Scripture meditation is a vital Christian discipline. Learn how and why to meditate upon the Scriptures. God will bless your life beyond measure as you practice meditation in the Bible. Learn four reasons to practice Christian meditation.

In this article, we discuss the importance of meditation in the life of the believer. Do you meditate? How much time do you spend each day thinking about God and His Word?

Stop the chaos in your mind and focus on the things of God. Put God’s truths on a Merry-Go-Round in your mind and enjoy thinking about them.  Click To Tweet

Life moves quickly. People are so busy today that it’s hard to catch your breath. Busyness is the enemy of meditation.

Determine to make intentional meditation a regular part of your life.

WHAT IS MEDITATION?

Biblical meditation is not Transcendental Meditation taught in false religions and New Age Spiritism.

Transcendental Meditation (TM) refers to a specific form of silent, mantra meditation and to the organizations that constitute the Transcendental Meditation movement.[1][2] Maharishi Mahesh Yogi created and introduced the TM technique and TM movement in India in the mid-1950s.

The meditation practice involves the use of a silently-used mantra for 15–20 minutes twice per day while sitting with the eyes closed.

Wikipedia

According to Webster’s 1828 Dictionary, Meditate means “To dwell on any thing in thought; to contemplate; to study; to turn or revolve any subject in the mind; appropriately but not exclusively used of pious contemplation, or a consideration of the great truths of religion.”

Biblical meditation is the application of the mind to a specific thought and looking at it from all angles seeking the fullness on understanding on the matter. 

I grew up in a rural area in Southern Indiana where there were most cow pastures and corn fields. My preacher, Robert Ross, likened meditation to a cow chewing its cud. Cows have four compartments in their stomach. Cows spend up to eight hours a day chewing their cud. What is cud?  Here is some interesting info cattle-empire.net.

When a cow first takes a bite, it chews just enough to moisten the food. Once swallowed, the food goes into the first section, the rumen, where it mixes with other acidic digestive liquids and is softened. Softened food is called cud, small balls of food.

Next, the rumen muscles send the cud back up to the cow’s mouth, where it is re-chewed and swallowed again, this time going to the Omasum section of the stomach in order to squeeze out all of the moisture.

Finally, the food enters the last part, Abomasum of the stomach where it mixes with digestive juices and makes its way to the intestine to be completely digested.

Cud chewing is often used as an indicator of a healthy and comfortable herd. A happy, healthy animal will produce more milk or have a higher production of muscle.

Animals who do not chew their cud properly may be scared or have digestive issues such as twisted stomachs or a displaced abomasum, their fourth section of the stomach. Feeding high-quality forages will help to ensure the cows are digesting and chewing their cud properly.

Animals who chew the cud are called “ruminant animals.” Other examples of ruminant animals include deer, camels, buffalo, goats, sheep, and giraffes. The word “ruminate” is a synonym for meditation. These animals are a living example of meditation.

People who practice Scriptural meditation are more healthy spiritually, mentally, and emotionally than those who don’t meditate.   Click To Tweet

1. MEDITATION IS COMMANDED BY GOD

Three times in the Bible, God commands us to meditate.

Joshua 1:8 

This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

God commands us to meditate on His Word.

Psalm 1 explains that a separated, humble man who delights in the LORD and meditates upon His law will be supremely blessed.

Psalm 1:1–2 

Blessed is the man

That walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly,

Nor standeth in the way of sinners,

Nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

But his delight is in the law of the Lord;

And in his law doth he meditate day and night.

In I Timothy 4:15, the Apostle Paul commanded young Timothy to meditate on his teaching.

1 Timothy 4:15 

Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all.

“Meditate” in this verse means “to revolve in the mind.”

Timothy was exhorted to seriously consider, reflect upon, and revolve in his mind the instructions, advices, and exhortations of his mentor along with the Scriptures they were based upon.

How much time do you invest contemplating the Biblical positions and efforts of our church? Meditate upon them. Understand why we believe what we believe. Know why it matters. Study to show thyself approved. Be not deceived by false doctrines and fables. 

If we are to obey our Lord, it is clear we must set aside time to meditate and make it a priority in our lives.

2. MEDITATION IS SIMPLE.

Meditation is contemplating something in your mind. Accept this profound truth. You take your mind with you everywhere! 🙂 You can meditate anywhere that you can quiet your mind from noise and focus.

Psalm 46:10 

Be still, and know that I am God:

 I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.

This verse speaks of a still mind. Stop the chaos in your mind and focus on the things of God. Put God’s truths on a Merry-Go-Round in your mind and enjoy thinking about them. 

With a little practice, anyone can meditate.  

Turn off the PROGRAMMING.

• Radio
• News
• TV
• Cell Phone

Allow The Holy Spirit to direct your thinking.

You can meditate during the day or the night..

Psalm 119:97

MEM.

O how love I thy law!

It is my meditation all the day.

Psalm 119:148

Mine eyes prevent the night watches,

That I might meditate in thy word.

Isaac meditated in the field.

Genesis 24:63 

And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the eventide: and he lifted up his eyes, and saw, and, behold, the camels were coming.

David meditated in bed.

Psalm 63:6

When I remember thee upon my bed,

And meditate on thee in the night watches.

You can meditate anywhere while doing anything that allows you to focus on God, His Word, and His Works.

We can meditate on God’s:

1. Precepts

Psalm 119:15 

I will meditate in thy precepts,

And have respect unto thy ways.

2. Statutes

Psalm 119:15

I will meditate in thy precepts,

And have respect unto thy ways.

3. Works

Psalm 143:5

I remember the days of old;

I meditate on all thy works;

I muse on the work of thy hands.

4. Wonders

Psalm 119:27 

Make me to understand the way of thy precepts:

So shall I talk of thy wondrous works.

3. MEDITATION IS REWARDED BY GOD

In Joshua 1:8, God promised that He will reward our meditation on the Scriptures with prosperity and success. This blessing is not necessarily worldly success, but success in the will and work of God.

In Psalm 1, there are four specific promises attached to meditation on the Scriptures. 

1. Provision – “like a tree planted by the rivers of water”

Health benefits of meditation are widely known.

Peace is a priceless by-product of meditation.

Isaiah 26:3

Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace,

Whose mind is stayed on thee:

Because he trusteth in thee.

2. Productivity – “bringeth for fruit in his season”

You can get more done by slowing down and thinking clearly.

God provides supernaturally.

3. Protection – “His leaf also shall not wither”

Clear thinking keeps us from making foolish mistakes.

God protects the mind stayed upon Him.

4. Prosperity – “whatsoever he doeth shall prosper”

God blesses the efforts of those who meditate upon Him.

We can see the power of mediation is shown by the magnitude of its reward.

4. MEDITATION IS NECESSARY FOR GODLINESS

God has much to say about our thought life. Every Christian must learn to discipline the mind under the leadership of the Holy Spirit. The tool the Holy Spirit uses to accomplish this is the Scripture. 

God teaches us the battle is for our mind. In Romans 7:22-25, we find this critical teaching.

Romans 7:22-25

For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

God’s plan is that we target our thoughts and point them toward the great truths of the Bible in meditation. This will empower us to think godly thoughts and live godly lives.

If you lose the battle of the mind, you will fail in life.

CONCLUSION

Life moves quickly. People are so busy today that it’s hard to catch your breath. Busyness is the enemy of meditation.

Determine to make intentional Scripture meditation a regular part of your life and enjoy God’s blessings.