476 My Soul Thirsts For God, A Guided Christian Meditation on Psalms 42:1-3 with the Recenter With Christ app

I'm Chaplain Jared and I work as a hospice chaplain and an ICU chaplain. My purpose in making this podcast is to help you find more peace in your life and to be more open for your heart to be changed by the Spirit of God. By using centuries old form of Christian Meditation named Lectio Divina:

Outline: Relaxation, Reading, Meditation, Prayer, Contemplation and Visualization.

Get into a place where you can sit comfortably and uninterrupted for about 20 minutes.You should hopefully not be driving or anything tensing or unrelaxing. If you feel comfortable to do so, I invite you to close your eyes. Guided Relaxation / Guided Meditation: Breathe and direct your thoughts to connecting with God. Let your stomach be a balloon inflate, deflate.

Bible verses for Meditation:

Psalms 42

NIV 1 As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. 2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God? 3 My tears have been my food day and night, while people say to me all day long, "Where is your God?"

ESV 1 As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. 2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God? 3 My tears have been my food day and night, while they say to me all the day long, "Where is your God?"

Meditation:

The Great Christian writer CS Lewis wrote that we as humans have a God size hole in our heart. This scripture begins to lay the basics of our need for God. We have a thirst for the kind of unconditional love that only a perfect God can provide. There is nothing in this world that can fill the place of God in our soul. Sometimes when we think of our need before God we focus exclusively on our guilt and need for redemption. These things are true but I believe it is even deeper than this.

The light we rejoice in, the happiness, joy, fulfillment, love, all these things are exemplified in God. They are represented as a reflection of only a fraction of the glory of God. The highest ideals we could possibly seek in life are perfect in God. As people wrestle with the Goodness of God they are really only wrestling with the Goodness of what they understand. The source of light and good does not need to be judged by the imperfection of human understanding.

This is the same God that has offered you salvation and remains dedicated to your spiritual transformation, to your development in His love and grace. He remains willing and able to love you perfectly. Don't allow others to destroy your relationship with the source of true love and acceptance. Do not allow the temporary troubles of this world distract your mind and your heart away from the real and undying love of a perfect God. Rejoice in the Goodness of the Lord and embrace our need and thirst for Him.

Meditation of Prayer:

Pray as directed by the Spirit.

Dedicate these moments to the patient waiting, when you feel ready ask God for understanding you desire from Him.

Meditation of God and His Glory / Hesychasm:

I invite you to sit in silence feeling patient for your own faults and trials.

Summarize what insights you have gained during this meditation and meditate and visualize positive change in your life:

This is a listener funded podcast at patreon.com/christianmeditationpodcast

Updates:

Final Question: In what ways do you thirst for God?

Final Thought:

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