Last Wednesday, in our Holy Yoga class, we sat in scriptural meditation.  Growing up in church, I always thought “meditation” was a bad word.  When the traditional yoga community talks about meditation, they talk about emptying the mind.  But the kind of meditation I’m talking about here, is the exact opposite.  It’s FILLING the mind with the word of God.  Only good things can come out of this, right?  

“She Reads Truth” says that, “In the original Hebrew, one definition of our word, meditate, is “to mutter.”  To repeat something over and over, whether for memorization or self-instruction, or just good ole-fashioned effort to let it sink in.”  

Psalm 73:26 “My heart and my flesh may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” 

So we took the last part of this verse and literally repeated it over and over, emphasizing the first word, then second, then the third, and so on.  It looks like this-and I encourage you to say this out loud..maybe even write it.

BUT God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. But GOD is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. But God IS the strength of my heart and my portion forever. But God is THE strength of my heart and my portion forever. But God is the STRENGTH of my heart and my portion forever. But God is the strength OF my heart and my portion forever. But God is the strength of MY heart and my portion forever. But God is the strength of my HEART and my portion forever. But God is the strength of my heart AND my portion forever. But God is the strength of my heart AND my portion forever. But God is the strength of my heart and MY portion forever. But God is the strength of my heart and my PORTION forever. But God is the strength of my heart and my portion FOREVER. 

When I wrote this over and over, preparing for class, something began to shift in my heart. And the Lord began to speak. 

“But” is a small, but powerful word here. It’s that moment for our hearts to wait….to pause. To hold on and remember. 

“But God” is that moment for our souls to stop. For our minds to stop reeling. And hear the Truth in His name. 

“But God is”-again “Is” is a small but powerful word. And it’s not a passive word, but an active one. “He IS the same today, yesterday and forever.” (emphasis mine) And “is” means “present”-to be. He IS. 

“But God is the strength”-My friends, this is where I take a really deep breath. Because SO many times I find myself trying to do things in my own strength. And I’m not strong enough. In my own strength, I crumble. And this is such a good reminder for me-that God is the strength and I don’t have to be. I don’t have to have it all together. (Thank God because I don’t…amen?)

“But God is the strength of my heart”-Psalm 91:2 says, “I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress.” He is the guarder of our hearts friends, protecting our hearts when the storms rage. And He is the strong tower we run into…our place of safety and healing. 

“But God is the strength of my heart and my portion”-that word portion…always enough. Just what I need. I confess that I have tried to find my “fullness” in others…in things. But nothing, friends, nothing satisfies us the way that Jesus does. Nothing makes us full the way He does. THIS, I know from experience.  And let’s just be honest and say that sometimes it doesn’t feel like enough. But our faith isn’t based on what we feel...amen? 

“But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever”-Forever. Never stopping. Never ending. Never quitting. Ongoing. Every day. Every hour. Every minute. 

I’m so thankful for His word and for His Truth. I need it. It settles me down. It calms my heart. And I hope you, dear reader, are able to take a REALLY deep breath as you let His word sink down deep into your soul.