Preface

 
 
In  March  2010,  my  beautiful  wife,  Blythe,  and  I  went  on  holiday  to  the  Drakensberg.  On  our  way  back,  
we  listened  to  a  number  of  sermons,  one  of  which  really  stood  out  and  transformed  my  walk  with  the  
Lord.  It  was  by  Andy  Davis,  and  he  labelled  the  talk,  ‘Cultivating  Biblical  Meditation  and  Prayer’.  Aside  
from  possessing  an  intriguing  title,  it  went  a  long  way  to  redeeming  the  current  cultural  milieu  of  ‘new  
age’   connotations   associated   with   the   word   ‘meditation’.   Contrary   to   the   Buddhist   notion,   Biblical  
meditation   invites   the   Christian   to   think   about   the   depth   of   truth   contained   in   the   word.   Ephesians  
carries  this  beautiful  phrase  that  the  truth  is  in  Jesus.  This  is  radically  different  to  emptying  one’s  mind.  
That  the  truth  actually  exists  in  the   form  of  a  person  –  fully  God  and  fully  man  –  who  really  did  live,  who  
really   did   die,   and   who   really   did   rise   again,   is   too   wonderful   a   thought   for   man   to   behold.   Yet   behold   it  
we   must,   for   our   sustenance   and   growth   in   maturity   depend   on   it.   Amongst   other   things,   then,   Andy  
Davis   exhorted   his   listeners   to   get   up   early   each   day   and   commit   to   memorising   Scripture.   There   are  
many  things  we  do  every  day  which  could  well  be  considered  a  waste  of  time.  Time  spent  in  memorising  
Scripture  could  never  be  so  described.  We  pray  often  for  the  word  of  God  to  dwell  richly  in  our  hearts  
through  faith  –  the  corollary  to  that  prayer  is  to  get  up  and  commit  this  living  Word  to  living  memory.  
This  task  is  not  easily  undertaken,  and  the  desire  cannot  be  conjured  up  by  human  will  –  it  is  a  work  of  
the   Spirit.   When   the   desire   wanes,   we   have   to   cry   out   to   the   Lord,   that   it   may   be   in   our   hearts   as   in   the  
Psalmist’s,  who  declares:  ‘my  heart  and  flesh  cry  out  for  you  the  living  God!’    
 
This   book   is   the   fruit,   then,   of   the   year   that   it   has   taken   me   to   commit   Paul’s   epistle   to   the   Ephesians   to  
memory.   The   meditation   has   only   just   begun,   really,   for   one   soon   realises   that   there   is   no   end   to  
unpacking   the   manifold   wisdom   of   God,   to   even   coming   near   to   grasping   the   love   that   surpasses  
knowledge,   the   mystery   of   the   gospel   that   was   hidden   for   ages   in   God.   It   is   like   an   asymptote   –   a  
mathematical  situation  where  the  graph’s  line  can  approach  but  never  quite  touch  the  axis.  The  analogy  
falls   short,   however,   in   the   knowledge   that   the   Christian   has   boldness   and   access   to   the   throne   of   grace  
with  confidence.  But  even  there,  the  incommunicable  attributes  of  God  remain  so.  My  prayer  is  that  as  
you   plough   through   the   following   pages,   your   heart   would   be   radically   transformed   by   the   glorious  
radiance   of   Christ,   whose   light   shines   on   those   who   have   repented   of   sin   and   put   their   faith   in   Jesus  
Christ  as  Saviour  and  Lord.  Pray  for  the  Word  to  operate  in  your  own  heart  as  the  double-­‐edged  sword  
that   it   is   (Hebrews   4),   to   pierce   through   joint   and   marrow,   to   infiltrate   especially   the   murky   places  
where  Jesus  Christ  may  be  professed  Lord  but  in  reality  relegated  to  servant.  As  the  Word  shines,  may  it  
burn  away  our  idolatrous  predispositions,  that  we  may  truly  love  the  Lord  our  God  with  all  of  our  hearts,  
minds,  strength  and  souls.    
 
I  have  used  the  English  Standard  Version  (ESV)  of  the  Bible.