There are three points here that help me to understand how to approach meditation. I want to show that if we STOP what we're doing, LOOK into God's word, and LISTEN to what God is saying, we'll be on the right track. Let's get a closer look at these steps:
Stop What You're Doing
Elijah got to Mount Horeb and spent the night. He had traveled for 40 days and nights as God had directed him to do. God got him to a place where he could be still. Just as God declares in Psalm 46:10, we need to be still and know who our God is. So many times we get caught up in the hurry and speed of life. Yet, "God works for those who wait for him". (Isaiah 64:4)
This lesson has not been easy for me. But, I have had to learn that being still and waiting for God is an active process. I watched the new Karate Kid movie last week, and there was a profound thought that being still does not mean that you do nothing. It's the same principle in meditation, going to a quiet place may mean slowing to be with God, but we do not check out of the process. Christian meditation, as Foster puts it, is not an emptying of ourselves. Rather, it's a filling up as we slow down to be with the God of the universe.
Look Into God's Word
While on the mountain, God asked him what he was doing there. Elijah complains and keeps the focus on himself. Then, he looked for God in big things. We do that sometimes, too, don't we? Yet, Elijah learned a lesson here -- keep on looking because God is not always in the big things. He learned focus.
We gain focus and perspective when we open God's word. Sometimes we do get the profound answer. However, I have found that I may not understand what I'm learning from a particular scripture until I've chewed on it for a few days and experienced it. The Psalmist understood this in Psalm 119:6, 15, and 18. My favorite part of that passage is verse 18, where the Psalmist says, "Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law."
Giving God's word concentrated attention means that we may read the same passage continually for a time. We definitely need to work on memorizing passages. Involving ourselves in God's word is a blessing that far too many miss because we're too busy with "life". Paul tells us to set our mind on things above in Colossians 3:2. When we set our minds and look intentionally into God's word, we are able to hear that still small voice that helps us to, "lean not to our own understanding," and see that when we acknowledge him, "he will direct our paths."
Listen to What God Is Saying
Finally, once we've stopped, once we've looked intentionally in God's Word, and we are ready to listen.
Elijah attempted to find God in the big ticket items--the earthquake, the fire, and the windstorm. But, as scripture tells us, God was not in any of those things. Instead, it was in the still small voice.
I love that scripture is full of references to God speaking to people. We see that he met Adam and Eve in the cool of the day. He met Moses in the burning bush and on top of the mountain. He met Elijah on Mount Horeb. He spoke to Samuel as a child. He uses his word and his messengers throughout scripture. My favorite scripture though, is found in Amos 4:13, "He who forms the mountains, creates the wind, and declares to man what is his thought, who makes the morning darkness, and treads on the heights of the earth-- the LORD God of hosts is his name!" Psalm 33 tells us that God who spoke and the earth was created, the God who breathed and the stars fell into place. This is same God who wants an intimate relationship with us. We just have to be available!
Well, there you have it. Stop, Look, and Listen. Pretty easy, right? Not really. We have to be intentional about our pursuit of him. May God bless you as you diligently chase after him. I hope this helps.
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