvalue it.

Contrary to what I always used to say, classes do not get in the way of your college experience—they are the purpose of it! Get off of social media in class and do your reading. Be serious about your studies and future career prospects. Ask those older than you for recommended professors and classes so you avoid duds. If you don’t care about your education, you probably shouldn’t be in school—you could be wasting tens of thousands of dollars and years of your life.

While you should value your education, it isn’t everything. Don’t make your education (or college experience) the reason you live and breathe. Yes, get good grades, make memories, live wisely in all you do. But life goes on after college, and it is better for many reasons.

7. Choose an interesting major that will lead to a career.

Educate yourself on what majors have good career prospects after graduation. Ask professors what most people do after graduating. Seek internships early in your college experience to give you real-world experience in your field to ensure you like your major. (It will help with future career prospects.) I know people who went back to school after graduating because they couldn’t get a job with their major, or they hated the job they did get.

8. Don’t get buried in debt.

College is crazy expensive, but it doesn’t have to be. Reduce your costs by getting creative:

Apply to several schools, and see which gives you the best financial aid package.
Take a year or two at a community school.
Live with your parents or relatives.
Take off a semester or more.
Get a job.

I had at least seven on-campus jobs in college: I worked in the call center, served as an RA, worked in the dining commons, and even made decent money as the dorm garbage man. Tame your spending on extra things like trips, entertainment, eating out, parties, etc. For some, the smartest move might be skipping college and entering a trade. This not only reduces debt, but you might make more money in the end with some experience under your belt.

9. Be teachable.

Professor David Murray calls being teachable “The Most-Essential Life Skill” for good reason: so much flows from this simple trait. Let every person and situation in your life be an opportunity to learn and grow. Never think you have “arrived” or that you are some genius because you are taking college classes. (FYI, if you think that, you are painfully naïve.)

Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning (Proverbs 9:9).

10. Find a godly mentor.

If you only hang out with people your age, you will be caught in an echo chamber of unexperienced voices. Seek godly mentors who are older than you and have real-world experience. Sure, they may not be as “cool” as your peers, but they can help think long-term. Learn how to distinguish wise advice from foolish advice.

11. Develop your mind.

A university education used to be about wrestling with ideas and critical thinking. For many today, it’s a few (expensive) boxes to check off in pursuit of a better career, or a place of secular indoctrination. Our culture has devalued critical thinking and rewarded emotional, bumper-sticker arguments that don’t always stand up to logic or science.

Learn to think like an adult, separating truth from emotion. Don’t just parrot back popular catch-phrases you hear from others, but engage in ideas. Think hard about life’s big issues. Develop a Christian worldview by testing everything against Scripture. Go deep on a few subjects that interest you.

12. Try new things.

The college years present some opportunities you will likely never have again. I tried being the school mascot – and realized I didn’t have the right personality or the heart to scare so many little kids. (The costume seriously freaked kids out.)

I also decided to study abroad with the logic that everyone I knew who studied abroad said it was amazing. My four months in Ecuador taught me Spanish, showed me a different part of the world and helped me fall in love with Latin America. (The Lord now has me returning to Ecuador every six months for missions work!)

13. Be realistic about marriage.

I graduated college single and missed the ring-by-spring train (every Christian college kid’s dream). Let me make something perfectly clear: That’s okay. In fact, in many cases, it’s better.

While I didn’t officially date anyone in college, I did get to know a number of women and learn the type of woman I was looking to marry. Don’t spend all your time obsessing over finding a significant other; this could drive you into a bad relationship or keep you from enjoying your life. And if you do find your soul mate in college, great! Proceed in wisdom (and don’t forget tip #9).

One more thing: Develop a biblical view of marriage. Even though I had godly parents and came from a great church, hindsight tells me that I didn’t totally understand the purpose of marriage. Read a book like The Meaning of Marriage: Facing the Complexities of Commitment with the Wisdom of God by Timothy Keller (an amazing idea for singles).

14. Make wise entertainment choices.

What we fill our minds with shapes us. That’s why spiritual transformation comes through meditating on God’s Word (Psalm 1). Our entertainment choices should not be separate from our faith, but rather be informed by it. Ask yourself these “Ten Questions About Your Entertainment” for help thinking through entertainment biblically.

