Dwelling in the Word

Psalm 119:41-48

Verse 48  I reach out for Your commands, which I love, that I may meditate on Your decrees.

    Yesterday we were talking about adjusting our focus and today we are going to be looking at how meditating on His Word helps us keep His Word in focus.

    Meditation is something that is often shied away from in some Christian circles due to its links to eastern religion.  The truth of the matter is that meditation is something that was not strange to the people of God.  In fact, God told Joshua, “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.” (Joshua 1:8)  God hasn’t changed His mind.

    Meditation is defined as the act of thinking deeply or carefully about something.  The brain is a marvelous thing and part of the way it works is that the more something is thought about the deeper the groove of the topic is made.  That is why when we dwell on the bad things in our lives we get depressed and seem to only think about that event.  To grow deeper in our relationship with God and to abide in Him we need to make Him our focus.

    Meditating on the Word isn’t something that comes natural to us.  It has to be a choice and we need to make it a habit in our lives.  Not for the sake of the habit, but because of our love of Him and His Word.

    To begin this discipline of meditating we need to understand that it is more than just reading the words on the page.  It is being intentional about wanting to look into the meaning of what we are reading and what it should mean to us.  It is about seeking what God is wanting to say to us and thinking about how He wants us to apply it to our lives.  To meditate on the Word of God helps us work over and over in our minds the truths of the Scriptures.  Just as when eating we don’t swallow our food whole, this chewing on the Word, so to speak, makes it easier for us to swallow and digest.  It then can seep into our hearts and souls to transform us into the people that God calls us to be.

Making It Personal

    How often do you take the time and energy to meditate on Scripture?  What has kept you from meditating on the Word?  What step are you taking today to start meditating on His Word?

Making It Personal Kids

    Do you have anything that you think about a lot?  Have you ever thought about something in the Bible over and over?  What can you learn by thinking about the Bible?

Closing Prayer

    Father, thank You for giving us a brain that helps us deepen our relationship with You.  Give us a longing for time spent meditating on You and the Word.  In Jesus’ name, amen.