392 The People Living In Darkness Have Seen A Great Light, A Guided Christian Meditation on Matthew 4:14-17 with the Recenter With Christ app

392 The People Living In Darkness Have Seen A Great Light, A Guided Christian Meditation on Matthew 4:14-17 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:

Matthew 4

NIV
14 to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah:
15 “Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,
the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan,
Galilee of the Gentiles—
16 the people living in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of the shadow of death
a light has dawned.”
17 From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”

ESV
so that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:
15 “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,
the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles—
16 the people dwelling in darkness
have seen a great light,
and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death,
on them a light has dawned.”
17 From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Meditation on Scripture:

I always find it inspiring to see Old Testament prophets prophecy of the coming of Christ. This scripture quotes Isaiah 9. This is the same Chapter where Isaiah declares that a virgin will conceive and bear a son. A great light comes from Galilee and gives light to those in darkness. Jesus was from Galilee and through his atonement gives light to all humanity that is trapped in darkness before receiving His light.

It then summarizes the message of Christ as “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” This is something that Jesus encouraged people to do and was a core part of His message. I think if we assume that repentance is a demand for shame, we miss God’s purpose. The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. This is a frequent term in the book of Matthew. It is similar to the idea of the Kingdom of God. It represents living with Christ as our savior and embracing His grace. It also refers to the Church our eternal reward after this life.

I find it extremely reassuring that all these things are connected. Through Jesus light enters the world. May we feel that light as we are surrounded by a world full of darkness.

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:
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Updates:

Final Question: What have you learned from God’s grace? What do you hope to learn from God’s grace?

Final Thought:

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