In our neck of the woods, we still have snow, and as if it wasn’t enough already, we had a bit more last night – dusting, but still a reminder that it is still winter.

The advantage of the low temperatures is that the snow is slowly melting – and as I said before, that allows it to go away without causing a flood and hope for full water sheds.

Went out to feed the birds, well over 100 pounds of feed this year – and more to be given, and felt the small pellets of moisture – freezing fog that is condensing as it comes closer to the ground?

And with exciting anticipation I read where for the next several days we will have the benefit of even more snow and freezing fog.

Carla was off yesterday.  Hopefully, she pulled back the curtain on the south side of the house so she could see if the sun was coming out.  She finally got a glimpse as it silhouetted itself behind Mt. Hood, but no more.

Still, I have friends in other woods that get to have below zero temperatures with their moisture.  I am happy where I am.

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Joshua 1:8-9  This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

⁹ Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

I remember the 1960’s and 1970’s when traditional churches, when God and Christianity were no longer wanted by the world.

However, their spirit cried and yearned for a connection with God – enter the Eastern religions that had many gods and the promise that the best way to take care of that yearning was by mediation.

For many of us, meditation became a forbidden word, one that led people away from God in its practice.  I can remember hearing sermons and attending classes that condemned the exercise.

I am not sure just when I realized that meditation was actually a benefit that God has given His believers in order for them to grow closer to Him.

It isn’t a focus on oneself, or some empty words, but the focus is on God and His Word.

How many times had I read verses like that above and not seen the word meditation? 

I struggle to remember, I was under the tutelage of some excellent Bible scholars, but I cannot remember them talking about meditation in a positive light.

We study God’s Word, but do we really look at each word and understand what it means to us?

We read the Bible through in a year, but does that mean we know what it says and are meditating on it so that we can draw closer to God, or has it become a habit without meaning?

There is nothing wrong with reading the Bible through, but it shouldn’t end there.  If we read with a desire to understand it is amazing what things we learn that we may have just ‘skipped’ over before.

The Bible really is a living document, in as much as it tells us of the struggles and triumphant of man over satan.  It tells us that God richly loves us, His desire is that we worship Him in truth, not just reading, but understanding, searching out the verses’ meanings and when applying them to ourselves, it is alive within us.

I am not good at memorization.  I would make a very poor actor, my director and the rest of the cast would, undoubtedly, be quite upset with my in inability to recite the lines written for my character.

As I grow older that ability is even less effective – however, as I read God’s Word I understand the concept, the meaning and while I have a difficult time remembering the exact words, I can call upon God to fulfill promises based on the totality of His Word.

I grasp the meanings of certain verses and use them to bolster me through the day.

One thing that most officers miss when we retire is the ‘hot’ calls, the ones where you roll with lights and sirens, where someone is in danger.  The adrenalin flows and surges through your veins as you focus on safely arriving and assisting the victim.

For years after leaving office I would hear the sirens and wonder/wish I was going.  Then one day, and I can’t remember when, it occurred to me that I can still help both the responder and the victim by saying a prayer for everyone’s safety.

My calling now isn’t to respond, but to support in prayer all individuals involved.  It surprises me sometimes that the very verses I had been studying and meditating on that day are very appropriate for the needed background to pray.

Meditating the way the Eastern religions do is just a process of trying to deal with the empty places within us.  It doesn’t truly make a difference – yes, there are those that will staunchly defend the practice, but it is a self-serving process, not a tribute to God.

When we meditate on God’s Word, when we take the time to not only read His Word but ask the Holy Spirit to help us apply that to our service to Him, not only do we reach a higher plain, spiritually, but we find ourselves closer to and understanding God.

We are more able to serve Him and to assist those that He places in our path.

Meditation is just part, but a very important part, of our obligation to draw closer to God and become much more effective at serving Him.

Later, Art (-: