Words of Hope: Are you listening? God is speaking.
We had a staff meditation on Psalm 4 and Philippians 4:4-8. These are some of my favorite memory verses. I am always surprised by the demands of the Psalmist, which is David in this case. He says, “Answer me when I call.” It reminds me of when my children were young and wanted my attention.
We played some soft music and lit a candle. Each staff member was asked to quietly read and mediate on Psalm 4 and Philippians 4. Both were written out. Each person was asked to write down at any point distractive thoughts that took them out of the moment. What could they learn from these? They were asked to notice or circle any words that seemed important or resonated.
As we meditated on these passages and listened for a message from God to us, my good friend said that she liked how in Psalm 4 there is an invitation from God to be in relationship which always brings solace. When God engages with us, we feel joy and we feel peace, we find relief from our distress, our sleep is peaceful. This is a similar message in Philippians. As we turn our gratitude and attention to God, His peace guards our hearts and minds. We feel peace even when there are things to be anxious about.
Another friend of mind said that as we mediate on whatever is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, or praiseworthy, that God is all these things. Therefore, we can be sure our thinking is in the right place and on these beautiful qualities when we are praising and meditating on God.
What would you hear from God if you sat down with Psalm 4: 1-8 and Philippians 4:4-8 written on a piece of paper? What would you circle? What thoughts would distract you from the task of listening? What would God be saying to you through these verses?
Answer me when I call, God of my righteousness! – Psalm 4:1
If there is any excellence and if anything is worthy of praise, think about these things. – Philippians 4:8
