“Do You Hear the Deep Note?”
– The Conclusion
Psalm 42:1-11
The second objective of meditation is
“self-mastery.” According to Galatians
5:22-23, self-control is the final fruit of the Holy Spirit. Discipline is foundational to success and excellence. That fact is no less true as it pertains to
spiritual matters as it is in regard to vocational and professional
concerns. In the words of the apostle
Paul, meditation empowers a person to beat his body into submission and bring
his entire being under the direction of the Lord. In addition, it is very unlikely that we will
develop as spiritual beings if we fail to discipline our physical yearnings and
instincts. In fact, the inability to
control one’s physical instincts is an underlying occurrence within
addiction. The seven deadly sins (pride,
covetousness, gluttony, envy, sloth, lust and anger) manifest themselves
physically. Nevertheless, the spiritual
goal of “self-mastery” within daily meditation empowers a person to discover
the root of his character defects. In
turn, that revelation equally yields divine wisdom on the ways in which to
resolve our personal problems.
Verse 8 – “By day the Lord directs his love, at night his
song is with me – a prayer to the God of my life.”
The psalmist is once again able to hear the deep
note. He hears a “new song” of the Lord. This eighth verse alludes to personal renewal
and rejuvenation of his relationship with Almighty God. The practice of basic spiritual disciplines succeeds
in reigniting his faith. He transcends
this periodic trip through “the valley of the shadow of death.” The deep dark night of his soul yields to the
dawn of more substantial relationship with God.
Thurman, finally, says silence and meditation are
necessary in order for us to rejoin the world’s struggle. These spiritual disciplines are just as
important for those engaged in the fight for justice and equality as they are
for weekly worship and personal devotion.
Fragmented people who lack self-control are inherently incapable of
making the world a better place. Not
surprisingly, such people are actually a part of the very problem they are
attempting to solve.
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Four – God’s Grace and Redemption in Us
Unfortunately, many people in the church world are
very uncomfortable with silence. Like
your average person, we awake and turn on the television, radio or some other
device. We keep these modern
conveniences blaring in the background even if no one is watching or
listening. We feel compelled to have
some kind of sound. In worship, many
churches do not observe a meditation period. There is upbeat music and
preaching from start to finish. There
are rarely periods of silence, if at all.
Yet, Thurman maintains silence is the fundamental prerequisite to
obtaining the riches of meditation.
The revelation on how to handle the broken pieces
and the progress toward self-mastery come to those who wait for them in
silence.
Conclusion
In Psalm 42, the psalmist says his soul yearns for
Almighty God just as the deer pants for the water brooks. Similarly, we thirst spiritually and
existentially when we fail to engage the sanctity of silence and listen for the
symphony of God’s grace and love. Like
the psalmist, we wonder why our souls are parched with the circumstances of
life. We mourn our plights. Our tears become the only water with which to
nourish our souls. Yet, when we yield
our wills to the will of God, we graciously find an oasis in the midst of
silence and meditation. Thereby, we hear
the deep note of God’s guidance and wisdom.
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