15. Don’t let technology consume you.

Our technology is changing us. There’s a good chance your constant browsing of social media and checking notifications is making your life worse or making you depressed. Be intentional to keep technology in its proper place, and don’t be a shallow thinker or tech-addict. Most of all, don’t let technology impede your relationship with God (Psalm 46:10).

16. Deal with sin in your life.

“Be killing sin or it will be killing you.” While college presents a new level of freedom, it also presents a new level of temptation, serving as an incubator for destructive sin. If you struggle with drinking, sexual issues or pornography, gluttony, laziness, drugs, or anything else, put it to death (Romans 8:13). If you can’t break free from the bonds of sin on your own, read #17.

17. Don’t be afraid to ask for help if you’re struggling.

A new context can present new struggles. If you find yourself struggling with depression, anxiety, pornography (or other sexual sins), eating disorders, your faith, technology addiction, or anything else, seek help. Getting help is a sign of strength, not weakness.

We all struggle with a number of things and need the body of Christ to help us apply the healing power of the gospel to our situation. Getting help sooner rather than later will keep an issue from causing more damage.

18. Serve others.

Our secular culture tells us to live for ourselves, but doesn’t tell us how doing so often leaves us miserable and broke. We were created for more than to please our senses; we were created to love God and others (Matthew 22:37-39).

That’s why serving in diverse ways is crucial. Service might be volunteering at church, helping organize a food drive for the poor, being a friend to someone in need, going on a missions trip, or any number of other opportunities. We all need to remember we aren’t the center of the universe. In doing this, you will learn what your gifts and passions are, and you may even be called into full-time ministry (I was!).

19. Take care of your body.

The “freshman 15” is not a myth for many students. (Neither is the “freshman 40”, although I’m sure it’s a lot rarer!) You need to take care of your body now that you no longer have gym class or high school sports to do it for you. (And realize those late night Taco Bell runs mean you’re putting the worst food into your body at the worst time.)

Eat as healthy as you can, watch your portion sizes, exercise regularly, and you should be in good shape (pun intended). If I could hop in a DeLorean and tell my college-self one thing on this point, it would be to control my portions in the all-you-can-eat mayhem of the dining commons.

20. Work hard and trust God for your future.

Don’t worry about your future; work hard, and entrust it to God. Most people don’t graduate to their dream job, and many don’t know what they want to do with their lives 10 years after graduating, and that’s fine. Let the promise in Proverbs 3:5-6 encourage your heart: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”

[This article originally appeared at Anchored in Christ. Photo Credit: Lightstock]

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The post 20 Tips for the Christian College Student appeared first on Unlocking the Bible.

What Is Biblical Meditation?

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. (Psalm 1:1-2)

What is meditation?

The concept has been corrupted in modern thought. In the minds of many Christians, meditation is associated with eastern religions, like Hinduism and Buddhism – belief systems that don’t acknowledge God as Father or Jesus as Savior and Lord. This association leads many to believe that meditation in any form opens the mind to evil spirits or untrue teaching.

But that robs us of an important way of interacting with Scripture.

When I began staying home with my kids, I was overwhelmed. While I suspected such an endeavor would be hard, I wasn’t prepared for the ways it challenged me. My daily time in the Bible kept me rooted in Christ; my weekly Bible study kept me digging into Scripture; but the thing that reassured me that I was in Jesus’ hands was meditation on his holy Word.

What the Bible Says About Meditation

Since the concept of meditation has been appropriated by other religions, we’ve lost an important and meaningful way of interacting with Scripture. The Bible mentions 23 occurrences of some translation of meditate: 19 of them appear in the Psalms, and of the 23, 20 refer specifically to meditating on the Lord in some way. We are told to meditate on his actions, law, or testimonies – all of which are found within his Word.

There are several words in the Bible that translate as a form of meditate, depending on their context, including speak, utter, study, imagine, and muse. (There is even one instance of it being translated as sing, my personal favorite.) The Bible uses meditation as deep contemplation, a turning over and around in the mind to gain greater understanding and be changed by God’s truth.

True, meditation is a tool of learning that can be abused. Yet, instead of avoiding it, we should use it with care, biblical understanding, and respect.

