Search Results for: meditation

Meditate on God’s Word – Time to mull, ponder, and steep

June 12, 2012 by Kathy Howard 7 Comments

According to Psalm 1:1-3, God will bless the woman who does not embrace the world and its ways, but instead finds her delight in God’s Word and “meditates” on it “day and night.” Sounds like we should all practice a little biblical meditation.

Unfortunately, while we are often encouraged to foster many of the spiritual disciplines, we don’t hear much about meditation. Why is that? I think many of us have misunderstood what it means to meditate on God’s Word because other forms of meditation carry a negative connotation. We don’t know what it is, why we should do it, or how we should do it. Well, let’s dig in and try to gain a little understanding of this overlooked spiritual discipline.

What is Christian meditation?

Because of many New Age religions and practices like transcendental meditation, many of us picture “meditation” as emptying our minds of all thoughts. This is not biblical meditation. In fact, God’s Word makes it clear we are to meditate by filling our thoughts. A few things God tells us to meditate on include His law, love, mighty deeds, statutes, and promises. He also encourages us to “think on” whatever is noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, and praiseworthy (Phil 4:8).

In his book “Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life,” Donald Whitney helps us understand biblical mediation. He uses the analogy of a tea bag. While reading and hearing Scripture may represent a dunk or two, meditation is like letting the bag steep. It’s the idea of “mulling” something over or “pondering” a subject.

Whitney defines biblical meditation as “deep thinking on the truths and spiritual realities revealed in Scripture for the purposes of understanding, application, and prayer.”

Why should we meditate?

Charles Spurgeon said that anyone who wanted to possess the treasure of God’s Word “must dig into Scripture as one who seeketh for choice pearls.” Meditation takes dedication, time, and hard work. So why would we want to practice this spiritual discipline?

First, as we’ve already seen, the Bible establishes meditation on God’s Word as the example for His people. Second, our meditation on God and His truth pleases God (Ps 104:33-34). And third, meditation benefits us spiritually. Meditation helps us better understand and apply the truths of God’s Word. Someone who regularly meditates on God’s Word will not simply survive in this life, she will flourish.

He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. Psalm 1:3

Simply reading through or hearing a biblical passage will not affect our hearts, minds, and lives like steeping in its richness. We must immerse ourselves in God’s Word, holding onto it in our thoughts until its truth becomes a part of who we are. Then we will be like a tree whose roots reach down to an endless supply of living water. We will be sustained in drought and difficulty. And in God’s timing our lives will produce an abundance of fruit for His glory.

How do we meditate?

Let’s get hands on and practical so we can get a feel for how to meditate on God’s Word.

Choose a passage. It may be one that God impressed on your heart during Bible reading or one that jumped out at you during a sermon. It should be small enough to work through thoroughly.
Reread with different emphasis on different words and phrases.
Rewrite the passage in your own words.
Ask questions about what it teaches. For instance, does this passage reveal something I should:

Believe about God?
Praise or thank or trust God for?
Have a new attitude about?
Do for the sake of Christ, others, or myself?

Look for personal application then obey.
Pray through the Scripture.
Think on it throughout the day.

I want to be like that tree planted by streams of water. I long to please God and flourish through the truth of His Word. How about you?

Let’s give mediation a try right now.

Read Psalm 1:1-3. Follow the steps above. What did you learn?

Share with us something God taught you about Himself or a way He personally applied the Scripture.

Recommended Reading:

Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, by Donald S. Whitney

Meditating on the Scriptures, by Charles Spurgeon

5 Ways to Dig into God’s Word

June 7, 2012 by Teri Lynne Underwood 3 Comments

{This is one of my “go to” posts for encouraging others about spending time in Scripture. I love sharing the many ways we can interact with God’s Word. As we consider tools for Bible study this month on Do Not Depart, I wanted to offer you a post I wrote in June 2010 for Scripture Dig about encountering God through His Word.}

The Bible is to us what the star was to the wise men; but if we spend all our time in gazing upon it, observing its motions, and admiring its splendor, without being led to Christ by it, the use of it will be lost on us. Thomas Adams (1583–1652), English clergyman and religious writer

We are called to use our Bibles … our time spent in Scripture must alter us if it has truly been an encounter with God. Just as Moses’ countenance glowed upon his interaction with The I AM, so to must our light shine brighter upon our meeting with the Living God revealed through the Word.

The good news is … we are all wired differently! In our unique personality and makeup, God has created us to interact and respond to His Word in multiple ways. Each is valuable and we should all endeavor to engage in every way; but, rest assured, it is absolutely normal and appropriate that one or two of these will be more comfortable and natural to you!!

