The Secret of Meditating

“This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good suc- cess” (Joshua 1:8).

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hat does it mean to meditate in God’s word? It means to slow way down the reading pace, and to contem- plate every word and phrase, looking for deeper and

fuller meanings. It’s through meditation that we unlock the hid- den riches of God’s word. God’s word is like a mountain range with vast pockets of jewels and veins of gold. The secret place is our time to dig. We uncover various layers of rich understanding as we go deeper and deeper, pondering each word, and turning the phrases over and over. I always assume that every verse has more significance to it than I have yet discovered. Meditation is the art of digging out the most that we can from each and every word.

The written word of God is revealed by the Living Word, through the power of the Holy Spirit. “From His mouth come knowledge and understanding” (Proverbs 2:6). The source of illu- mination is God’s mouth. He must speak to us. So as we meditate

The Secret of Meditating

in His word, we get in the Spirit and then cry from our hearts, “Lord, talk to me! ” We realize that without His help we will never unlock the riches of His magnificent word.

Each word of Scripture can sustain the intensity of careful questioning. This focused intensity is seen in Psalm 77:6, “I meditate within my heart, and my spirit makes diligent search.” As we meditate in the word, our spirit is diligently searching for fresh insights.

There is so much more depth to Scripture than what readily meets the eye at the first reading. Some truths will never be found until you take the time to sit and stare at the text, carefully con- sidering its contents and implications. Apparent contradictions sometimes contain the greatest truths. Some portions have much more than just one application. They actually contain layers of truth that are uncovered almost like the peeling of an onion.

One of the best ways to meditate in God’s word is by asking questions of the text. Some of the most commonly asked questions are: Who is the writer, and to whom is he speaking? What does the verse say, and why? What does it mean? Does the verse contain a spiritual principle? How does this truth apply to my life?

In time, you will develop your own personal way of asking questions of the text. One of the most important questions I’ve come to ask of a verse is: “Why did the Holy Spirit ordain that it be worded this way?” I question why it says it the way it does, why certain phrases were used, and why other words weren’t used. When a sentence or phrase appears to make no apparent contribu- tion to the passage, I will gaze upon it to consider why the Holy Spirit included it. When a verse seems to be purposely oblique or mysterious, my curiosity gets aroused. When a verse appears to be blatantly obvious, I become suspicious that there may be depths of truth therein that I could all too easily overlook.

Here are some other ways to ask questions as you meditate.

• Context:

A phrase or verse is almost always understood better by looking carefully at the verses that precede and follow it. How do the previous verses set a backdrop for this verse?

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How do the verses following bring clarity and fuller un- derstanding?

• Word meanings:

Some of the words in the original Bible languages of Hebrew and Greek carry more than one possible mean- ing. What various shades of meaning do the significant words in this verse contain? Will other Bible translations provide alternate meanings? Will Bible reference mate- rials such as a Bible Dictionary or Lexicon give further insight?

• Cross-references:

A Concordance is extremely helpful during times of meditation to consider other verses that contain the same words, phrases, or concepts of the text at hand. Some Bibles are “Reference Editions” with cross-references appearing in vertical columns or footnotes. Where else does this word occur in the Bible, and how does that other verse bring illumination to our text?

• Repetition:

What words deserve extra contemplation because of their recurrence? Can I discover truths the Scriptures may be highlighting by looking for repeated words or concepts?

• Symbolism:

What word pictures are being used? What do the word pictures represent? Are any of the symbols present in the text representative of deeper spiritual realities?

The one who meditates in God’s word will slowly transform the inner well from which his soul draws. Jesus said, “‘A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks’” (Luke 6:45). Because of our sinfulness, all of us have deposits of “evil treasure” within us. But by meditating in the word, we are depositing “good treasure” within our inner being. The only way to internalize good treasure is by squirreling it away diligently in the secret place of

The Secret of Meditating

meditation. Good does displace evil. The deposit of goodness we have absorbed will be evidenced through new patterns of speech and conduct. In a word, we’ll be more Christlike.

Once you come alive to the delight of meditating in God’s word, you’ll become addicted. The secret place will become your favorite place, even more so in some regards than the congrega- tion of saints, because it’s the place where Jesus feeds you person- ally. In church, you receive insights that have been processed first through another human channel. The sweetest morsels, however, are those which Jesus gives directly to your own heart. When the Holy Spirit custom-fits the word to your life circumstances, the sustaining power of His personalized word has the ability to carry you through great tribulation. This is the true fountain of life!

Proverbs 16:26 describes the process whereby the Lord will get you addicted to His word: “The person who labors, labors for himself, for his hungry mouth drives him on.” The Lord starts by feeding you with His word. His word will satiate your appetite like nothing else. But it also kindles an incredible hunger for more. Once you’ve tasted of how sweet the Lord is, you’re ruined for life. You’ve got to have more! So you will do anything now to receive the words of His mouth. Your hunger skyrockets, and you know there’s only one thing that will satisfy. You are driven to the place of meditation by your own hunger. Being with Jesus in the secret place, gazing upon Him in the word, becomes your all-time favorite occupation in life.

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—medi- tate on these things (Philippians 4:8).

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