What Biblical Meditation Isn’t

Biblical meditation is not:

Sitting with an empty mind
Mindlessly repeating a single word or phrase to gain some sort of altered state
Burning candles, or sitting calmly on a rug, or listening to sonorous music
Practicing yoga

Biblical meditation isn’t even primarily for relaxation, although you may find it calming and comforting. It’s not about controlling your breathing, although there may be times when deep breaths are helpful. It’s never mindless; instead meditation means that your mind is focused on God and his Word.

What Biblical Meditation Is

Not only is biblical meditation about focusing on God through contemplation on his Word, it’s about quieting our hearts with Scripture and a deeper intimacy with Jesus.

The particulars of biblical meditation can vary, but the practice isn’t complicated. A meditative practice that helps me is sitting quietly and thinking over a passage piece by piece, breaking it apart and dwelling on each word and line of Scripture. I would not be surprised if many of us, even those who scoff at the concept of meditation, have engaged in it without realizing it:

If you’ve ever sat with a Scripture and gone over it repeatedly, trying to understand each word, you’ve meditated.
If you’ve ever been compelled by a sermon or passage of Scripture to sit and think over a single attribute or testimony of God, you’ve meditated.
If you’ve ever felt tempted and brought a Scripture to mind, going over it repeatedly to gain God’s strength and rest, you’ve meditated.

Meditation implies wonder and thought, remembering the Lord in all his glory and pondering him in his fullness:

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? (Psalm 77:11-13)

The Difference Between Meditation and Reading

When we do our daily Bible reading, we’re acknowledging and strengthening our communion with God. In that regard, our daily reading and Scripture meditation are the same. Bible meditation also shares a similarity with Bible study; like Bible study, it’s meant to take a lingering look into specific aspects and contexts of Scripture.

Bible meditation is learning to savor every morsel of God’s rich, vibrant, life-giving Scripture.
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Where daily reading is our regular nourishment in God’s Word, and Bible study is meant to deepen our understanding of that nourishment, Bible meditation is learning to savor every morsel of God’s rich, vibrant, life-giving Scripture:

In the way of your testimonies I delight as much as in all riches. I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways. I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word.” (Psalm 119:14-16)

Think of Bible meditation like slowly enjoying a piece of chocolate, letting it melt in your mouth, paying close attention to every nuance of flavor and texture. Like a thoughtful experience with well-made food, meditation brings delight in God’s holy testimonies and character, and that delight inspires even more meditation on his Word.

While Bible study educates and convinces the mind, Bible meditation persuades and entices the heart. In the hardest times, I mull over what God has said, reminding myself of his justice and goodness; this settles my soul and turns my eyes from my immediate troubles to his eternal grace.

[Photo Credit: Lightstock]

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The post What Is Biblical Meditation? appeared first on Unlocking the Bible.

What is Biblical Meditation?

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. (Psalm 1:1-2)

What is meditation?

The concept has been corrupted in modern thought. In the minds of many Christians, meditation is associated with eastern religions, like Hinduism and Buddhism – belief systems that don’t acknowledge God as Father or Jesus as Savior and Lord. This association leads many to believe that meditation in any form opens the mind to evil spirits or untrue teaching.

But that robs us of an important way of interacting with Scripture.

When I began staying home with my kids, I was overwhelmed. While I suspected such an endeavor would be hard, I wasn’t prepared for the ways it challenged me. My daily time in the Bible kept me rooted in Christ; my weekly Bible study kept me digging into Scripture; but the thing that reassured me that I was in Jesus’ hands was meditation on his holy Word.

What the Bible Says About Meditation

Since the concept of meditation has been appropriated by other religions, we’ve lost an important and meaningful way of interacting with Scripture. The Bible mentions 23 occurrences of some translation of meditate: 19 of them appear in the Psalms, and of the 23, 20 refer specifically to meditating on the Lord in some way. We are told to meditate on his actions, law, or testimonies – all of which are found within his Word.

There are several words in the Bible that translate as a form of meditate, depending on their context, including speak, utter, study, imagine, and muse. (There is even one instance of it being translated as sing, my personal favorite.) The Bible uses meditation as deep contemplation, a turning over and around in the mind to gain greater understanding and be changed by God’s truth.

True, meditation is a tool of learning that can be abused. Yet, instead of avoiding it, we should use it with care, biblical understanding, and respect.

