Meditate on God’s Word
In this short piece I will share with you what is “meditation” and “how to meditate on God’s Word.”
The Oxford Languages online definition of meditation is to “focus one’s mind for a period of time, in silence.” However because I felt that this definition was a bit too broad I decided to search for a more focused and biblical one.
Meditation according to the KJV Dictionary online is “To dwell on anything in thought, to contemplate, to study, to turn or revolve any subject in the mind.”
https://av1611.com/kjbp/kjv-dictionary/meditate.html
I believe that the more we break down a thought, phrase or word, the better we understand the full meaning of what was said or written. Therefore I went ahead to break down the words “dwell, contemplate, study and revolve” and then these are used to explain how we should meditate on God’s word. All the definitions steamed from the site link noted above.
Dwell – To dwell means “to continue; to be fixed in attention.“
Contemplate – To contemplate means “to think about or to think deeply and at length.”
Study – To study means “to devote time and attention to gaining knowledge of (an academic subject), especially by means of books. It also means to fix the mind closely upon a subject; to muse; to dwell upon in thought.”
Revolve – To revolve means “to consider (something) repeatedly and from different angles.”
When we meditate on God’s Word, what we should really engage in is the following:
Dwell on His Word
This is where we continue to fix our attention on His Word. When we fix our attention on a thing we are not easily distracted by what’s going on around us. Though many things or activities may be occurring but they won’t bother us at all because all of our focus is on just that one thing. It’s the same with meditating on God’s word. When all of our focus is in His Word, the distractions become blurry before our eyes because all we see is Him. Also note the word, “continue”, which means that it is done persistently. Thus we persistently focus all of our attention on God’s Word.
Contemplate on His Word
This is where we think deeply and at length about His Word. This simply means that we don’t just read through a scripture but after reading, linger on that which we read. We pause for a moment to deeply think (form connected ideas) on that particular bible verse or chapter. This will help us better understand and relate to the scripture. I also want to add that when we contemplate on His Word, it’s that point at which we pause, yes, and while thinking deeply really assess each verse which was read. Think about, for example, the possible reasons why “I should wait patiently on the Lord”. Find reasons in scripture, in memory or even from your own personal experience which would support why you should wait and/or not wait (find pros and cons). This really helps and allows us to dive deeply into active thought.
Study His Word
This is where we intentionally devote special time and attention to gaining Biblical knowledge.
When we do this, we set time aside to read, dwell on and contemplate carefully on scripture. We basically do everything noted in the points under “Dwell on His Word and Contemplate on His Word” plus more. During this time we can use the Strong Concordance, a dictionary and the help of the Holy Spirit to give us clarity and understanding. We should also write down or journal important points. We then reflect upon it, carefully analyze it and relate it to our life.
Studying takes us deeper into understanding God’s Word better. It allows us to pay close attention to every single detail. This is where analysis takes place. During this time, which I consider to be a powerful moment, the Holy Spirit communicates with us and takes us way deeper into truth or into releasing/unveiling truth that perhaps we have in the past overlooked. We open up for Him to meet with us and share His heart and mind with us.
This is an amazing moment, one we should not miss out on. It is an important aspect as a follower of Christ. These moments spent with Him during these sessions truly strengthens our faith, trust in Him and understanding of Him.
Revolve His Word
This is where we consider His word repeatedly in our mind from different angles. In order words we take the time to think carefully and repeatedly about the Word of God. We also take His Word and dissect it so that we can have different but accurate interpretations of it from different points of reference. I say this because there may be times when we read a verse once, we receive a revelation from it today, but the following time God ministers this verse to us it may be from a different perspective. We must understand that God is vast, hence His word which stated “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9 kjv. We must be open to receive His different perspective of His Word every time He shares it. Remember it’s His Word, and since this Word is directly from Him, He is the Real Source and thus He would have the true interpretation of it. It’s copyright to Him.
We are also encouraged to think about things that are true, noble/honest, right, pure, lovely, and things that are of good report. If that thing is excellent and worthy of praise, these are the things we should center our thoughts on. They should also be implanted into our heart because they are excellent sources which help us live in alignment with Christ.
When we focus our thoughts/mind on God’s Word, we are setting our life up for success. His Word would then be reflected in our entire life here on earth. We will walk in the way of the Lord and this will grant us favour before God and man.
I hope these simple points encourage you to truly take some time daily or weekly to meditate on His Word. He has so much Rich Wisdom and Knowledge He desires to impart to you and He can’t wait to give you the Understanding for them. Remember, Abide in Him only, He is the True Vine and He is longing for you to enjoy an Abundant Life in Him.
Shalom.
