Focusing Our Mind on God

My Life Verse: Psalm 119 | Discovering Your Legacy

Focusing our Minds on God

Pastor Tim Trinkle | January 17, 2021

Psalm 119:15, 27, 97–104

“I will meditate on your precepts and think about your ways..” Psalm 119:66 CSB

Emphasize the big theme of the series “Life Verse”.

For the past two weeks, Pastor Aaron and Josh Bean have taken us through Psalm 119, and discussed our theme Life Verse. Every New Year, people around the world take stock of last year, and make resolutions to make the new one, a better one. With that in mind, the leadership of The Bridge has gotten into the habit of using the first few weeks in a year to focus on scripture. What better thing to focus on as we collectively plan our year!

It’s common for the believer to have a “Life Verse”. A verse in scripture that speaks to them specifically, one that has impact and meaning on the way that they live their life. In fact, it’s also common for many Jesus followers to have multiple verses that guide their heart. We as a leadership team really enjoy preaching these “Life Verse” series to help us all remember our life verse, maybe select a new one for the season of life we are facing and to ultimately empower our community to effectively hold that verse in their heart so that they can live this year on fire for the things of God! Pastor Aaron shared 1 Peter 2:2

“Like newborn infants...desire the pure milk of the Word of God, so that you may grow up into your salvation…” 1 Peter 2:2 CSB

When we read that passage, we are shown how Christians are to treat the Word of God. We are to treat it like it is the very thing that keeps us alive! The same Word that produces salvation also produces growth! While we don’t often have to be reminded to eat, we do have to be reminded that we need spiritual food. Unless you’re on a wierd diet you don’t eat just once a week. You eat daily, and if you’re like my son, you eat frequently. Like we eat to nourish our bodies, we should be taking in the word of God to nourish our soul.

This is our legacy. The Word of God. Last week, Josh reminded us that God will bring us through affliction by shaping us according to his word. This week, I’d like to bring us back to Psalm 119 to discuss how God shapes us and molds us to be more like him, through meditation and prayer surrounding his word.

Let’s begin today’s conversation with prayer…

Have you ever noticed that the mind is a powerful thing?

Thousands of studies and videos and conversations have been had about the power of the mind on the human body and spirit. Have you ever been lying in bed ready to blissfully fall asleep and suddenly remember that time you put your foot in your mouth in front of your inlaws and you start to panic all over again? You start trying really hard to not think about the exact words and tone of your voice and as you try to escape this reliving of your worst nightmare you start to remember more and more details, and the panic mounts and suddenly you are now not going to sleep, and will watch 3-4 more episodes of what ever you were watching to try and forget and to possibly lower your heart rate.

Extreme Athletes actually use this “Mind Power” to help them win. Did you know that there is a 24hr running race, where contestants run as far as they can for 24 hours often running 100+ miles! When you read about these athletes, they often say “your mind is more powerful than your body”. One woman who ran 109 miles in 24 hours made a blog post where she took the time to discuss her training, her nutrition as well as how she protected her mind! She knew her mind was the most important part of that 109 miles.

This “Mind Power” can also be a ruiner - Ever had a panic attack? Your mind is telling your body something terrible is about to happen, but you’re on the couch in your jammies handing out. Ever struggle with addiction, depression, eating disorder, fear, loneliness, anger, impulsiveness.

Our Minds are a powerful tool.

This works both ways too. Our mind is a powerful tool for the enemy, as well as the Lord. The issue is that when sin entered the world, we can go back and read in Genesis that everything was broken. Our relationships with each other, our relationships with the earth and our relationships with God, all ruined. Well our own bodies became fallen as well. So as much as you can have a “trick knee” or a sore back or a headache your mind and the way that it functions physically can be broken.

Our Minds are Broken and in need of fixing.

So if our minds are powerful enough to bring both great human achievement, as well as absolute destruction, how are we to bring that in alignment with what God has for us?

Psalm 119 is a wonderful guide and convictor of the spirit when it comes to how we should shape our relationship with our creator. When you read through this psalm at home, you’ll find it broches many topics when it comes to our relationship, including our mind. Psalm 119 actually mentions “meditation” 7 times! If you and I were having a conversation with one another and I mentioned something 7 times, what do you think would be the most important thing, for me, about that talk?

Psalm 119:15 sums it up beautifully, it says this:

“I will meditate on your precepts

and think about your ways.”

Wow, the writer is telling God that they will spend their time meditating and thinking about the things of God!

Just to be transparent, as a recovering baptist, I grew up with the idea that meditation was some bad thing that I was absolutely not allowed to do.

I used to think that meditating was something that was done in weird yoga classes, and that I was not to be a part of it.

I think maybe some of us have this idea of meditation as being someone in the lotus position, maybe humming, possibly centering their chakra… etc. Maybe some of us think about “mindfulness” just making sure everything we do, we do with “good” intentionality.

But, I think we can sum up, roughly, non-biblical meditation as a person emptying their thoughts or centering their thoughts on their own being. The central figure for this type of meditation is the person meditating. The person's goal here is to either totally empty their mind and emotional state so that they can attack the day or moment with absolute clarity, or a clean slate.

However, the psalmist uses words like “meditate” to describe his devotion to God’s Word, not to their personhood.

“I will meditate on your precepts and think about your ways” (v. 15)..

They aren’t saying “i’m going to focus on me” but saying “I am going to focus on you and what you do.

