Dec 10, 2017
Now is a great time for you to slow down. You’ve already decided to have this moment be peaceful. Everything else fades out of your life for these minutes. As you continue to practice relaxation, you feel it come quicker and easier. You don’t need to force out any external noises. Anything you hear and feel is part of this moment now and just let it be what it is. Just let things progress naturally. Your body was created by an almighty God. This body has an amazing ability to feel of His peace.
You find yourself breathing effortlessly. You breath slows. you prepare your heart for the message from the Bible and therefore from God, continue this breathing. As you do you feel your muscles start to melt away. If you notice your mind trying to solve problems just remember that the only thing you have to do during this relaxation is to breathe. Everything else is optional.
Continue breathing slowly and rhythmically. As your breathing has naturally slowed, help it expand deeper. Breathe so deeply and softly that your stomach fills with air. Continue breathing throughout the rest of this meditation. You feel your heart open and ready to receive the words of Jesus in this scripture as he is preaching in the sermon on the mount.
Bible verse for meditation:
This scripture is in Matthew 6:19-22
ESV
19 Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal,
20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.
21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light,
What though, image, impression, or memory accompanied this story. Reflect on that.
As prepare to read another translation look for the similarities and differences.
KJV
9 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light
What does this scripture mean?
What message materialized as you listened to this scripture?
How does this scripture make you feel?
Meditation on scripture / bible verse meditation:
Many times when we hear Jesus’ commands to drop our obsession with the things of this world. We sometimes try and justify that perhaps that is not really what he meant. Ultimately though, Jesus did mean what he said. The wonders and terrors of this life hold nothing when compared to things beyond this life. There is nothing that we can attain in our lives that is more valuable than what God has in mind for those who love him. The problem is we trick ourselves at times to think that we are unavoidably connected with this world. As we have experiences in scripture, prayer, and with God’s Spirit, we realize that God’s promises are more profound than anything of this earth. If we aren’t careful we can get stuck. We think we can have it both ways. By learning to hold our desire lightly, we can be freed from this conflict.
The unavoidable fact is that eternal peace cannot be earned through the treasures of this world. Ultimately the best good that earthly goods can do is to ease physical suffering and allow us to develop deeper love for each other, and above all to draw our hearts and focus to God.
Those who find themselves in financial bondage may feel as though this scripture does not apply to us. The truth is that anytime we put life’s greatest aspirations or fears in debt or wealth, we remain distracted. When you die and are reunited with God he will only interested with how you loved Him and your neighbor and how we showed this. The fear we cause ourselves by worrying about money also don’t even have the effect of helping us out of any financial mess.
If you connected with any of this message I offer us this final challenge. Let go of desire. Realize that you don’t have to want anything to feel peaceful. You don’t have to “need” anything in this world. The only thing that we truly need is God’s grace and no amount of needing with force that issue only God’s sovereignty. During this Christmas season focus on emotionally letting go of money. When we realize that we are stewards of the resources of this world our anxiety around money can dissipate.
All that is left is to do the best we can. When we allow the money to be a treasure to us we miss the whole point. In your heart see if you can practice what it feels like to let go of the idea that money is treasure or that debt will enslave your soul for eternity. You can break free of this oppressive message with the Words of Jesus. Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Filter all financial plans through the lens of your deeply held Christian values, not fear or greed. God can rescue your soul and mine from the snares of this world. Let him free your heart. Commit to being responsible for everything you can and trusting in him for the rest. God’s spirit can attend your finances if you don’t hold it as treasure. Perhaps the simplest summary of this is that we cannot find the deepest peace of God if we consider money to be treasure.
Meditation of Prayer:
Pray as directed by the Spirit.
Pray now in a Spirit of deep gratitude.
Meditation of God and His Glory / Hesychasm:
I invite you to sit in silence as you feel His gift in your heart.
Meditate and Visualize Positive Change in Your Life:
What insights did you gain during these moments?
What thing will change in your life after this moment?
I’m hoping you got a specific impression. I invite you to visualize what your life would look like and what you would feel like if what you imagined were true. Imagine what it would feel like if your positive intentions were realized and you were acting and feeling exactly as you wanted. Imagine you are living in this moment, not watchign it on TV. See how deeply you can feel it.
Visualize blessing someone else:
Share this message :
Now visualize someone or a group of people who need this message. Imagine what their face would look like as they receive this scripture in their hearts. Imagine how you can share it with them.
Conclusion:
Print and use this scripture.
I release a new episode of this every Sunday morning at 1AM Mountain time in the US.
You can get more information about my podcast by visiting my website ChristianMeditationPodcast.com.
I hope you can feel my deep and genuine concern in this topic. It was done with a complete absence of judgement. That’s why I so often use the word we instead of you. I am certain that God’ will bless you and me with His peace if we learn to redefine what treasure means. When you hear the word treasure practice imagining things of God, family, and friends instead of wealth, possessions, or resources. What will it benefit us if we get out of debt, raise a huge pile of money then realize that we have missed the whole purpose of life?
The flip side of the argument can also be made. What would we gain if we lost the whole world but we gained our souls? May we ever be willing to accept God’s bounteous grace that he so mercifully is willing to bestow on us. As it says in Mark 8:36 “And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?”
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