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Tremble, and do not sin;

meditate in your heart upon your bed,

and be still.

offer the sacrifices of righteousness,

and trust in the Lord.

~ Psalm 4:4-5

 

Good morning dear sister!

Are you still meditating in your heart upon your bed? With my little cherubs grown and gone, and my beloved working his own schedule, my mornings are a lot quieter than they used to be. I now can enjoy the luxury of meditating upon my bed, but most often I meet with the Lord in the morning in my sunrise chair, or even on my knees. 

Although the Psalmist seems to be indicating to meditate upon your bed at night, that never seemed to work for me. Instead of ‘counting sheep’, I’d pray for God’s lambs. It may sound noble, but usually only one or two would pass through my mind and ……….zzzzzzzzz. I not only felt guilty about that, I also worried that I was training myself to get sleepy when I pray!

These nights instead, I fall asleep to music and meditate on God’s goodness! He gives me that perfect peace that He promises to those whose thoughts are on Him. (Isaiah 26:3). I’m usually asleep before the end of the first song. 

But I wonder, why does David start his exhortation to meditate with “tremble, and do not sin”? The KJV translates the phrase as “stand in awe, and sin not.” Have you ever trembled in awe? Did you ever get goosebumps or overwhelmed with tears as a response to some magnificent event or sight? Have you ever felt the presence of the Holy Spirit so strongly that you’re nearly paralyzed with awe and wonder? (oooh, tell me about it!)

Meditating on the magnificent glory and awesome majesty of God is a sure way to offer the holy reverence that is due to Him! You will ‘sin not’ out of a holy dread of offending the One who loves you so faithfully! This is the time to search our hearts in His revealing Light and confess and repent of any evil uncovered within!

Only then, will we have peace, only through the cleansing blood of Jesus will we be righteous before Him. Our conscience will not be condemning us, and we will be able to stand with confidence in the Lord to face the trials and temptations of the day. We can be still before Him and let Him direct our day. Stand in awe, and sin not!

Awe makes it possible to offer sacrifices of righteousness that are acceptable to God! An act of righteousness is one that aligns with God’s will, not necessarily our own. Acts of righteousness reflect God’s character and manifest the fruits of His Spirit. They lead us to intentionally make room for Him to direct us; and not just our activities, but our thoughts, our emotions and our desires! These are sacrifices pleasing to God.

Finally, at the end of the day, you will find yourself meditating on your bed with a heart full of thanksgiving and praise for your Abba who has been so good to you! What a day!

If you’re wondering what to meditate on try reading a psalm first or listen to a favorite worship song. I was really touched by the prayer song we heard last Sunday….

“Lord, I offer my life to you, everything I’ve been through, use it for Your glory!

And Lord, I offer my days to you, lifting my praise to You, as a pleasing sacrifice,

Lord, I offer You my life.” *

Offering ourselves to God is indeed the most pleasing sacrifice. The more of ourselves that we give to Him, the greater we reflect His glory! The closer we draw to Him, we tremble, not with fear, but with a holy reverence and a deep love that never wants to displease Him! 

David ends this verse with ‘trust in the Lord’. This is wise counsel! The more that we read His word and learn His ways, the more we will trust Him. The more we offer ourselves to Him, the more we learn that He is trustworthy. He doesn’t tell us to ‘think positive” or hope for the best. He is always faithful and knows what we need even before we know to ask for it. ~Matthew 6:8

This is the great God that we serve! So, day or night, spend some time meditating on Him! “Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; speak of all His wonders! Glory in His holy name, let the hearts of those who seek the Lord be glad!”

~ Psalm 105 

With love, your sister, Celeste

*Don Moen, Claire Cloninger 

copyright 1994