But what is the psalmist describing when using the word “meditate”?

The root word for “meditate” (vv. 15, 23, 27, 48, 78) “has the basic meaning of a loud, enthusiastic, and emotion-filled form of speaking; but in Psalm 119 it has

the sense of a wise, pensive concentration. The psalmist may quietly meditate on what the Lord expects of him, controlling his emotions as an expression of

absolute loyalty to the Lord”

So, in summary, the psalmist is saying, “I will focus on the word of God”. No matter the circumstances or the difficulty befalling me, or how confusing a situation may be for me, I will spend energy focused on what God’s word says.

It goes further as well, lets continue reading

And if we read further on in Psalm 119 we come to verses 97-104 and it says:

97 How I love your instruction!

It is my meditation all day long.

98 Your command makes me wiser than my enemies,

for it is always with me.

99 I have more insight than all my teachers

because your decrees are my meditation.

100 I understand more than the elders

because I obey your precepts.

101 I have kept my feet from every evil path

to follow your word.

102 I have not turned from your judgments,

for you yourself have instructed me.

103 How sweet your word is to my taste—

sweeter than honey in my mouth.

104 I gain understanding from your precepts;

therefore I hate every false way.

Our Big Idea today is this:

Meditating on the Word of God brings our mind into better alignment with Christ.

The Author of this passage describes, in detail what happens to their personhood when they spend their days meditating on the things of God.

Notice here that in no verse I’ve read does it start with “I understand your word so I meditate on it”. That’s because our call to meditate on the word of God has nothing to do with us understanding what it is saying.

In other words, “saying I don’t read, or won’t read scripture because it’s too hard for me to understand” is not a pass. It’s not a valid excuse. In fact, the author’s language here would show that he was able to gain an understanding of what it was that God was doing AFTER the meditation, not before it!

Being a follower of Christ, but not spending time in the word of God is like going to the car dealership, dropping a 50k check on a brand new truck, car, suv, whatever your fancy and saying to the salesman “I don’t need the key, I just want to look at it, kinda know it’s there” God’s word is apart of the package. We NEED it.

There are 5 things that we can pull from this passage to be gained when we, out of obedience, because it’s an obedience issue, spend time in the word of God.

So here they are - 5 Reasons to meditate on God’s Word

#1. God provides wisdom through understanding of his word (V.98).

When we read the word of God and we are able to come to an understanding, not necessarily read it and get it on face value, but read it, hear it and take it in we gain immense wisdom. This verse states that we will gain more wisdom than our enemies. In the 21st century world, it’s a bit funny to talk about enemies, because the guy that took the last cream cheese pretzel from wawa, while annoying and we’d all agree he deserves some form of corporal punishment, isn’t your enemy. Your spouse, while they might not agree with you in all things, isn’t your enemy. We generally don’t have people out for our lives. We may, I don’t want to discount that, but generally we don’t have to deal with these life or death situations that often. But I think we all have people in our lives that we feel may be against us. This passage says that when we meditate on God’s word, we get his wisdom to handle that situation well. Have a hard boss at work? There is a scripture for that! Proverbs 15:1—”A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare.”

Need parenting advice - there is a scripture for that! EPH 6:4 21 Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.

Need something for when the guy does take your cream cheese filled pretzel? Psalm 107:9 For he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things. You don’t need the pretzel!

When we mditate on God’s word, we are provided with wisdom!

# 2. God teaches us about ourselves and mankind. (V 99)

Because of the use of the word “teacher” we might assume that this is a younger person writing this, because they have teachers. This would lead us logically to believe that God’s word is absolutely accessible to us, regardless of how smart we are.

It also reminds us, that through God’s word we can be taught about ourselves and mankind. All through scripture, we see the human condition in it’s fallen and broken state interacting with eachother and with God. One of the questions I ask when I am reading a passage is “what does this passage teach me about myself, and man kind”. Usually the answer is that we are in desperate need of a saviour, and God is that for us! He sent his son to die for us.

Ultimately, Teachers Teach. God, via the understanding and meditation on his word, provides more understanding than even them.

# 3. God keeps us from evil thoughts and actions (V 101)

Temptation - Who's been there? I often tell our students and te people around me that the best way to avoid sin is to avoid temptation all together.

The meditation and understanding of God’s Word gives us the tools to avoid things that are not good for us all together.

# 4. God’s word encourages us (V 103)

Anyone ever have a terrible day, and while you’re driving home you think “You know what will make this better? A honey bun”

God’s word is so much sweeter and satisfying than anything on this earth. The psalmist didn’t have access to powered sugar, in that time, they likely couldn’t imagine anything sweeter than honey. So God’s word is sweeter than everything on earth. When we need help or are struggling, God’s word is the only thing that we need, and the only thing that will help.

# 5. God’s word causes hate towards sin (V 104)

Ultimately, we as humans don’t do what we hate.

Hate is a word of destruction and fire and anger. What better thing to direct these type emotions to than sin?

Often times a sin battle is a matter of what you love more.

Meditating on the Word of God:

Read God’s word.

Think through the passage in front of you.

Pray the passage over your situation.

Isiah 43

Now this is what the Lord says—

the one who created you, Jacob,

and the one who formed you, Israel—

“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;

I have called you by your name; you are mine.

2 When you pass through the waters,

I will be with you,

and the rivers will not overwhelm you.

When you walk through the fire,

you will not be scorched,

and the flame will not burn you.