Another way to have disciplined Bible intake in our lives is to meditate on God’s Word daily. Meditation is both commanded by God and modeled by the Godly in Scripture. For instance, Genesis 24:63 says, “And Isaac went out to meditate in the field in the evening.” Psalm 63:6 says, “I think of thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the watches of the night.” God speaks to people who are willing to listen to Him. The Psalms virtually sing of the meditations of the people of God upon the law of God: “My eyes are awake before the watches of the night, that I may meditate upon thy promise” (Psalm 119:148). Psalm 1 calls all people to emulate the “blessed man” whose “delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law, he meditates day and night” (Psalm 1:2).
Meditation is deep thinking on the truths and spiritual realities revealed in Scripture for the purposes of understanding, application, and prayer. Meditation boldly calls us to enter the living presence of God for ourselves. Richard J. Foster wrote, “The desire to hear God’s voice is a gift of grace. Anyone who imagines he can simply begin meditating without praying for the desire and the grace to do so, will soon give up. But the desire to meditate, and the grace to begin meditating, should be taken as an implicit promise of further graces.”
- Read Joshua 1:8 and see the Promise of Success
- Read Psalm 1:1-3 for God’s Promises to those who meditate on Scripture.
Here are a few suggestions to help you learn to meditate upon Scripture:
- Find a place that is quiet and free from interruption.
- Find a position of posture that is the most comfortable and the least distracting.
- Center the attention of the body, the emotions, the mind, and the spirit upon “the glory of God in the face of Christ” (II Cor. 4:6)
- Select an Appropriate Passage
- Repeat It in Different Ways
- Rewrite It in Your Own Words
- Look for Application of the Text
- Pray Through the Text
- Don’t Rush – Take Your Time!
It is better to read a small amount of Scripture and meditate on it than to read an extensive section without meditation. Read less if necessary, so that you can meditate more.
So then, hearing, reading, studying, memorizing, and meditating on God’s Word helps take in the Bible so that we can grow in godliness.
Blessings, Bill Duke
