In my years as a Christ-follower I've always done well to keep up the habit of daily Bible reading, however in my season of motherhood with young children, meditation has not come so easily. I've found myself easily checking off the box and moving on to the next "to do", forgetting entirely what I just read. In the Bible, Joshua 1:8 tells us to, "Keep this Book of 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."
That truly is the cry of my heart, I want the Word of God to be a true reflection of who I am as a child of God, as a wife, as a mother and as a friend. I'm realizing though, I have to make margin in my life and not get so caught up in "busyness" that I forget what this life is all about - it's all about bringing Glory to His name. I need to slow down and take time to reflect on His Word.
Sometimes people say, "I need to chew on that," meaning, "I need to think about that for a while." When we meditate on Scripture, we're taking time to think about it and "chew on it." If we ate our food without chewing it, we'd hardly be able to taste it. The more we chew, the more we enjoy the taste and gain strength. It's the same with God's Word. When we take time to think about what it means and how we can use it in our lives, we benefit much more than if we just read it and never think about it again. Romans 12:2 says that we change our lives by renewing our mind, or changing the way we think about things. We can learn to think like God by meditating on His Word.
As I mentioned in my post on day 2, we are fasting TV and this is definitely helping me make margin/space to meditate on God's Word.
Here's an excerpt on meditation that is not original but I thought was really good:
I’ve noticed a pattern.
There is a direct correlation between understanding of scripture and time spent meditating on scripture.
More time in meditation generally leads to deeper understanding.
The fact itself is not a surprise, but the magnitude of its effects is.
“Continued meditation brings great profit to the soul. Passant and transient thoughts are more pleasant, but not so profitable. Deliberate meditation is of most use because it secures the return of the thoughts.” —Thomas Manton
But the benefit of deeper understanding is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. It, no doubt, is an aid to continual communion with God.
Fifteen reasons why you should foster intentional meditation:
1. It engages an otherwise slothful, shallow-skimming mind to probe for deeper truth
2. It fills you with mind-renewing, life-transforming truth (Romans 12:2, John 17:17)
3. It fills the heart with life-giving words to flow from the mouth (Luke 6:45)
4. It contributes to a life of obedience (Joshua 1:8)
5. It is a sign of the tree planted by water (Psalm 1:2-3)
6. It feeds the soul (Psalm 63:5-6)
7. It fuels heartfelt praise (Psalm 63:5-6, Psalm 145:4-7)
8. It fixes your eyes on the ways of God (Psalm 119:15)
9. It keeps you from meditating on circumstances (Psalm 119:23)
10. It’s the secret to standing and speaking before kings unashamed (Psalm 119:46-48)
11. It prevents useless replaying of wrongs committed against you (Psalm 119:78)
12. It gives you more understanding than your teachers (Psalm 119:99)
13. It’s better than counting sheep late at night (Psalm 63:6, Psalm 119:148)
14. It leads to wise speech (Psalm 49:3-4)
15. It pleases the Lord (Psalm 104:34, Psalm 19:14)
Why do you meditate on the Word?
Thank God for the power of His Word. Ask Him to help you stay focused on His Word throughout the day so you can become more like Jesus.
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