What Biblical Meditation Isn’t

Biblical meditation is not:

Sitting with an empty mind
Mindlessly repeating a single word or phrase to gain some sort of altered state
Burning candles, or sitting calmly on a rug, or listening to sonorous music
Practicing yoga

Biblical meditation isn’t even primarily for relaxation, although you may find it calming and comforting. It’s not about controlling your breathing, although there may be times when deep breaths are helpful. It’s never mindless; instead meditation means that your mind is focused on God and his Word.

What Biblical Meditation Is

Not only is biblical meditation about focusing on God through contemplation on his Word, it’s about quieting our hearts with Scripture and a deeper intimacy with Jesus.

The particulars of biblical meditation can vary, but the practice isn’t complicated. A meditative practice that helps me is sitting quietly and thinking over a passage piece by piece, breaking it apart and dwelling on each word and line of Scripture. I would not be surprised if many of us, even those who scoff at the concept of meditation, have engaged in it without realizing it:

If you’ve ever sat with a Scripture and gone over it repeatedly, trying to understand each word, you’ve meditated.
If you’ve ever been compelled by a sermon or passage of Scripture to sit and think over a single attribute or testimony of God, you’ve meditated.
If you’ve ever felt tempted and brought a Scripture to mind, going over it repeatedly to gain God’s strength and rest, you’ve meditated.

Meditation implies wonder and thought, remembering the Lord in all his glory and pondering him in his fullness:

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? (Psalm 77:11-13)

The Difference Between Meditation and Reading

When we do our daily Bible reading, we’re acknowledging and strengthening our communion with God. In that regard, our daily reading and Scripture meditation are the same. Bible meditation also shares a similarity with Bible study; like Bible study, it’s meant to take a lingering look into specific aspects and contexts of Scripture.

Bible meditation is learning to savor every morsel of God’s rich, vibrant, life-giving Scripture.
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Where daily reading is our regular nourishment in God’s Word, and Bible study is meant to deepen our understanding of that nourishment, Bible meditation is learning to savor every morsel of God’s rich, vibrant, life-giving Scripture:

In the way of your testimonies I delight as much as in all riches. I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways. I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word.” (Psalm 119:14-16)

Think of Bible meditation like slowly enjoying a piece of chocolate, letting it melt in your mouth, paying close attention to every nuance of flavor and texture. Like a thoughtful experience with well-made food, meditation brings delight in God’s holy testimonies and character, and that delight inspires even more meditation on his Word.

While Bible study educates and convinces the mind, Bible meditation persuades and entices the heart. In the hardest times, I mull over what God has said, reminding myself of his justice and goodness; this settles my soul and turns my eyes from my immediate troubles to his eternal grace.

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Key Connections (September 15, 2017)

4 Lies that Cause Pastors to Neglect their Families (Jamie Owens, 9 Marks)

Among young pastors and church planters, there’s no less than a deluge of pressure to give every waking moment to our churches, to the neglect of our families. But brothers, it should never be so.

We Should Always Take Life “One Day at a Time” (Trevin Wax, The Gospel Coalition)

In the time of trial, when someone asks, “How’s it going?” we often say, “I’m taking it day by day.” I’ve given that answer a lot this year. “I’m taking it one day at a time.” But now I realize the Christian should have that perspective all the time, not just in the time of trial. 

The Ease of Decision Making: Exaltation (John MacArthur, Grace to You)

There’s a final principle we need to consider—one that summarizes and fulfills all the previous principles. It’s the principle of exaltation. When trying to determine how to behave in life’s gray areas, we must consider how our decisions exalt the Lord. We need to ask, Will this activity bring glory to God?

No One is Born a Child of God (Jordan Standridge, The Cripplegate)

The doctrine of Adoption is arguably one of the sweetest doctrines in the Bible, but it doesn’t make any sense if people are already born children of God. Instead, adoption implies that we were apart from Him.

The Honor of Biblical Submission (Lianna Davis, Unlocking the Bible)

We women are robbed by our hearts if we succumb to feeling any defeat or deflation about submitting, or if we regard God’s truth as less than ideal. For devaluing a woman’s submission inadvertently devalues the work of Christ that women, in principle, reflect.

