“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever. Let all Israel repeat: “His faithful love endures forever.” Let Aaron’s descendants, the priests, repeat: “His faithful love endures forever.” Let all who fear the Lord repeat: “His faithful love endures forever.” In my distress I prayed to the Lord, and the Lord answered me and set me free. The Lord is for me, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me? Yes, the Lord is for me; he will help me. I will look in triumph at those who hate me. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in people. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes. Though hostile nations surrounded me, I destroyed them all with the authority of the Lord. Yes, they surrounded and attacked me, but I destroyed them all with the authority of the Lord. They swarmed around me like bees; they blazed against me like a crackling fire. But I destroyed them all with the authority of the Lord. My enemies did their best to kill me, but the Lord rescued me. The Lord is my strength and my song; he has given me victory.”
Psalms 118:1-14 NLT
Whereas eastern religions tend to encourage the use of a meditation that empties the spirit of its thoughts and realizes the illusory nature of reality, the biblical model does the opposite. The repetition of meaningless mantra babbling creates a trans hypnotic state that makes the user suggestible. The Bible’s form of meditation does exactly the opposite of this. It hardens and stiffens a person so that he is not at all suggestible. Instead of opening his mind to suggestion, it closes his mind from deviation. It locks him into the truths that he knows so that he cannot be overwhelmed by outside influences bringing him anxiety. By the repetition of this one truth, “God’s love endures forever,” and the permeation of that truth into his other thought processes, he is able to stand tall as a creature of God. He is able to withstand any onslaught from those who are against God. He is able to see victory through failure and be able to be victorious when failure is assured. He is able to see God when others cannot and he is able to walk beside him in the storms of life. This is why we must guard our mind and fasten it to the truth. Not only is it the obvious truth. But because of this, we have the best possible outcome residing in it.
JOSH McGARY.COM 