STUDY

For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the Lord, and to practice it, and to teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel. ~ Ezra 7:10, NASB

When we study God’s Word we are investing focused time in a passage, word, character or theme. Study is analytical. Study requires concentration and focus. Richard Foster explains, “In the study of Scripture a high priority is placed upon interpretation: what it means” (Celebration of Discipline, 69). This reflects back to the important truth Kristi explained, “The Bible is not about us. The Bible is about God.” Spending time studying God’s Word is our intentional determination to grow in our understanding of Him. Simply put, the primary goal of study is UNDERSTANDING.

DEVOTIONAL

The second method we use to engage in the Bible is devotional. This is perhaps the most common method. Foster contrasts devotional reading from study in this manner, “In the devotional reading of Scripture a high priority is placed upon application: what it means to me” (69). In no way is there an implication that devotional reading is not important, but we must make certain this is not the ONLY way we interact with Scripture; for in doing so, we risk losing the truth that ALL Scripture is useful (2 Timothy 3:16). The goal of devotional reading is APPLICATION.

MEDITATION

But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. ~ Psalm 1:2, NASB

Again from Foster, “Christian meditation, very simply, is the ability to hear God’s voice and obey His Word” (17). We have a tendency to make meditation a complex thing or something only the “super spiritual” can accomplish. Or on the flip side, we shy away from this discipline because of it’s association with eastern religions. I have heard it said that eastern meditation is the goal of emptying the mind while Christian meditation’s purpose is to fill the mind with Christ. Honestly, I believe the goal of mediation is simple: REFLECTION.

MEMORIZATION

Thy Word have I treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against Thee. Psalm 119:11, NASB

Familiar verse to most of us … but a powerful, powerful promise! It is important to understand that Scripture clearly teaches and Christ clearly models the value and necessity of embedding Scripture into our hearts and minds. Memorizing Scripture helps us achieve the goal of DISCIPLINE. Within this goal, we find that we are more self-controlled in our actions and protected from temptation to sin.

ACTION

But prove yourselves doers of the Word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. James 1:22, NASB

Clearly, we must be focused on DOING what Scripture teaches. For if we spend hours in study, delight in meditation, engage in devotional reading, and memorize countless passages but never DO anything in response, we have not truly encountered the Living Word of God. We must be changed and compelled into action – whether in our thoughts and motives or our actions and mannerisms – spending time in the Word must lead us to OBEDIENCE!

Which of these five comes most easily to you? Which is most difficult?

Sources for Further Reading or Reference:

Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster
Sacred Pathways by Gary Thomas (a great resource for understanding how you are wired to interact with God)
Seeking the Face of God by Gary Thomas
Intimate Faith: A Woman’s Guide to the Spiritual Disciplines by Jan Winebrenner

You might also find 7 Ways to Interact with Scripture and 10 Tips for a Great Quiet Time useful.

How to Live the Successful Christian Life

January 30, 2012 by Katie Orr 14 Comments

I want to be prosperous and successful. Don’t you?

Specifically, I long to see success in my spiritual life. I want to experience spiritual growth and abundant fruit. I want to look different next month than I do today—I desire for more of Christ to be seen in me.

My assumption is that you do too!

How to Live the “Successful” Christian Life

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. -Joshua 1:8

Prosperity and “good success” is the promise in this passage. It is a conditional promise, and the condition is that we do according to all that is written in the Book of the Law, God’s Word. So if we are intentionally obedient to God’s Word, then we are promised a prosperous way.

Photo Credit

If you have been a Christian for more than a week, you know that obedience is a struggle. We cannot go out and just “be good”—it doesn’t work. There is a way and a purpose for which God has designed our growth to occur, and we learn His way in His Word. That is why the promise hinges on the first part of this verse, where we see the command. Do you see it?

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. -Joshua 1:8

The direct command is not to be obedient, though that is certainly an expected by-product. The command is in the first part of the verse. At first glance it looks like two commands:

This Book shall not depart from your mouth
You shall meditate on it day and night

I believe this is actually one command, restated. Let me explain how I got there.

How to Meditate

The Hebrew word for meditate is “hagah” which is also translated in a variety of ways, including speak, imagine, study, mutter, utter, roar, talk. To meditate is not something to be done quietly in your head. What we meditate on should be on our mouths. Out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks! (Matthew 12:34) Like the movie you can’t stop talking about because it was that good; or the giddy teenage girl in the midst of a huge crush where everything reminds her of him (and she is going to let everyone know about it!)

