Why Should I Meditate On The Bible

By: Jenifer Metzger

med·i·tate
/ˈmedəˌtāt/
verb
• think deeply or focus one's mind for a period of time

We all meditate on something. We spend our day thinking deeply or focusing on something. Sometimes it's the chaos of the world, sometimes it is our finances, sometimes it's the fight we had with our husband, our kids, our work, our health, a neighbor, a friend, our church, there are so many different things that cause us to think deeply or command our focus. We wake up with this thing on our mind, we think about it many times throughout the day, and we fall asleep still thinking about it.

What if we took that energy, that time, and instead meditated on the Bible?

How happy is the one who does not

walk in the advice of the wicked

or stand in the pathway with sinners

or sit in the company of mockers!

Instead, his delight is in the Lord’s instruction,

and he meditates on it day and night.

He is like a tree planted beside flowing streams

that bears its fruit in its season

and whose leaf does not wither.

Whatever he does prospers.

Psalm 1

Psalm 1 tells us to meditate on the Lord's instruction day and night. It goes on to say that when we do, we are like a tree planted by water and bearing fruit. It even says we will prosper.

When we shift our thoughts, our time, and our energy and meditate on the Word of God, we learn the heart of God, we learn to hear His voice, we learn what pleases Him, we learn what He wants for us, and we learn to be thankful. We become a tree bearing fruit!

So how do we meditate on the Bible?

Have a regular time to study the Bible each day. Be intentional and set aside time each day to read and study the Bible. Take smaller sections, like one chapter or even a few verses, and really dig into them. Use the cross reference tools your Bible may have. I highly suggest a study or commentary Bible. These Bibles give great insight to help you understand why a word may have been used, or what the culture was at that time, things like that. It really helps you to understand the Word. Purposely use this time to dig into the Bible and study.

Read throughout the day. Instead of shutting your Bible and putting it away after you study, leave it out and open. As you go about your day, your eyes and heart will be drawn to it. You can read one verse as you walk by or read another verse if you start feeling stressed or read some verses before bed. These little bits of God's Word throughout the day make a huge impact.

Pray before and after reading. When you sit down to read the Bible, be sure to pray before asking God to open your eyes to what He wants you to see. When you are done reading, pray again asking God to help you know how to apply it to your life. Another important thing is to pray the words you are reading.

Consider journaling. Journaling can be done so many ways. You can write out verses, you can write out prayers, you can draw, color, or paint, there are so many options! The point of journaling is to slow you down and help you chew on what you read.

Instead of scrolling social media, read. We spend countless hours each day scrolling mindlessly through social media. When we are bored, we scroll. When we are waiting, we scroll. We even scroll while we are doing other things, hello multi-tasking! How about instead of scrolling through just to see what is going on in the world, we open the Bible and read a few verses. Instead of getting upset about some drama we see on Facebook, or discontent with what we have from an Instagram post, or angry about political posts, we will be uplifted and closer to God.

Remember, when we meditate on the Bible, we are getting closer to the heart of God. Who doesn't want that? Let's be women who meditate day and night on our Father's Words.

It's time for Share A Link Wednesday! Each Wednesday we invite you to leave a link to your latest blog post in the comments. We still desire to connect women of God with one another and encourage each other in Christ. So grab a cup of coffee or glass of sweet tea, sit back and visit a few blogs. Be encouraged and share your own stories.