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Three Tests God Ordains for His People

Tests are not for the sake of the teacher, but for the benefit of the student.

As a teacher, I don’t ask test questions because I need to know the answers. I ask questions because my students need to know the answers. Likewise, God ordains tests for us, not for his sake, but for ours. He ordains tests today just as he did in the Old Testament with the testing of his people, and in the New Testament with the testing of the disciples.

From those who have gone before us, we find several reasons for tests in Scripture. And knowing that tests are purposeful, we can rest, understanding that the Master is fully in control of both the test and the outcome.

Diagnostic Tests

I remember seeing the eyes of the people around me for the first time in elementary school once I got glasses. I didn’t know I couldn’t see until I took a vision test in fourth grade. My eyesight had gradually weakened, until I thought that blurry faces and faint lines on the chalkboard were normal. That simple diagnostic test revealed an issue I never knew existed.

Just as medical tests reveal our health conditions, God tests us to reveal our spiritual condition, as he did for Israel:

And you shall remember the whole way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not. (Deuteronomy 8:2)

Their forty-year test in the wilderness revealed just how easily the Israelites could forget the God who brought them out of Egypt. Likewise, our tests may reveal just how easily we fall back into old patterns of:

Gossip
Complaining
Laziness
Lust
Pride
Anger
Selfishness

God tells us that he never tempts us to sin (see James 1:13). The tests we face are not designed to lead us to sin; rather, they reveal the sin that already lurks in our hearts, ready to show itself at any opportunity.

The next time you’re put to the test—whether it’s conflict with a loved one, bad news, or horrible traffic—and react in an ungodly way, remember that God ordains some tests to “know what was in your heart.” This is his grace —to reveal our need of him more clearly, and we throw ourselves on his mercy.

Educational Tests

I hate exams as much as my students do. Like all teachers, however, I know that without the pressure of a quiz or exam, my students are not likely to learn the necessary lessons.

The disciples faced an educational test when they found themselves in the midst of an unexpected storm:

And when [Jesus] got into the boat, his disciples followed him. And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. (Matthew 8:23-26)

Jesus’ followers included several experienced fishermen, and if they were frightened, then the situation must have been alarming. They saw the looming waves, but they failed to see the test of faith. They could have passed the test had they remembered that the one who created the storms was with them in the boat. Instead, they were met with Christ’s words: “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?”

Just as medical tests reveal our health conditions, God tests to reveal our spiritual condition.
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We face similar educational tests when the unexpected financial crisis hits, the frightening diagnosis is delivered, or a heartbreaking betrayal is revealed. In all cases, Christ is the perfect teacher, and he can be trusted to prepare and carry us through the crisis. If, like the disciples, we fail the test, we can also trust Christ to handle the storm, bringing us through by his grace to the other side.

Certification Tests

Sometimes tests are necessary to demonstrate that a candidate is certified in a particular field. We take driving tests, college entrance exams, professional licensing exams, and more. In all cases, standards are set, questions are asked, and the answers are evaluated by experts who determine whether candidates pass or fail.

Likewise, God knows those who love him. He is patient, “not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). However, a day is coming when he will test the minds and hearts and determine whether we are righteous or wicked:

Oh, let the evil of the wicked come to an end, and may you establish the righteous—you who test the minds and hearts, O righteous God! (Psalm 7:9)

On our own merit, the test of righteousness is impossible to pass. But thank God he provided a way when he sent Jesus to die for our sins, including all our failed tests. Christ willingly traded places with us, signing himself up, enduring, and finally passing the most eternally-significant test, so we could be named among the righteous:

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:21)

Trust in the Testing

Not all tests are designed with the same purpose (and some we may never grasp in this life). But we do know this: God is good. And the clearest demonstration of his goodness was at the cross. In the face of every test, we can remember Romans 8:32: “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?”

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The Honor of Biblical Submission

The God like us – stunning. Descending from majesty. Grappling with the confines of flesh, with skin and hands. Hearing others’ voices through two ears and having blood pump through a heart roughly the same size as mine. He knew the onslaught of grief, with all looming darkness, at Gethsemane. And he endured punishment for sin after sin—the number seems endless from my perspective, though he must have known each one. He was seen, known, heard, and touched.

