Sweet Meditation

I'm convinced that most of the stress we experience in our lives is from trying to live primarily out of our heads rather than out of our spirits, which is the true core of our being. People were not designed to live according to their own finite understanding, and it's exhausing when we try to do so. Decisions that continually come from own limited knowledge will often be flawed and take us in the wrong direction.
All this means that we tend to live stressed out lives trying to fix the messes we've gotten into or figuring out how to stay out of them in the first place!
Unfortunately, I've been schooled very proficiently in figuring things out and relying on my own understanding. If I were to draw a picture comparing the strength and size of my mind and my spirit, my mind would be grossly out of proportion to everything else because it gets so much exercise! It goes and goes and goes, like the Energizer Bunny, and only gets a break when I fall asleep.
On the other hand, my spirit doesn't get nearly as much exercise in a typical day. The Holy Spirit brought this thought to my attention recently, and I was faced with this startling fact: As a new creation in Christ, with my heart indwelt by the Holy Spirit, my spirit contains limitless resources to draw on. Why would I rely so much on my limited understanding and ignore the riches of wisdom residing within me?
Only because I would have to admit I don't know how to access that knowledge consistently. How can I exercise my spirit so I will rely on it more often rather than relying on my own thinking?
Jesus tells us that the Holy Spirit is our Helper, so when I feel stumped, that's the Person I go to for help. The answer I got was a simple instruction that anyone can do and which can easily fit into any person's schedule. God is so practical! 

Oh, the joys of those who do not
    follow the advice of the wicked,
    or stand around with sinners,
    or join in with mockers.
2 But they delight in the law of the Lord,
    meditating on it day and night.
3 They are like trees planted along the riverbank,
    bearing fruit each season.
Their leaves never wither,    and they prosper in all they do. (Psalm 1:1-3 NLT; see also Joshua 1:8)

God's instructions are to meditate on His Word as much as possible, and the promise is to prosper in all that I do. Meditation is not memorizing Scripture or having Bible study. It's not prayer, as good as all of those spiritual disciplines are. It can best be described as savoring the Word of God -- chewing a small piece of it slowly and getting all of the nutrition and nourishment and taste out of it as possible. Just as someone can savor and enjoy a fine wine or a delectable dessert, you can savor and get the most out of what God wants to speak to you each day and make it personally nourshing to you.
I don't want to give you a formula, but I will share how this exercise works for me. In the morning after first awakening, I get into a comfortable position and close my eyes. (Best to do this after being well rested!) I ask the Holy Spirit what He wants to speak to me from His word. I quiet my mind and look inside my heart ... and wait. Before too long, words will float up to my mind. Sometimes they will be a verse I've read -- even from a long time ago -- or sometimes just a phrase.  
I repeat those words to myself several times, letting them roll around in my heart. I am not trying to analyze them or memorize them (that takes too much brain power), just let them say what they need to say to me. During this time I feel as though the Holy Spirit and I are sharing a secret. He is imparting to me things on His heart about the Word of God that He knows I will need for my journey. It is a relaxing time with Him. There is no pressure to perform, no goal I have to meet. My mind gets a much-needed rest, and I can feel my spirit being exercised and gaining strength through use.
It's the easiest, most pain-free, exercise I've ever done! 
Throughout the day, when my mind is free from other things, such as when I am driving, I let my thoughts return to those words. I find it helpful to write them down in a journal to refer to them again. Sometimes I will look up what some of the words mean in the original language in order to get more "food" to meditate on (this is easy to do using internet tools, such as Strong's Concordance). Before I fall asleep at night, I try to repeat my exercise of the morning with these same words from heaven. It's a wonderful way to fall asleep in peace! 
If you have ever gone without food for an extended time and then eaten a delicious meal, you will get an idea of the satisfaction that this type of spiritual exercise brings. For someone who has overworked her brain for so many years, it is a much needed rest that has brought a new level of peace and serenity to my life.  
Isn't it just like our loving Father to make spiritual exercise an absolutely delightful experience?
During the next few weeks, I'll share some verses that I have been meditating on and some of the nourishment I have received while doing so. I invite you to join me. My prayer is that you will begin asking the Holy Spirit how you can meditate in God's Word and enjoy these benefits for yourself!