Dwelling on Our God
By meditation, we mean the intentional act of dwelling on God and his works, purposes, and gifts through the revelation of his word (special revelation) or the revelation of his world (general revelation).
Biblical vs. New Age Meditation
Biblical meditation is simply a practice that supports and encourages the digestion of God’s word. In the Old Testament, the word meditation is used in two different but complementary ways. It can communicate repeated muttering (memorization) or the idea of deep saturation. Meditation for the biblical authors involved both repetition and complete absorption of Scripture.
This contrasts Eastern and/or New Age forms of meditation that intend the object of meditation to be one’s inner reality. By design, these meditative practices are inwardly focused. The Bible’s use of meditation stands in complete opposition to this goal.
The object of biblical meditation is not to encounter God by looking within oneself. It is to encounter God by looking outside of self toward his revelation, particularly in the Scriptures.
The passage below describes the characteristics and fruits of a person who meditates on the Bible:
This contrasts Eastern and/or New Age forms of meditation that intend the object of meditation to be one’s inner reality. By design, these meditative practices are inwardly focused. The Bible’s use of meditation stands in complete opposition to this goal.
The object of biblical meditation is not to encounter God by looking within oneself. It is to encounter God by looking outside of self toward his revelation, particularly in the Scriptures.
The passage below describes the characteristics and fruits of a person who meditates on the Bible:
"Blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
but his delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
He is like a tree
planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.
The wicked are not so,
but are like chaff that the wind drives away."
Psalm 1:1-4
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
but his delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
He is like a tree
planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.
The wicked are not so,
but are like chaff that the wind drives away."
Psalm 1:1-4
The Purposes of Biblical Meditation
Christian meditation is not just rote memorization and the gathering of facts. It is contemplative worship of the triune God: “On the glorious splendor of your majesty, and on your wondrous works, I will meditate” (Psalm 145:5). But what does meditation look like?
First, it slows us down. It takes time to “let the word of Christ dwell in you richly” (Colossians 3:16). We must read God’s word and reflect on it. One author puts it this way: “The bee sucks the flower, and then works it into the hive, and so turns it into honey; by reading we suck the flower of the word, by meditation we work it into the hive of our mind, and so it turns to profit.”
Second, biblical meditation is an exercise in patient silence. We learn what David felt: “For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him” (Psalm 62:5). We practice godly patience in meditation by waiting on the Lord to penetrate our hearts with the Scripture in our heads.
It is helpful to think of meditation as a part of a “devotional triangle” alongside reading and prayer. As one Puritan author, Richard Greenham warned, “To read and not to meditate is unfruitful, to meditate and not to read is dangerous for errors, to meditate or to read without prayer is hurtful.”
It is helpful to think of meditation as a part of a “devotional triangle” alongside reading and prayer. As one Puritan author, Richard Greenham warned, “To read and not to meditate is unfruitful, to meditate and not to read is dangerous for errors, to meditate or to read without prayer is hurtful.”
Application:
Practically, these five steps are a good summary of what it means to biblically meditate on God’s word: to focus, to understand, to remember, to worship, and to apply. If you need ideas, try out an extended period of meditation this month:
- Take thirty minutes in an isolated place, away from devices, and pick a passage of Scripture as your focus
- Spend the first few minutes in silence and prayer asking God to make his word dwell richly in you
- Read the passage slowly, stopping to ponder and explore each phrase
- Read it at least three times including reading it out loud slowly
- Write the passage out on paper
- After chewing on it, write down any reflections that come to mind
- With reflections recorded, use the passage as prayer by praying the insights you have found
- Lastly, pick at least one verse from the passage to memorize and repeat under your breath throughout the day
However you can engage in memorization and absorption of the text is the goal. J.I. Packer’s definition of meditation should inspire all of us to step into godly meditation this month:
"Meditation is the activity of calling to mind, and thinking over, and dwelling on, and applying to oneself, the various things that one knows about the works and ways and purposes and promises of God…It is an activity of holy thought, consciously performed in the presence of God, under the eye of God, by the help of God, as a means of communion with God."
- J.I. Packer
- J.I. Packer
Resources:
- 5 Steps to Meditating on Your Bible (article)
- When My Heart is Cold (article)
- Meditate On and Mutter God's Word (article)