I have come to know him through his being the Lamb; so the nearness of God inhabits an exclusive warmth of truth within me. I can find myself stunned that God came, and he came to be flesh. He came to be obedient flesh. He came submitting at Calvary, being subject in the garden.

Women Seeking Nobility

Any one Sunday morning, I’m greeted outside by a fellow human whose sins were paid for at the cross. Opening the door to foyer and sanctuary, I see many more of the same men and women—and there is no Greek or Jew, male or female (Galatians 3:28). Yet, as a woman, I also walk through that door differently from men, and with a distinct privilege in how I show honor to others and the Lord.

Devaluing a woman’s submission inadvertently devalues the work of Christ that women reflect.
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I walk amidst sanctuary, nursery, foyer, Sunday school classrooms with a role that runs parallel to Christ’s in a specific way. We can be Scripturally assured that any man might nobly aspire to be an elder (1 Timothy 3:1-2). Yet, church eldership and church-derived authority over men are not noble aspirations for a woman (2:12).

Where does this leave women? I have not yet found myself disproven in the thought that practical advice not fully grounded in biblical theology will, at best, be one-sided and incomplete. How well-meaning the advice—“Women, when you think about submission in the church, think about all you can do, like women’s ministry, children’s ministry, etc. That’s leading more than half of the church!”

Yet, that’s not enough.

When Women Are Robbed

Jesus’ submission to the Father – in a life of obedience, in the garden, and on the cross – we praise him for this.

We women are robbed by our hearts if we succumb to feeling any defeat or deflation about submitting, or if we regard God’s truth as less than ideal. For devaluing a woman’s submission inadvertently devalues the work of Christ that women, in principle, reflect.

But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God. (1 Corinthians 11:3)

Reflecting the Lord is as noble as I could imagine—“and the head of Christ is God.” His unmatched beauty in submitting to the Father when incarnate, securing the way of salvation is somehow by grace similar in principle to my role of submission, whether in marriage or church. The nobility of living by this exceeds the practical advice I wrote of above—this is the “more” we need to know.

Adorned in Uniqueness and Equity

Noble Sarah beautified herself, being subject to her husband.

For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands. (1 Peter 3:5)

What did she know of Christ? She knew of God’s order in creation; yet, the fraction of what she held dear in terms of knowledge of the Messiah means this adornment could not be any less accessible to the holy women of today.

The question to you, sister in Christ—Do you esteem womanly submission?—is best preceded by the question, Do you treasure that Christ submitted? In that light, how can we not perceive the immense privilege here? Defining what submission entails and what it looks like – and what it doesn’t – is beyond the scope of this article. But the right adornment is well to be sought.

So if you, sister, have been asked by God – by virtue of your submission – to relinquish a desire along the natural course of your adult life in marriage and church, this has been your honor. And where we have yet to receive this experience as an honor, it’s not too late to start adorning ourselves accordingly.

Submission in View of Christ

We can live in view of Christ’s cross and unparalleled expense, for he has been gracious to first take us into his view – though we are but dust. We may live our submission in view of him, who – despite any possible circumstance of ours – has always sacrificed the more. This way, we will innately come to treasure him in our hearts and actions.

We live our submission in view of Christ, who has always sacrificed the more.
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Before the cross, there is no male or female—all are equally called to the feet of the King and raised to unfading inheritance with him. Further, who could say that the Father is honored above the Son—is there any lack of equity in their honor? Of course not. Thus, it is in equity we women are adorned with the unique role of submission—the humble honor of female Christian submission matching the humble honor of male Christian servant-leadership.

Both men and women, uniquely and together, have the equal joy and privilege of showcasing the riches of our incomparably sacrificial God by showing one another biblically-described forms of honor. For our God-given honor in roles pours itself out in honoring one another: “Outdo one another in showing honor” (Romans 12:10b).

[Photo Credit: Unsplash]

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Three Keys to Fight Spiritual Wandering

Wanderlust = A strong desire or urge to wander or travel and explore the world

I love to travel.

My passport is full of stamps holding stories of far off places, magnificent lands, and beautiful people, each painting pictures of God’s creative genius. I’m a firm believer that some of the best adventures are had exploring new areas, meeting new people, tasting new foods, and experiencing new cultures. It’s one of my all-time favorite things.

