Meditating on God’s Nature

Meditations for Ragamuffins

October 24, 2023

Meditating on God’s Nature 

Blessed is the man

Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,

Nor stands in the path of sinners,

Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;

But his delight is in the law of the Lord,

And in His law he meditates day and night.

Psalm 1:1-2 (NKJV)

Jesus’ prayer life was grounded in scripture, especially the Book of Psalms. In his teaching, Jesus quotes from the Psalms more than twenty times.  If we want to go deeper into the heart of Christ and the mind of Christ, the Psalms will teach us much. We find Jesus described in the very first psalm.

While some newer Bibles translate Psalm 1:1 gender neutral as “happy are those” or “blessed are those”, the original text uses a word that is very gender specific and should be translated, “Blessed is the man.” Jesus is this perfect man who delights “in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night” (Psalm 1:2). As followers of Jesus, yielding ourselves to be transformed to become like him, Psalm 1 gives us a clear example of how to order our lives.

Seriously?

Is it possible for a mortal human being to get excited about meditating on God’s law, day, and night?

When the Psalmist refers to ‘the law’ they do not mean just the Ten Commandments or other rules and regulations aimed at restricting certain behaviors. They mean law, as in God’s nature. God is love. God’s nature is to forgive. God’s law includes His love that cannot fail, His Word that does not return to Him void, and His mercies that never come to an end. The Psalmist has in mind the law of God that looked at a world that did not exist and spoke it into being by the power of His Word. The law of God is summed up in one verse: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

As I think about the complete nature of God, I can get excited about meditating on God, day, and night!

My Takeaway: The Psalmist pronounces God’s blessing on us who take time to reflect on all the ways we have experienced God’s law, His nature in our life. Join me in meditating on how we have experienced His mercies and forgiveness, His favor and how we know God to be our Shepherd. As we practice this spiritual discipline, we will be blessed as we delight in the law of the Lord, and as we meditate on his law – God’s character -- day and night.

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2023 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.