Meditate On God’s Word

The word “meditate” means to engage in contemplation or reflection; to focus one’s thoughts on; reflect on or ponder over.”

When someone is deep in thought, they are thinking about something heavily. 

When a college student has an important test coming up, they will (if they want a good grade) study for hours, memorizing everything that they can about the subject. They will turn off all of the noises around them, find a quiet room and study, study, study, until they have memorized everything that they can. You could say that they meditated over the subject. 

“Repitition is a good teacher” is something that I have heard many, many times. The more you do something, usually the better you get at it, whether it is playing an instrument, or learning a new language, or any other thing that requires you to work at it to become better. 

Paul wanted the church to think on whatever things were good. Or “meditate” on them.

“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” Philippians 4:8 

Whatever things were good, Paul wanted them to think on those things. If you are going to surround yourself with dirt, you will be dirty. If you jump in the middle of a pool, you will get wet. He wanted everyone to think about good, lovely, praiseworthy things. When you fill your day thinking on Heavenly things, it will help you to become more and more like Jesus wants us to be. 

Meditation can sometimes be viewed in a negative way because there are many false religions that use meditation to worship their false gods.

But when we meditate on scripture we are thinking deeply about it.

When we sit in a church service or devotionals, we need to meditate on the things that we hear, and let them sink deep inside of us. Just like a plant that needs water. If a plant is wilting because the dirt is dry, you need to soak that ground, until it reaches all the way down to the roots. Not just a sprinkle on the top of the leaves, but a full soaking. 

When you don’t understand a verse or passage in the Bible, it helps to look up the meaning of the words. It also helps to find other verses in that have to do with the same subject and read them as well. The more you read and study God’s word, the better you will begin to understand what is being taught. 

I had certain subjects in school that I liked better than others, and because of this, I still remember today the things that I was interested in, because I studied them, or “meditated” on the subject. I especially liked social studies and history, so I still retain that information many years later. But subjects like English or Geometry I didn’t care for, and I didn’t study them as much as other subjects. Because I didn’t meditate on them, it didn’t sink in deep into my memory, and I don’t remember much of them today.

The things you can learn in school are unimportant compared to what we learn from the Bible. You can sleep through an English class, but we need to pay very close attention to what we learn from God’s word. The more we study it, the more it will “burn” into our brain. The Bible is one thing that you never want to forget, so meditate on it.

“Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.” Hebrews 2:1

What Jesus did for the world on the cross is the greatest gift that He gave for everyone. Because of this, when we partake in Holy Communion, we think about His precious gift. We examine ourselves and ask for forgiveness for any sins and misdeeds that we have done, and thank Him for being a sacrifice for us. Without Jesus, we would all be condemned, so because of this we remember what He has done for the world.

“Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.” 2 Corinthians 4:10

Each morning when you wake up, keep the Lord in your mind. Give thanks to the Lord for everything He has done and everything He has given you. Keep the Holy Scriptures in your mind, and never forget them.

In Christ,

Andrew