Some people have diagnosed me with wanderlust. But I don’t think that sense of wanderlust is accurately encompassed by cute sayings on Pinterest. Neither do I believe traveling is limited to visiting new geographical locations.

In fact, I do the most traveling within my own soul. Prone to wander, Lord I feel it.

I am prone to leave the God I love in search of pleasures in other places.

Prone to Wander

It’s illogical, really. As believers in Jesus, we’ve been brought into a kingdom that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading (2 Peter 1:3-5). We’ve been rescued from the kingdom of darkness and transferred into marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9), yet we are inclined to flee to other territories and things that cannot satisfy.

We are prone to wander to broken cisterns, flawed humans, and lifeless water. We travel from our First Love to lesser loves, from the greatest Treasure to cheap trinkets, from full joy to lesser thrills. And we wander to towns emptied of glory, cities filled with destruction, and villages that reek of lies and disappointment.

These new locations are littered with rocks that dash our hopes, potholes that swallow our faith, and bridges of fear that break under the weight of our worship. All roads in this dark place lead to dead ends (Proverbs 14:12).

Fighting the Wanderlust

So how do we fight our spiritual wanderlust?

1. Preach

We remind ourselves of truth, preaching the gospel to each other and ourselves daily. We have no good apart from the Lord. His nearness is our good, our refuge, and our motivation to reject avenues of self-gratification. He helps us press on, stay the course, and make disciples (Psalm 16:2; Psalm 73:28; Philippians 3:12-16; Matthew 28:18-20).

So we acknowledge our need of a Savior today. We preach the truth to ourselves that only God satisfies and his grace is sufficient for our vagabond souls. Through Jesus, the Father is taming our nomadic hearts and reshaping them to steadfastly pursue his. This only comes through the power of the gospel and dependency on the steadfast One.

2. Pray

Without the Holy Spirit, we are helpless. We need him to lead us, and we need our hearts softened by the Word and prayer in order to be sensitive to his leading.

His sovereign shepherding may take us down alleys and back roads that seem too narrow for survival. Those are the times when we, in our flesh, will want to dart off in search of easier routes. So we resist the urge to run. Instead, through prayer, we stake our hearts in the power of the resurrected King and his flawless guidance that takes us into paths of life and joy (Psalm 16:11).

Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. (Matthew 26:41)

We need the Spirit, our divine guide on this journey to the Celestial City, to charge our hearts and govern our ambitions, those desires inclined to choose anything other than Christ.

3. Persevere

Yes, we need the Spirit, but we also have a responsibility to build ourselves up in our faith, pray in the Spirit, and keep ourselves in the love of God as we wait for Jesus (Jude 20-21). We are to actively guide our hearts (Proverbs 23:19), put to death our fleshly impulses (Romans 8:13), and walk in a manner worthy of the gospel (Ephesians 4:1).

Big-scale adventure isn’t found in the pages of a passport, but on the narrow path to holiness.
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The book of Proverbs is filled with commands to ponder the path of our feet, to spiritually check ourselves before we wreck ourselves, and to diligently guard the way we’re walking. We are commanded to follow the Captain of our souls, not our own whims. Because of the gospel, we can now say no to spiritual trips that drift us away from Jesus—but we must intentionally fight to corral our hearts with the gospel.

Don’t load up on emotional airlines that will carry you away from truth. Do not be driven by vehicles of circumstance. Fight detours in your soul. Keep your gaze fixed on Christ, and do not turn to the right or to the left (Proverbs 4:25). Discipline your heart for “Little by little, one travels far” (J. R. R. Tolkien).

We must be vigilant. We must persevere.       

Bind My Wandering Heart

Our hearts are prone to wander. Maybe that’s why Paul prayed they would grow roots in the stabilizing force of God’s love (Ephesians 3:17). It’s only when we’re planted in him that we find the contentment and excitement our souls crave, but we have to teach our hearts to yearn for the true and better adventure led by the true and better Adventurer.

This is Jesus, the one who takes us to places we’ve never been and shows us what we’ve never dreamed. 

With him, our nail-scarred Guide, we’re on a journey to the everlasting city whose builder and maker is God (Hebrews 11:10), a place where death is swallowed up in victory (1 Corinthians 15:54), and where we will wander no more (Revelation 21:3-5).

