4 WriteStuff

As I search for healing this broken heart, I find so much comfort in God’s word. I find myself meditating often on God’s promises. I know that when I try to fix something that is shattered, it is never the same. Super glue everywhere! When God fixes something that is broken, it is also never the same, it is re-shaped, reformed, and created into a new thing.

Many words have multiple meanings. One word, that I find is frequently applied in a variety of ways is meditation. When I look at the definition of the word, I find a very diverse set of definitions. Everything from the prayer to negative forces in altered states of consciousness. To be clear, meditation is a double-edged sword. there are forms of meditation which can be harmful. Like much of life, the same tools can be used for good and for evil… the proper use is chosen by each of us, individually. Sometimes not choosing, is also a choice. But, I’m getting ahead of myself.

What is Meditation?
the action or practice of meditating:
“a life of meditation”
synonyms: contemplation · thought · thinking · musing · pondering · consideration · reflection · deliberation · rumination · brooding · reverie · brown study · concentration · prayer · cogitation
a written or spoken discourse expressing considered thoughts on a subject:

The positive effect of healthy meditation is that it rewires your neurological pathways in your prefrontal lobe. Your prefontrol lobe controls emotions, your decision making process, your personality, your planning. BEWARE: not all forms of meditation are healthy. ie. if you meditate on a negative event, it WILL impact your reactions negatively. Meditation can be a key in rewiring an event… ie. when I am reminded of this negative thought, I capture that thought, that feeling and instead choose to meditate, to reprogram that pathway to a positive, to get off that downward slide and refresh. OR meditation upon that same negative thought can be a downward spiral into anger and bitterness.

Whatever you choose to meditate on, cues other similar thoughts. If you choose to meditate on a person who treats you poorly, it is a easy to jump to “no body likes me.” Often we have rituals, ie. there are things we meditate on a large % of the day which may not be healthy: drugs, alcohol, food, negative people, poor me… In many ways, we are putting those things/people in a place of prominence, of authority over our emotions, personality, even our decision making.

What does the Bible say about meditation?
Biblical definition is: contemplation, communication, prayer. Meditation can be positive – meditate on God’s word; or negative – contemplate evil.

I also searched for verses on
-broken: is shabar – crush, destroy
-brokenhearted: broken heart, feelings, intellect, the centre of being
-heal(ing)
I am putting several verses regarding these topics in the Deeper Still section.

Many times my writings, such as this, are from meditations on a particular subject or word… I desire to know more. I am constantly googling words or topics because of my curiosity. I love digging deeper, I love understanding a topic better. In spite of all my research, I find myself still quite ignorant in so many areas. When I am wrong, I want to know so I don’t continue to spread misinformation. It sounds funny, but I often google to prove myself wrong, and correct my error. A good day, is a day I learn at least one new thing.

I surround myself with reminders, i.e. 2 Corinthian 10:3-6 is above my door when I leave our living quarters… “take every thought captive…” when I do not allow Christ to take those negative thoughts captive, it is an easy spiral downward. I remember one time we’d had an early, hard morning building our home. I thought I was doing ok considering the events of the day, but, Tiffany was in Jr. High, and in the typical Jr. High tone of brutal honesty said, “I can see YOU didn’t do your Bible study today!” Ouch!!! painful, but true!

When this storm initially hit, people would say, “how are you” my answer was often, “ok…. at the moment, but That changes quickly. I am spending a lot of time with Jesus right now. So, “ok” is lasting longer and not ok is shorter periods of time.

I meditate a lot – on God’s word… sometimes a particular portion of it: ie. (breathe in) “Lord, You are,” (breathe out) “My strength” I choose to meditate the Bible. period. I need to meditate on scripture to get out of my own head, my own power, my own abilities and to be reminded that it’s not about me, it’s about God. I can choose to be a part of His amazing plan, or I can wimp out and He’ll use someone else.

Meditation on God’s word – His love letter to us, is a great way to promote healing of those painful areas of our life. Opening our heart, our mind, our soul up to Jesus touch, leaves us bare, but that vulnerability before Him also leaves us in a place where He can heal our broken hearts.

DEEPER STILL:
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, 6 and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled. 2 Corinthians 10

But know that the Lord has set apart the godly man for Himself;
The Lord hears when I call to Him.
4 Tremble, and do not sin;
Meditate in your heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah.
5 Offer the sacrifices of righteousness,
And trust in the Lord.
6 Many are saying, “Who will show us any good?”
Lift up the light of Your countenance upon us, O Lord!
7 You have put gladness in my heart,
More than when their grain and new wine abound.
8 In peace I will [k]both lie down and sleep,
For You alone, O Lord, make me to dwell in safety. Psalm 4

Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous sins;
Let them not rule over me;
Then I will be [a]blameless,
And I shall be acquitted of great transgression.
14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer. Psalm 19

I will sing to the Lord [ag]as long as I live;
I will sing praise to my God [ai]while I have my being.
34 Let my meditation be pleasing to Him;
As for me, I shall be glad in the Lord. Psalm 104

26 For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; 27 but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, 28 and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, 29 so that no man may boast before God. 30 But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, 31 so that, just as it is written, “Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 1

17 The righteous cry, and the Lord hears
And delivers them out of all their troubles.
18 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted
And saves those who are crushed in spirit.
19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
But the Lord delivers him out of them all. Psalm 34

1 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
Because the Lord has anointed me
To bring good news to the [b]afflicted;
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to captives
And [c]freedom to prisoners;
2 To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord
And the day of vengeance of our God;
To comfort all who mourn,
3 To grant those who mourn in Zion,
Giving them a garland instead of ashes,
The oil of gladness instead of mourning,
The mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting.
So they will be called oaks of righteousness,
The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified. Isaiah 61 (Prophecy about Jesus)

3 Then I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was, making something on the [a]wheel. 4 But the vessel that he was making of clay was spoiled in the hand of the potter; so he remade it into another vessel, as it pleased the potter to make. Jeremiah 18