Meditating on God’s Word

Joshua 1:8 ESV

So, when you think of meditation, what comes to mind?Well, the best definition I can give you comes from Bible scholar and professor Donald Whitney, who explained it this way, “Meditation is deep thinking on the truths and spiritual realities revealed in Scripture for the purposes of understanding, application, and prayer.”

Meditation is one of the most effective means of growing in God’s grace, of understanding His purposes and plans on a deeper level, and walking in His power and peace in game-changing ways. That’s why Joshua 1:8 (NIV, emphasis added) tells us, “Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.”

I truly believe Biblical meditation is the apex of our ability to receive and internalize God’s Word. It also happens to be one of the most misunderstood, underrated, and underutilized disciplines of the Christian life in the church today.

So, how do we do this? What does it look like? Well, as you study the Bible, as you come across a section or passage that you feel drawn towards, that you feel deeply moved by or inspired by, find some time to sit with it, to think deeply on it, to linger over it, to let it marinate in your mind and ignite your heart, and then pray over what the Lord has revealed to you. And as you do, you’ll be living out Colossians 3:16, allowing “the Word of Christ to dwell richly in you.”