Meditate on the Bible

By Danny Saavedra

So, when you think of meditation, what comes to mind? What are you picturing? I’d venture to guess most people have this image of a guru sitting criss-cross applesauce, saying, “Oooooooom.” Or if you’re a comic book nerd like me, you may be picturing Doctor Strange peering into the future. Images like these can definitely create a level of skepticism or a stigma around the word meditation in the minds of believers, but none of these things are what we’re referring to.

Okay then . . . what are we referring to? Well, the best definition I can give you comes from Bible scholar and professor Donald Whitney, who explained it this way, “Meditation is deep thinking on the truths and spiritual realities revealed in Scripture for the purposes of understanding, application, and prayer.”

Meditation is one of the most effective means of growing in God’s grace, of understanding His purposes and plans on a deeper level, and walking in His power and peace in game-changing ways. That’s why Joshua 1:8 (NIV, emphasis added) tells us, “Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.”

I truly believe Biblical meditation is the apex of our ability to receive and internalize God’s Word. It also happens to be one of the most misunderstood, underrated, and underutilized disciplines of the Christian life in the church today.

So, how do we do this? What does it look like? Well, as you study the Bible, as you come across a section or passage that you feel drawn towards, that you feel deeply moved by or inspired by, find some time to sit with it, to think deeply on it, to linger over it, to let it marinate in your mind and ignite your heart, and then pray over what the Lord has revealed to you. And as you do, you’ll be living out Colossians 3:16, allowing “the Word of Christ to dwell richly in you.”

I want to share two examples of this from my own life over the last few years. In early 2018, I came to Psalm 23 in my Bible reading, and even though I knew this chapter well, even though I’d heard it dozens of times, I was just so overcome by it in this moment, so that day I meditated on it. Then, the next day, I felt compelled to meditate on it again. And the next day . . . I spent more than a month unable to move on to anything else. I read this passage every day, a few times per day. I journaled about each verse individually, prayed over each verse, and really dug deep on what it meant for the original reader, what it meant for me, how it impacted my life and my relationship with God. I saw Jesus in it and I heard Jesus through it.

And now, no lie . . . every time I feel lonely or lacking, I hear “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing” in my head. Every time I feel overwhelmed or stressed or restless, I hear “He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.” When I feel lost or like I’m losing control, I remember that “He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name sake,” and “though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.” My time of meditation over this passage has become so deeply embedded into my heart that it has become the pinnacle passage of strength and peace in my life.

The other time was last summer as I taught several studies through the Book of Titus in the young adult ministry I help lead (side note: Titus is a criminally underrated book of the Bible. If you’ve never read it, do yourself a favor and read it this week! It’s short, but so profound). As I was studying and preparing to teach, I happened on Titus 3:4–7. It says, “But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.” It’s the gospel in all its glory!

Now, I have been a Christian since I was around seven years old, and have heard the gospel of Jesus literally hundreds—maybe thousands—of times in my life. But in all that time, I have never been so moved and wrecked by it as I was in this moment. I was overcome with this new sense of appreciation and gratitude for the gospel. 

And then I noticed something in this chapter . . . Paul starts the entire chapter with these two words: Remind them. And then he ends this section with verse 9 (emphasis added), which says, “This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good.” In both cases, Paul uses the present tense and imperative mood, which literally translates as, “keep reminding them” and “continually stress these things.” Wow. So, I literally found myself reading and meditating on it every single morning for four months. Even today, I still read it a few times per week in the morning so that I would remember to have the gospel front and center in my heart and mind.

You Can Do This! Theologian Thomas Watson wrote, “The reason we come away so cold from reading the Word is because we do not warm ourselves at the fire of meditation.” Have you ever felt that way? Like you read and then it went nowhere, like you were left cold? I know I have! But ever since I implemented this practice a few years ago, I can tell you that it happens way less often. I want the same things for you! If there is one thing you can take away from this reading plan on engaging with Scripture, one practice you truly embrace, I hope it’s a commitment to Biblical meditation!

Start this week, friends. As you read this week, look for verses and passages that stick out to you. Maybe you’ll happen upon a verse or passage that you feel drawn to, that you feel a tug or a pull to sit with. Press into that feeling; it’s the Holy Spirit! He wants you to meditate on this passage. Read it, study it, and then really reflect on it, think deeply about each word, each phrase, each directive or question posed in the passage, consider what it says to you about God, yourself, and the world around you, ponder how you can apply it, walk in it, experience it, and grow in faith, hope, and love through it, and then . . . pray on it.