“Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.” (Joshua 1:8 NLT)
Would you like to prosper and succeed in all you do? What’s it worth to you?
The word translated “Meditate” in the verse above can also mean: “to roar, growl, groan, muse, imagine.” It’s a word used often in the Psalms, but only once in the writings of Paul.
In 1 Timothy 4:14-16 Paul writes to young Timothy: “Do not neglect the spiritual gift you received through the prophecy spoken over you when the elders of the church laid their hands on you. Give your complete attention to these matters. Throw yourself into your tasks so that everyone will see your progress. Keep a close watch on how you live and on your teaching. Stay true to what is right for the sake of your own salvation and the salvation of those who hear you.”
Why is meditation on the Scriptures so vitally important? Largely because what we think about comes about! If we casually read the Bible or only entrust to our memory what others say about the Bible, we’re not only hurting ourselves and stunting our own spiritual growth, but the spiritual growth of those over whom we have influence.
To teach a class or even another person what I’ve dug out of a commentary or heard in a sermon is to violate the instruction of Scripture. To meditate is to personally wrestle with the meaning of a word, text, or passage until the Lord reveals its meaning.
Have you ever prayed so passionately that your words got entangled with the groanings of your soul? Have you ever pondered a verse or passage until your mind took you to a place you couldn’t have previously imagined? You gained insight you’d never had before?
Listen to Rick Warren’s explanation of meditation: “Here’s how it works: Cows eat the grass, chew it up, and send it to their stomachs pretty quickly. There it lies in the stomach, soaking up all of those acids and chemicals. Then, after a while, the cow burps it back up with a new and renewed flavor, chews on that grass and some other grass, and then does the whole process over again. Cows repeat this several times. They get every ounce of nutrition out of the grass.
Biblical meditation is kind of like that; it’s thought digestion. God wants you to get every ounce of spiritual nutrition out of his Word. He wants you to chew on it, digest it, and then chew on it some more. Give it a try today. Don’t just read God’s Word, but take time to chew on it—to meditate.”
The prosperity and success of which Joshua speaks in the verse above doesn’t have reference to the trinkets of this world, but the gems of wisdom and insight that can only be gained by those who pay the price to “chew” on God’s Word until the meaning and application become clearly defined in our heart and mind.
That’s so important because as believers we’re to base our lives on God’s Word, so to misunderstand or misinterpret what it says is to risk, not only going in a wrong direction in our own lives, but leading others down that same wrong path.
Meditation is our lifeline to spiritual maturity, thus maximizing our giftedness to the benefit of others and to the glory of God.
Food for thought.
Blessings, Ed 😊
Walking With Jesus 