By Emeritus Prof. Mercy Olumide

Meditation on God’s Word is a critical aspect of listening (cont)
“…and in His law he meditates day and night.” (Ps 1:2)

Those seeking to live under God’s blessing meditate on God’s law (i.e., His Word) in order to know God by revelation and to shape their thinking, attitudes and actions. They read the words of Scripture, ponder them and compare them with other Scriptures. When meditating on a passage in the Bible, questions such as these cross their minds:

• Is God’s Spirit applying this verse to my life and personal situation?

• Is there a promise here for me to claim?

• Is this passage revealing a particular sin I must strive to avoid?

• Is God issuing a command I must obey?

• Is my spirit in harmony with what the Holy Spirit is saying?

• Is the passage expressing a truth about God, salvation, sin, the world or my personal obedience on which I need to be enlightened by the Holy Spirit?

You can learn how to follow God by meditating on his Word. Meditating means spending time reading and thinking about what you have read. It means asking yourself how you should change and live as God wants. Knowing and meditating on God’s Word are the first steps toward applying it to your everyday life. If you want to follow God more closely, you must know what he says.

“When I remember You on my bed,I meditate on You in the night watches.” (Ps 63:6)

Along with prayer and reading God’s Word, we should strive to centreour thoughts on God day and night. Remembering God must not be an occasional occurrence, but a repeated experience of looking unto heaven in praise, acknowledging His presence and Lordship, and communing with Him. Nothing would be better than that our first thought in the morning and our last thought at night be on His grace, character, love and plan for us. And when we find it impossible to sleep during the night, we can again turn our minds and hearts to God.

A cure for sleepless nights is to turn our thoughts to God. There are many reasons we can’t sleep. Some of them are illness, stress, and worry, but sleepless nights can be turned into quiet times of reflection and worship. Use them to review how God has guided and helped you.

The Holy Spirit speaks to us
“13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. 14He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.15…Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.” (Jn 16:13-15)

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