Our minds gather information from everything we read, watch and listen to every day. But not all that information stays at the forefront of our minds. We have to choose what we will keep and what we will discard. But if you are not careful, what you read in God’s Word can also end up in the rubbish pile.
Often we can make reading the Bible something we just want to get done with. Once we’ve read it we put it aside and don’t think about it for the rest of the day. Then we wonder why we don’t see change in our lives and characters. We wonder why there are still so many things we don’t understand.
The word of God is transformational. It is life changing and it is enlightening. (Psalm 19:7-8) But it is only those things if you act and meditate on it.
Meditation is Key
Meditation is thinking over what you have read in the Bible and, according to God, it is very important.
After Moses died, Joshua became the leader of the Israelites. God spoke to him and told him that if he was to succeed and prosper wherever he went, he had to meditate in the Word day and night. (Joshua 1:8)
The Lord makes further emphasis on meditation in the first chapter of Psalms. He says of the man who meditates in the Law “He shall be like a tree…that brings forth fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.” (Psalm 1:3)
As you can see great emphasis has been placed on meditating on the Word. This is because meditation, aside from success and prosperity, also brings revelation.
Meditation Brings Revelation
Particular passages of Scripture don’t really make sense until you think over them. You don’t get the full meaning until you meditate on them.
This is why it is so important to meditate on the Word of God. This is how we can begin to understand the truth revealed in it, the kind of truth that brings renewal and transformation. (Romans 12:2) Meditation also reveals the deep things of God.
Once you have a revelation of the Word it also becomes easier to act on it.
Meditation Leads to Action
We are urged to be doers of the Word. (James 1:22) But in order to act on the Word you need to understand it. You need to understand the reason for what it commands, why it allows or disallows certain things and why some actions bring blessings and others curses.
You can only comprehend all this after meditating on the Word.
That meditation is what brings the understanding that will then inform your actions. Without it, you run the risk of being someone who simply hears the Word and does nothing with what they’ve heard. (James 1: 23-24)
But that should not be the case as the power in the Word is released when we act upon what it tells us to do.
Meditation Keeps You Connected
Meditating on the Word of God is another great way to keep your soul and spirit connected to God.
God never leaves us alone at any time. (Deuteronomy 31:6) But when we do not focus our attention on Him, He can tend to feel distant. To avoid that from happening, keep yourself connected and in His love by meditating on the Word.
As you think over particular passages and verses, and as you begin to bring to your remembrance God’s promises to you, you will find yourself more aware of His presence. You will become more confident and assured that He is always with you.
Meditation Brings Spiritual Awareness
When you make a habit of having your mind fixed on Scripture, you will gain a greater spiritual awareness.
Having your mind focused upon the Word will make you more sensitive and aware of what is going on in the spiritual realm.
When you meditate on the Word of God, on its teachings and on the actions that take place in it, you are activating your spiritual eyes. You will begin to see things around you in a different light and with new understanding.
You will begin to move from the realm of the carnal minded to the spiritual minded (Romans 8:6) and this will affect how you live your life and interact with people.
Keep at It
Meditating on God’s Word may not come easily at first. That’s okay. There are so many worldly doctrines and ideas that need to be uprooted before Scripture can sit comfortably in your mind.
But as you continue to seek the Lord, reading and listening to His Word, praying and fasting, your mind will be renewed and transformed. You will soon find the Holy Spirit bringing verses and stories to your remembrance. Recalling Scripture will start to be effortless.
But the key is keeping at it. Keep filling your mind with the things of God. Don’t stop listening to and reading the Word. Remain steadfast and you will see the wonderful fruit of meditating on God’s Word.
