03—EXPLORING JESUS AND HIS REALM:  “Delightful Divine Meditation with the Master, Jesus”  (BY VATINA)  12-NOV-2018
Turn to the first psalm, the first part of the psalm and see what it says.
Psalm 1:2—But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
“His delight”. What is delight? It’s joy, right? Something that makes you really glad, that sparks you with pleasure, that makes you feel glad to be living, and have something to live for. 
What does it mean to meditate? I’m not talking about the funny things people do these days to try to connect with their inner being. That’s not what this psalm means. It’s all about time alone with Jesus in the secret place of your heart, the inner room of your soul, where all those private thoughts and feelings are kept.
Matthew 6:6— But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
There is a place in the soul of each person for private thought, and Jesus wants you to let Him in that room. He wants to sit down with you and chat things over. So you get quiet and enter this quiet zone, this place of private thoughts, where you hunger after truth and want to be loved; where you wish for the pain of the troubles of your heart to stop. Then you let Jesus speak to you.
It really is like a room. Can you imagine a room that is within your mind and heart, a place your spirit lives? It’s not confined to the physical size of your body. Your spirit’s special room for communing with your Lord, is as big as you imagine it to be. It could be a large banquet hall with streamers and chandeliers, and a huge table with every type of food you could imagine displayed there for you to fill your dish with, or perhaps the room of your soul that you want to invite the Lord of your life into is a privately study room, with a cozy fire place, a table and lamp, and the guest of honour can sit beside you there and chat with you. 
Or maybe you prefer the outdoors and your room is as big as a deserted beach with rolling waves and a bamboo and palm branch shelter where you and your Lord sip on coconut milk and nibble fresh fruit from tropical trees. Maybe the room of your heart is on a ship, and you can commune with the captain of your life about the stormy times you are going through. 
And each time you get quiet in your secret chamber or private place with Jesus, you could be in a different setting, if you like. However you are feeling that day, set up a place just the way you like it, imagine all the right settings, something you think Jesus would find lovely, pure, and is also relaxing for you. Take away the impure thoughts that try to cloud up the room, and just make the space and time to commune.
Now imagine you are alone there, in that place, and hear the knock on the door, or see Him ready to approach, and beckon Jesus to enter and be with you, just you alone. There is no one else around in these times, besides some angels that might want to visit and chat with you as well. 
Can you imagine yourself there now? Are you ready? Now let your heart let go of the burdens that are troubling you. Just realise that just as you can’t make yourself grow taller and faster, (Matthew 6:27) or change the colour of your hair (Matthew 5:36), you can’t do anything, not a single thing about the things troubling you—unless the Master of Life moves in you, and does things for you and with you, and makes it possible. 
So tell Him what is on your heart, or ask for forgiveness for things that you have done that have hurt and offended Him and others. Then know that He looks at you with love in His eyes and is so glad that you are there talking with Him. When you are ready and at peace, and have let Him place His arms around you in a warm and accepting embrace, be still and ready to hear whatever He wants to tell you. 
Imagine if you had a child—or if you, do then it’s easy to think about this one; or if you are a child, imagine if a parent could never speak with their child, or they were deaf and couldn’t hear them speak. Think of all the things you’d miss being able to do together. Could you sit and read stories together? Could you make up fun songs? Could you call out when the meal was ready? There are countless games that couldn’t be played, because they involve talking and listening. And questions couldn’t be answered. Teaching and learning would be very hard.
So it is with your Heavenly Father. It’s very important that you are able to listen to Him, and that you give Him time to talk. It’s one of His most important needs, as your Heavenly Parent, to be able to speak what is on His heart, and say what He knows you  need to hear and teach you what is important that you learn, and that He can express His love to you in this way also.
So when you are alone in your private study, or quiet place, your special spirit room, or nature area, take time to just stop and listen, and in quietness and confidence will be your strength. 
Isaiah 30:15—For thus saith the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not.
Isaiah 30:7—Their strength is to sit still.
Philippians 4:13—I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
Daniel 11:32—The people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.
Time with the Saviour, letting Him speak is what gives your spirit strength. And you are going to need it! 