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall SPEAK it (MUTTER it, STUDY it, UTTER it, TALK it) day and night…

So, it is the same command: Meditate on the Word. As we meditate on it, it will not be able to leave our mouths, because when the Word of God penetrates our hearts it will affect the rest of us. It is only then we will have the ability to be obedient, because we will know His way, His plan—and we will want to do it. It is then we will make our way prosperous, and then we will have success.

I’ve seen this hold true in my own life, haven’t you? The more I understand God’s ways, through the studying of His Word, the better equipped I am to live out this life as He intends for me to, and the more my heart longs to be right in the middle of His plan for me. And as I am obedient to follow His Word, I see fruit. I see life change. I see Christ in me!

This is the success we are promised.

An Invitation to Abide

Joshua 1:8 is just one of the many passages in the Bible which communicate this truth; that the Christian life is best lived as we center our lives on the Living Word of God. Transformation happens as we remain; as we abide in Christ; as we do not depart from the one who loves us most.

Do Not Depart exists to encourage and equip you to abide the Word. Our desire is to give you the inspiration and tools you need to spend time in the Bible in such a way that you (like that giddy teenage girl) can’t help but see Him everywhere you go—so much so that you just can’t stop talking about Him.

Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day. -Psalm 119:97

What are you meditating on? What can’t you stop talking about?

What encourages you to meditate on the Word of God?

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Friday Favorites: Bible Verse

July 15, 2011 by ScriptureDig 3 Comments

This one might have been the most difficult for each of us … narrowing down to just one verse! For Bible teachers this was a tough challenge. But here you go … as of today, these are our favorite verses.

Teri Lynne: Psalm 19:14. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. {ESV}

This is my daily prayer: That what is seen and unseen in my life will be pleasing to God.

Julie: Psalm 121. Part of our current ministry involves traveling around the world in missions. In so many places around the world, I’m reminded of this declaration from Psalm 121:1-8 : “I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” The rest of the Psalm gives specific examples of how our God “keeps” us. What comfort in any place!

Sandra: Isaiah 43:4. I don’t have a favorite verse really. I have verses that are my favorites for a certain season or a specific situation. Right now I’m reading through Isaiah and really meditating on 43:4, “Because you are precious in my eyes, and honored, and I love you…” Even though God is speaking to Israel in this passage, He loves me with the same redeeming love. I need to hear that. Every day.

Kathy: Galatians 2:20. I have too many favorite verses to list, so instead I will share what I consider to be my “life verse.” Galatians 2:20 clearly teaches the biblical truth I try to live by. Because Jesus gave His life to save me, my life belongs to Him, not to me.

Stephanie: Philippians 3:7-14. If you’ve ever received any emails from me, you know I write “Phil 3:7-14” under my signature. Obviously, it’s more than one verse, but this segment of Scripture reminds me that there is nothing that can compare to knowing Christ; that there is nothing better than being apprehended to do that for which He has apprehended us and that there is nothing better than forgetting what is behind and pressing for the mark. These verses echo the cry of my heart.

Kristi: Revelation 21:3-4 – “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” He will dwell [tabernacle] among us – complete physical, emotional, spiritual restoration. Knowing the end of the story puts everything in between in context!

24/7 Streamside ~ Psalm 1

July 7, 2011 by ScriptureDig 2 Comments

Understanding how verses 1-4 apply to me personally makes all the difference when I get to verse 5 … “Therefore…” It’s like God hits the turn signal, it’s flashes a warning, and we turn in to the conclusion of Psalm 1.

If we grow beside living water, we bear fruit. God uproots us and tranplants us to life, but we have to reject wickedness and, instead, embrace truth constantly.

The wicked lead lives apart from God and produce nothing lasting. “Therefore,” the righteous are approved of by God; the wicked don’t stand firm in the judgment. It’s a turning point with an eternal difference.

—————————————————————————————————————————————————————-

Fast forward to the 21st century … How do I avoid walking/sitting/standing with the “wrong crowd?” God isn’t talking about avoiding the world. Jesus said He doesn’t want us to be taken out of the world (John 17:14-16); He wants us to be salt and light IN the world (Matt. 5:13-14). “Walking … sitting … standing” are active verbs revealing a decision to stay with people who reject God. Instead of accepting the companionship and counsel of wicked men (who haven’t turned to God), someone who seeks to be blessed won’t continue with and listen to/heed the wicked. In our modern world this may mean:

not exchanging the truth of God for opinions found in books, blogs, tv, etc
not going to someone who doesn’t follow God for counsel, advice, or partnership
not spending regular time with someone who makes fun of, argues against, or shames God and His truth
not putting ourselves in a place to be influenced by someone who doesn’t delight in God’s Word

