Meditating on the Word
I recently subscribed to Apple Fitness, and, since I often have trouble sleeping through the night, I occasionally do a meditation exercise through the app before going to sleep. The meditations are helpful in slowing down my heartrate and clearing my mind as I wind down.
As helpful as those meditations are, they’re nothing more than a gentle voice leading me through some slow breathing and visualization. Godly people, however, have often meditated to fill the mind instead of emptying it.
- “Even though princes sit plotting against me, your servant will meditate on your statutes” (Ps 119:23).
- “Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day” (Ps 119:97).
- “On the glorious splendor of your majesty, and on your wondrous works, I will meditate” (Ps 145:5).
There’s no New Testament command to meditate, but if we meditate the way of psalmists did, viz., contemplate the Word of God, our faith will grow. How can you make the law of the Lord your “meditation all the day?”
You must know Scripture.
If you are to contemplate the truth of God, you must know the truth of God—you can’t consider what you do not know. For you to meditate on the will of God, you must know Scripture.
You should be specific.
I would encourage you to read a passage of Scripture before you meditate on it. Instead of attempting to pause to think about the entirety of Scripture, read a specific text prior to your meditation.
You need to be in a quiet place without interruptions.
It won’t do you much good to contemplate the truth of God’s will if you’re constantly being interrupted with the TV or family or your cell phone or your pet or anything else. Find a place and a time that you can spend ample time thinking about the truthfulness of God’s word.
You need to consider how the passage(s) apply to you.
I’m not a fan of folks discussing what a Bible verse means to them—the passage means what it means regardless of who you are or what you think or what you feel. However, truths apply to us somewhat differently—we’re at different stages in life, we have different struggles, and we’re at different levels of Christian maturity.
- What in that text speaks to the way you need to respond to God in your unique context?
- What, according to that text, do you need to do differently—what sins need to be remove and what graces need to be added?
- What did you learn from the text you didn’t know before?
I believe if we carefully consider the truth of God, we’ll be blessed. May our meditation lead to more love and obedience!
This article was originally written by Dr. Justin Imel, Sr., for the weekly newsletter at Church of Christ Deer Park in Deer Park, Texas.