Here are some signs when someone’s spirit is weak and in need of strength.
•	When they easily lose control of their emotions, and things seem too hard for them.
•	When fears alarm them, meaning they must be feeling smaller and weaker than whatever it is that is taking away their faith in God’s help.
•	When they can’t stop themselves from speaking whatever is on their mind, and they have weak lips that can’t hold tight when it is best.
•	When they get easily angry at things that aren’t evil, but just a personal bother, and things easily irritate them.
These are some signs of weakness. There are others, and maybe you will think of some too, some signs when you or those in your family are getting weak and need some time with the strongest Guy in the universe to impart His strength of spirit to you. It affects your body and the world around you too, in real physical ways. 
So what are you to “meditate” on? Well, once you are in the private nest, shelter, and cozy place with Jesus (Psalm 91:1) and you are talking and listening to Him, then think about what He tells you—and what He has said in the Bible before. 
Think about a verse that the Holy Spirit might be bringing to your mind, or that you have just read then for your special time with the Master. Thinking about the written word that has been passed on down through the years from one generation to the next, is a great way to “learn of the Master”. There is so much that even a single passage can lead you to understand. So it’s good to think about them, pray, and see what you can learn. 
So do you have it down now? 
--First get quiet, then enter your private place in your mind and heart—a place in the spirit. Invite Jesus to be with you there. 
--Tell Him what is on your heart, and then listen to hear what He wants to say. Think about a Bible verse and learn something from it, by listening to His spirit speaking.  
--Hug and love your dearest friend, praising Him in all the ways He likes. And then let Him fill you with joy and peace. 
You will go away from your time with the Master stronger and refreshed. People will notice that you are happier, and they will be happier around you as well. 
Enjoy this time three times a day if you can—morning, noon and night; as soon as you wake, and sometime in the day, and then before you go to sleep when all is again quiet. It’s like doing repetitions in an exercise program. If you do them right, and do it more than just once in a while, but several each day, you start getting more fit and stronger. 
Do three a day—to stop, look and listen: Stop (what you are doing), look (imagine your lovely place of quiet with Jesus, and look into the Word for a passage or verse to mediate on) and listen (to what He wants to tell you, and let Him listen to your heart as well; and listen to His thoughts on verses from the Bible.) 
Psalm 37:4—Delight thyself also in the LORD: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
Proverbs 3:6—In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

For the really vigorous they might stop more often that just three times—seven times or more, depending on how much strength they need and wish to get. 
Psalm 55:1— Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.
Psalm119:164—Seven times a day do I praise thee because of thy righteous judgments.

These are the ones that can run marathons in their work for the Lord and “run and not get weary”. It stocks them up so they can just keep going and going in pouring out and helping others.
Isaiah 40:29-31; 41:1—He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. 
Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:
But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
Keep silence before me, O islands; and let the people renew their strength: let them come near; then let them speak: let us come near together to judgment.

 A few minutes with the Lord every hour or two keeps those who have vigorous and strenuous lives able to keep up a fast and hard pace without wearing out and breaking down, and needing long times of recovery. One way or the other your human frame and mind and body can only manage a certain amount, and then you need to keep getting power from On High. 
(To young ones: ) But for your life now, when you aren’t expected to work hard yet, and don’t have a whole lot of interaction with people, just three times a day for your quiet and personal time alone with the Lord, giving a few moments of your time should keep you going, and give you strength. 
Of course you need your reading and study time, as well, like any  “workman that needeth not to be ashamed”. 
2 Timothy 2:15—Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
 That is part of your work, you know? Reading and reflecting on, memorising and learning the scriptures is your job, part of it. So be a good hard worker, and don’t be surprised if it seems like work at times, because it is. But it should be like a hike up a mountain and when you get there you find a refreshing and clear stream to swim in and be refreshed. 
When you really enter into the presence of the Lord by opening the door of the book of His Words, you find it will delight you and refresh you. You’ll always go away feeling better, unless you haven’t really opened your eyes to behold the “wonderous things”. 
Psalm119:18—Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.
You have to be looking to see. You have to be looking for the special things the Lord wants to point out to you. You have to know there is love behind every word of scripture that you read and study. Eat the love. Eat the love of God as you partake of the bread of life and take it into your soul. Then you shall have “rest unto your soul”. 
MAT.11:28-29—Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

It’s like exercise that leaves you with more vigour than you felt before you started off. It should get your heart pumping with vigour and make you want to move and do what it is saying, because of the Love of God that constrains you and motivates you. 
2 Corinthians 5:14—For the love of Christ constraineth us.
God is a moving God, He moves you to do this and that, and keeps you on the move, progressing and taking action.