How do I meditate 24/7? Maybe this was realistic for someone herding sheep all day, but be come on?!? Meditating really means searching for insight, continuing to try to know, staying with truth, and always returning to truths of God’s Word. (Kathy gave thoughts on meditation here.) This may look like:

reciting Psalm 101:3 each time I turn on the tv or computer – “I will set no worthless thing before my eyes … “
remembering the words of Psalm 4:8 when I return to a dark house at night and fight fears – “In peace I will both lie down and sleep,
For You alone, O LORD, make me to dwell in safety.” If I’m alone & feeling insecure, I may keep muttering this truth over and over until the Lord covers me in peace and brings me sleep.
reminding myself that “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God,” (Psalm 20:7) when I’m at a family gathering or school meeting or lunch with co-workers, and they’re laughing at people who need the “crutch” of believing in Jesus.

How do I stay by the stream? We live in arid times when men would rather wither than trust God and bear fruit for others. Strangely, it’s never been easier to access God’s Word! We have it in so many forms at the touch of a button or stroke of a finger, but we’re more distracted than ever. Enjoy drinking from God’s Word!

Invest money and time and thoughts to dig in and discover God’s truth and application to YOU in the 21st century.
Think about it throughout your day, in all events of life.
Memorize it, hiding it in your heart. (Psalm 119:9-10)
Talk about it with others who love God, and worship with others who follow Him.
Be a committed part of a church family that’s bearing fruit.

Sweet Scripture Dig friend, there’s no need to wither. We’re meant to be living on God’s Word and bearing fruit!

Psalm 1 gives us a glimpse of treasures in the song book of God’s people. If you’d like to spend more time in select chapters over the next few weeks, join me at Come Have a Peace as we pass through this gateway chapter and look into the garden of the Book of Psalms.

What helps you most to stay close to the stream of living water?

Selecting Devotional Materials

May 23, 2011 by ScriptureDig 3 Comments

{One of my favorite series Kristi has done was her “tour through the Christian book store.” Each of these posts presents sound information and questions to ask about what we find in these stores and how to be discerning about what we purchase. This one, however, is my favorite! I love Kristi’s wisdom in this post about the importance of moving beyond devotional reading into digging into God’s Word. Thank you, my friend, for sharing your insight with us! ~ Teri Lynne}

Originally posted March 17, 2010 on KristiStephens.com

Over the last couple of weeks, we’ve been taking a “virtual field trip” through a Christian book store. As I stated at the beginning of this series, Christian bookstores can be both a blessing and a trap – there are so many good resources and encouraging things out there in the Christian market, but there are also many that are irreverent, misleading, full of doctrinal error, or sold through packaging rather than content.

We’ve discussed the “Jesus junk” section, Christian fiction, and the Children’s Section – today I’d like to discuss using discernment when selecting devotional books and Bible study resources.

Let me say this upfront: The Word of God can and will change our hearts and lives. It is living and active and powerful.

But the Word of God cannot change our lives if we spend one minute, or five minutes for that matter, in it per day.

Many devotional books seem to be written with the premise of “fitting in” time in God’s Word into your busy life. I’ve seen so many versions of “one minute devotionals” or “busy mom devotionals” that it makes me crazy. I’ve even seen these on CD – if you cannot even find one minute to read one verse, you can listen to it in your car.

There is nothing inherently wrong with devotional books – much of what I do on this site is basically writing devotionals. I read and study Scripture, try to explain it, and draw applications from it. Reading devotional thoughts from another believer who has studied and meditated on Scripture can be inspiring, challenging, encouraging.

But we MUST understand: Devotional material cannot replace actually spending time reading God’s Word for ourselves.

My advice is this: if you enjoy using devotional books, don’t just read the verse they print on the page for you. Read it from your Bible. Actually, read the whole passage, chapter, and preferably book of the Bible.

Try to find devotionals that direct you back to the Word, rather than just giving you “happy thoughts” based on a verse that is pulled out of context. Avoid things that promise only happiness and rainbows and butterflies as you walk with God – sometimes the Christian life is hard. Sometimes the Bible is confusing. Resist the urge to reduce God down to your personal “pocket pal” who is always with you and wants only to make you feel good. That is a reduced and false perspective of God that will do you no favors.

Resist the urge to find a way to make your devotional life “fit” into your busy schedule. There is a subtle legalism in that thought – we easily fall into the trap of thinking that if I did a 5-minute devotional, I have fulfilled my obligation to God and can proceed through my day guilt-free. For more discussion of this, you might want to read “The Renewing of Your Mind,” a discussion of Biblical meditation and what it means to truly be transformed by knowing and meditating on God’s Word.

Occasionally I hear someone say they use my blog as part of their devotional routine. Wonderful! I hope what I share here encourages you and helps you dig into the Word – but please dig into the Word on your own, as well!

