Skip to main content

Seven Bible Disciplines: Meditating on the Word by Pastor Charlie Handren

By Anonymous
     Despite all his sinfulness and brokenness, King David loved the Lord and his Word with all his heart. This is, in part, why he wrote Psalm 119 and expressed himself with words like these: “In the way of your testimonies I delight as much as in all riches. I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways. I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word…I will lift up my hands toward your commandments, which I love, and I will meditate on your statutes…Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day” (Psalm 119:14,16, 48, 97).
     Do you hear his heart? David meditated on the Word because he delighted in the Word, and he delighted in the Word because he delighted in God himself. One of the ways we display the value of a person is by listening to their words, and the closer we listen the more value we display. So, again, definitions and techniques aside, meditation on the Word of God is a fruit of our delight in and valuing of God. 
     To study the Bible is to seek a greater understanding of what God has said and done. To meditate on the Bible is to seek greater insight into the meaning and applications of what he’s said and done. In fact, the primary Hebrew word for meditation means “to speak under one’s breath, or to converse with oneself.” Have you ever been thinking so deeply about something that you’ve caught yourself talking out loud, or worse yet, been caught by someone else? If so, then you understand meditation. To study is to understand, and to meditate is to be captivated. This is why David wrote, “Make me understand the way of your precepts, and I will meditate on your wondrous works” (Psalm 119:27). In other words, he’s saying, “Grant me knowledge that I may delight in you.”
     As we learn to meditate on the Word, we grow in love for God. “I will praise you with an upright heart, when I learn your righteous rules…Your statutes have been my songs in the house of my sojourning…The Lord is my portion” (119:7, 54, 57). Indeed, biblical meditation is the fuel of true worship.
     As we learn to meditate on the Word, we grow in the knowledge of the will and ways of God. As David noted, “I have more understanding than all my teachers, for your testimonies are my meditation” (Psalm 119:99). The same was true of Jesus when he was young (Luke 2:47) and of Peter and John after the Day of Pentecost (Acts 4:13). True knowledge before God is a fruit of meditation on the Word of God.
     As we learn to meditate on the Word, we grow in the ability to endure life’s many trials. David wrote, “Even though princes sit plotting against me, your servant will meditate on your statutes…Let the insolent be put to shame, because they have wronged me with falsehood; as for me, I will meditate on your precepts” (119:23, 78).
     Beloved, meditation on the Word is a discipline that bears many kinds of fruit, so hear David’s heart, hear your Father’s voice drawing you toward his Word, and join David in the commitment to savor the Word each day. “My eyes are awake before the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promise” (119:148).

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Worship Songs, October 15, 2017

By
We post these worship songs leading up to the worship service so that parents may listen to them in the house or in the car within the days leading up to the worship service. Our hope is that children will hear the songs prior to and it will prepare them to participate in worship on Sunday mornings. My Redeemers Love Hope Has Come I Will Glory In My Redeemer Blessed Be Your Name Here In Your Presence Your Glory Be Still My Soul (In You I Rest) -- Sermon Text: John 11:1-16 That the next generation will set their hope in God and not forget the works of God (Psalm 78:7).
Post a Comment
Read more

God Displays His Beauty While Lifting Heavy Burdens by Pastor Kevin

By
I know I am a little bit overweight. My doctor tells me so. The mirror that I look into affirms it and the scale (that I mostly avoid) reminds me every time I step on it. All of that makes what I am about to say so much more impressive. I had the privilege of sitting on the beaches of Florida's Atlantic coast for 8 days on our most recent family trip. For me there is something magical about the beach, especially on the Atlantic side with the waves washing up against the shoreline. We have been lucky enough to find a sleepy beach town to vacation at. A nook, if you will, that typically features retired folks or families with kids. Out of the way of those who want to party, the beach is truly a relaxing place for me.  Let me tell you something that I gleaned this time around that never quite landed on me. This last week it landed on me, almost literally. My son Ben and I are the more adventurous specimens in the Feder five. We actually get into the salty water where there are jelly f...
2 comments
Read more

We Will Feast in the House of Zion by Patience Griswold

By Anonymous
No one ever plans to have their lives upended. We know that the world is broken and bound in futility, we know that everything can change in an instant, and yet crises still have the ability to shake us to our core. None of us entered 2020 planning to experience a global pandemic this year, but here we are, practicing social distancing, wondering how the virus will affect us and our families, and wondering when we will be able to return to our regular rhythms and routines as what can feel a little like the world falling apart around us.  In the midst of social distancing, I miss my church family. I miss my Bible study, the kids in my Sunday school class, the ability to meet people for coffee, and I know that I am not alone in this. It is not wrong to grieve the temporary loss of these things. In fact, we ought to grieve, even as we seek to live joyfully and find satisfaction in Christ in the midst of difficult circumstances. If we feel no grief whatsoever over the loss of some...
1 comment
Read more