A Word of Encouragement from Elizabeth Handford
Yoga and meditation had become popular in the United States by the time I was a sophomore in high school. My English teacher thought we might write more freely if we learned to “meditate.” She told us to sit without moving for a few minutes, eyes closed. “Think about nothing.” After five minutes of thinking about nothing, we were to write down our random thoughts.
I disliked the assignment. How could I write about something that had no substance? I certainly didn’t want to write down whatever silly thought popped into my empty head. I wanted to write about something rooted in truth, in reality. I was reminded of the game children in England played: “Let’s sit in a circle and NOT think about a white bear”? What was the uppermost thought in their minds? A white bear, of course.
Oddly, Harvard Medical School recommends “pairing meditation and yoga.” It may “improve executive functions, such as reasoning, decision making, memory, learning, reaction time, and accuracy on tests of mental acuity. Protect yourself from the damage of chronic inflammation pairing meditation and yoga. Jump-start a meditation routine and deliver the physical and mental benefits of both.”
But how can it? We live in a broken world, where conflict and uncertainty assail every one of us every day. How could the words of Budda help us mentally or spiritually when he says, “No one can save us but ourselves. No one can, and no one will. We must walk the path alone.” How would meditating on that help me in the deep needs of my life? Only if I used a kind of self-hypnotic, self-deceiving “I can do it all by myself” mantra.
King David gives us a wonderful glimpse into the kind of meditation that will give a Christian sweet hope and confidence. In Psalm 62, he said,
Let all that I am wait quietly before God,
for my hope is in Him
He alone is my rock and my salvation,
My fortress where I will not be shaken.
My victory and honor come from God alone.
He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me.
David’s meditation is based on fact, on truth. He reminds himself of God’s faithfulness, His power, His loving shelter. As he meditates on the character of God, he is refreshed and encouraged to face the challenges of life again.
Do I always spend my time in God’s presence waiting quietly for Him to speak to me? Too often, I’m ashamed to answer, “Not always.” My prayers are often frantic, mindless repetitions, “God, what am I going to do? How can this possibly turn out well? God, please, please tell me what to do. Where are you, God?”
But if, instead, I discipline my mind to “wait quietly before God,” and think about all the wonderful reasons why I can trust Him, I will be comforted. There is guidance, safety, rest, wisdom, restoration, when I meditate on the character of the God who died for me.
King David ends his mediation by encouraging his people with this passionate plea:
O my people, trust in Him at all times.
Pour out your heart to Him,
For God is our refuge. — Psalm 62:5-8
May we take time every day to turn our hearts and minds to wait on the God who only is truth. May we wait quietly in His presence until His heart of grace and love and faithfulness is etched on our hearts.