Annie
Scriptures: Numbers 6:24-26 Psalm 18:16-19 Psalms 34; 104; 147:7-11 Ephesians 2:4 (Amplified) Luke 15:11-32
For our final reflection on times of meditation, God had led me to wondering about what these times, that are so precious to us, mean for Him. I know that there is nothing that we can do to make God any greater or more knowledgeable or more powerful than He is. He is the One True God, creator of all the universes and galaxies, placing them all in their perfect orbits, even creating time itself for us to live in. So, what does the time we spend in meditating upon Him and His word do for Him?
One of the most amazing verses in our Bible says that God delivers us, because He delights in us. This is from Psalm 18 where David catalogues the overwhelming struggle he faced when Saul decided to throw everything he had at David. Yet, the description of what God did is staggering. David says that the Lord thundered from the heavens, He sent hailstones and coals of fire down, He was roaring from His throne, flying upon the clouds. What an image! Then David says that God drew Him out of many waters, God delivered him because He delighted in him. Saul had dared to try and destroy God’s precious child, the man described as being after God’s own heart, the one in whose presence God delighted, and God rose up and roared.
We are told that God takes pleasure in those who fear and worship Him, those who wait for His Mercy and Lovingkindness. We know that waiting for, or upon, God brings our relationship with Him into a richer more abundant awareness of His person and nature. And it opens our eyes to see the joy and delight He finds in revealing Himself to us. As with everything else in our relationship with God, there are such extravagant treasures to be found in seeing our meditation of God’s word as a wonderful river of Life, flowing both ways. The more we delight in His presence, the more we see how much He delights in ours, our company is so precious to Him, because we are precious to Him. In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul describes this love that God has for us: “But God—so rich is He in His mercy! Because of and in order to satisfy the great and wonderful and intense love with which He loved us,”
There are a multitude of scriptures pointing out to us all just how much delight God takes in our times of meditation, how it really does cause His face to light up in a smile of pure Love. What is so sad is that we so often forget this, or we simply don’t expect this to be happening as we feed from His banquet of rich, exquisite tasting spiritual food. But it does, it is impossible for this not to be taking place, it is not in His nature for God not to be enjoying spending time with us.
I love the parable that we usually call “The Prodigal Son”, but the picture that most represents the core of what Jesus was revealing in that parable is the vision of the Father. It makes my heart overflow, that this faithful, loving Father had watched day after day for His son to come home, and, when He caught sight of His son trudging wearily towards his home, He picked up His robe and ran down the path to meet this precious child. The whole essence of the parable is just how much the love of the Father never dimmed, and burst out of Him when the son came to his senses and came home. So, as we turn to our God and come home to Him, seeking Him and His word, He runs to meet us, swamping us as He wraps His loving arms around us, showering us with kisses of such joy. Our times of meditation are meant to be times of sorrow turning to joy, of despair becoming hope, of torment melting into peace beyond our understanding. And times of accepting God’s smile upon us, and His arms around us as He delights in spending time with us.
Prayer: Abba Father, as we ask, seek and knock, meditating upon Your word and spending time in Your presence, shine Your face upon us, let Your delight in being with us permeate every atom of our being. May we always share in Your joy throughout all our days. Amen
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