Joy: Time of Meditation (Week of Dec 13)
What?
Several days this week, spend 10-15 minutes meditating on Scripture passages that describe the joy and harmony of God’s coming Kingdom.
Why?
Many things, people, and experiences promise to fill us with joy. Advertisers in particular place before our minds visions of delight that their products and services supposedly bring. Because these things are not fueled by infinite love and perfect peace, however, any joy they produce will fade. We must counter these false joys with visions of the Kingdom of God, where real delight can burst forth in response to God’s pure love and peace. By setting our minds on Christ’s coming Kingdom, we anticipate the rejoicing and delight of heaven even now.
How?
A number of passages that reveal bits of what God’s final Kingdom will be like are listed below. You can pick a different one each time you choose to meditate or sit on the same passage throughout the week.
First, read the passage slowly.
Second, as you read, pay attention to the various aspects of the passage. What is God doing? What role does his Anointed One play? How are the effects of sin being undone? What does God reveal about a restored universe? How do his people respond? You may want to reread the passage multiple times.
Third, allow your imagination to swim in the descriptions and images of the Kingdom. Imagine what it will be like to live in God’s perfect Kingdom with Christ and his Church.
Fourth, as you are filled with the love and peace that characterize the Kingdom of God, rejoice in the fact that the Spirit has invited you into this kind of life with him now in a spiritual sense and fully at Jesus’ return.
Passages could include:
Isaiah 2:1-5; 9:2-7; 11:1-10; 25; 35; 54; 61; 62:1-5; 65:17-25
Jeremiah 31:1-14
Ezekiel 34:25-31; 36:24-38; 37:21-28
Joel 2:21-32
Amos 9:11-15
Micah 4:1-7
Zephaniah 3:14-20
Zechariah 8; 9:9-17
Revelation 19:6-10; 21:1-22:5
