PSALM 119:97 – “Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day.”
THEME OF THE DAY: MEDITATING UPON GOD’S WORD. God gave us two great gifts. In fact, the greatest gifts that we may ever receive. The first is His Son, the Lord Jesus, and this act of giving is captured beautifully in the one verse that gives the message of the entire Bible – “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). The other is our Bibles; His inspired and inerrant Word – “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16). How much we value God’s first gift, His Son, is determined and revealed by our attitudes and actions with His second gift of His Word. One of the early church fathers, Jerome, rightly said, “To neglect the scriptures is to neglect Christ.” But our approach to the scriptures matters and in today’s scripture a discipline toward the Word of God is stated. And it is often neglected because we find it difficult – meditation on scripture.
The 17th century puritan pastor, Thomas Watson, defined meditation with these words – “Meditation is a holy exercise of the mind whereby we bring the truths of God to remembrance, and do seriously ponder upon them and apply them to ourselves. Meditation is the soul’s retiring of itself so that, by a serious and solemn thinking upon God, the heart may be raised to heavenly affections.”
When it comes to meditation, there are three goals. First, we meditate upon God’s Word to transform our minds – “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:1-2). The agent of transformation is God’s Word, and always remember, there are two forces seeking to transform our minds – the world and God’s Word. The one getting the most of our time and thinking will transform our lives. As we think, so we live.
Another goal in meditating upon scripture is to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus – “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen” (2 Peter 3:18). This is about deepening our relationship with Him. And to do this, we need time – unhurried time – to meditate upon Christ as revealed in the scriptures.
A third goal in meditation is the development of a spiritual mind that causes us to interpret and live life from a heavenly perspective – “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory” (Colossians 3:1-4). This is the only way not to give into fear and unbelief as we watch our world unravel around us.
God’s Word. Pray to love it and then commit to meditate upon it so as to transform our minds, meet Christ, and learn lo live life from heaven down.
PRAYER: Father, help me to so value Your Word that I find myself meditating often upon its truths.
REFLECTION: Meditation on scripture provides a “full meal” for the soul versus fast reading which serves only as a snack.