You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you. (Augustine)

Big-scale adventure is not found in the pages of a passport, but on the narrow path to holiness.

That’s the real trip of a lifetime — to an eternity. Bind my wandering heart to Thee.

[Photo Credit: Lightstock]

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How to Overcome Evil with Good

These are difficult days in our country. 16 years from the attacks on the Twin Towers, the threat of terrorist violence still hangs over us and over freedom-loving people around the world.

After many years of hoping for progress, anger and violence over issues of race have reached new intensity. Loss of civility and manners in public life is producing a new meanness of spirit that often makes life increasingly unmanageable in the classroom, work place, and all too often in the home.

Evil didn’t overcome Jesus, and if he is with and in and for you, it will not overcome you.
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On top of all this, the shared sense of right and wrong that has bound our people together in this country for centuries has in large measure been discarded and swept away. Our nation is deeply divided over issues of life, marriage, gender, and even death. Having lost the sense of living under the authority of God, our culture increasingly feels the liberty to take great issues into our hands and do with them as we please.

All over our country, believing people are asking, “What in the world are we to do?” The answer to that question is found in Romans 12. The following verse describes exactly what God’s people are to do when we find ourselves surrounded by growing evil:

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:21)

Three Ways to Be Overcome by Evil

The fact that God says, “Do not be overcome by evil” indicates the real possibility that this is something that can happen, and that it does happen. God says, “Do not let this happen to you!” What would it look like for a person to be overcome by evil?

1. Gripped by fear

Here is a person who fills her mind and heart with the drip-feed fear-mongering of the news channels. It is always on in her house, and over time she becomes weighed down with the weight of evil in the world. She is gripped with fear, and gradually she loses her peace and her joy. What is that but to be overcome be evil?

2. Pressured by people

Here is a student on a sports team at school. Most of his teammates are pursuing a completely different lifestyle from what he has learned at home, and he feels the pressure to conform. He goes to the parties, tries the drugs, and experiments with sex. What is that but to be overcome by evil?

3. Hardened by culture

Here is a person at work. The culture is brutal. It is a dog-eat-dog world. It is a devour-or-be-devoured environment. Pride fills the air. Cynicism is rife. Understanding and compassion are rarely to be found, and over time a growing cynicism creeps into his heart. What is that but to be overcome by evil?

The Toughest Challenge You Face

What evil have you suffered that might threaten to overcome you? Have you suffered violence? Have you been discriminated against? Have you been abused verbally? Emotionally? Sexually?

If you have suffered a great evil in your life, you know the toughest challenge you face is that it does not overcome you. How easy it would be for you to stoke hatred and be consumed by an inner rage! It is possible to let the wounds of your life define you so you lose your confidence, peace, and joy.

Being overcome by evil can happen to disciples of Jesus. It is not beyond us to say, “Fight fire with fire,” or “Give as good as you get.” James and John wanted to call down fire from heaven on the enemies of Jesus. Peter drew his sword when the soldiers came to the Garden of Gethsemane. What is that but to be overcome by evil?

But there is another possibility here in this verse: “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21, emphasis mine).

The One Who Overcame Evil with Good

Now think of the evils perpetrated against Jesus. You’ve been thinking about the injustice you’ve endured—what about the injustice he endured? What about the violence he suffered? What about Christ facing all this alone because he was abandoned by his friends?

None of us has endured evil as Jesus did. But Jesus Christ was not overcome by evil! He overcame evil with good:

He trusted the Father, even when he could not see what the Father was doing. “My God, my God, why…?” Yet he said, “Into your hands I commit my Spirit.”
For the joy set before him, he endured the cross, and he was able to deal with the shame (Hebrews 12:2).
On the cross, Jesus prayed for the enemies who persecuted him: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). In that prayer, he created room for them to repent.

There is hope for you in Jesus Christ. Come to God today and say, “I don’t want to be overcome by evil or defined by the evils I have suffered! I don’t want to be shaped by the evils of this world.”

Evil did not overcome him, and if he is with you and for you and in you, it will not overcome you either.

[This article is adapted from Pastor Colin’s sermon “Overcoming Evil with Good.” Photo Credit: Lightstock]

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