Sometimes I even hear someone say that they listen to Christian radio or podcasts of sermons on the way to work or as they are doing housework. Great! It can be encouraging and challenging and helpful – but you need to dig into the Word on your own!

No teacher, no matter how godly or well studied, has words that are living and active, sharper than any double-edged sword, able to penetrate even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; able to judge the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. That power comes from the Word of God itself, according to Hebrews 4:12. Rather than reading only about God’s Word, we need to actually read God’s Word!

Sometimes I find that believers rely on devotional material because they do not know how to read and understand Scripture for themselves. They have never been taught how to study, interpret, and apply God’s Word. If that is the case for you, please consider downloading and using my free “Sword School: How to Study the Bible” ebook.

Learning to use your “sword” does take work. It’s harder than having someone else spoon-feed you Truth. But nothing will change your life like studying the Word for yourself and knowing Who God is and what He says from your own time spent digging those truths out.

How has devotional material impacted your spiritual walk? Have you found yourself relying on devotional material rather than reading and studying the Word for yourself?

How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word.
I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands.
I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.
Praise be to you, O LORD; teach me your decrees.
With my lips I recount all the laws that come from your mouth.
I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches.
I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways.
I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word.
Psalm 119:9-16

The Corporate Disciplines – Doing Life Together

January 24, 2011 by ScriptureDig 4 Comments

As we enter our last week of study on the Spiritual Disciplines, we look at those that involve the Body. These last Disciplines are certainly to be practiced privately but they are also to be shared practices.

Why does it matter if we practice these Disciplines in the collective? What difference does it make? This week we will explore Confession, Worship, Guidance, and Celebration … visible, audible, hands-on, feet-to-the-pavement putting into practice the foundations laid through the Inward Disciplines of Prayer and Study, Fasting and Meditation, and then nurtured and grown through the Outward Disciplines of Simplicity and Solitude, Submission and Service.

These Corporate Disciplines guide us into functioning as the early church … doing life together. As we learn the richness of Confession and the depth of Worship, the necessity of Guidance and the joy of Celebration, our understanding of the beauty of the Church, the vibrant Body of Christ, will undoubtedly grow and our recognition of our need for fellowship with one another will be increased.

Join us?

What’s Inside?

January 10, 2011 by ScriptureDig 10 Comments

First, may we thank you all for your gracious response to the posts last week? This past week we averaged 200 readers per day {not including the 250+ of who you receive our posts daily in a reader or by email} … a new record for our site. We have been so encouraged by your comments and interest in the Spiritual Disciplines and hope we can offer you information and insight that will be an encouragement back to you as invest time in growth through these long-honored methods.

As we launch into the specifics of the different disciplines, we begin with what Richard Foster calls “The Inward Disciplines.” These four practices, while they may also be done publicly, are most effectively used in our own prayer closet and times of private time with the Lord.

And so, as we spend this week exploring meditation, prayer, fasting, and study, our earnest desire is to encourage you to be intentional in each of these areas, equip you with a solid foundation of what Scripture says about each, and empower you with tools and exercises to put each into practice.

Which of these four inward disciplines comes most easily to you? Which is the biggest challenge? Why do you think that is the case?

What ARE the disciplines?

January 4, 2011 by ScriptureDig 18 Comments

I have to confess something … until June 2001, I had never heard of “spiritual disciplines.” I’m the wife, daughter, sister, granddaughter, and great-granddaughter of pastors. I went to church every Sunday and Wednesday of most of my life. I attended a private Christian college. I’d even taught Bible studies. But until June 2001, when my dad gave me Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster, I’d not heard one word about spiritual disciplines.

I also have to confess that it took me awhile to read the book. With countless references to people I’d never heard of like Teresa of Avila, Julian of Norwich, and Francois Fenelon, I honestly felt very stupid and even a little lacking.

But, one night, I began reading … really reading … and the second line of the first chapter says,

The classical Disciplines of the spiritual life call us to move beyond surface living and into the depths. (1)

I was hooked! As the wife of a pastor and mother of a toddler, I needed to move to the depths … I was longing for it. I read and underlined and re-read. In fact, since that first reading the fall of 2001, I have read Celebration of Discipline at least once every year.

And what I found wasn’t trivial legalism or frustrating check lists. I didn’t experience condemnation or guilt as I read. Instead, I found centuries-old wisdom and examples of lives well lived for the cause of Christ. As I poured over the pages and dug into the Word of God, I experienced freedom and peace and longing for more than I had experienced previously in my spiritual walk.

The disciplines are simply tools. Foster states, “The purpose of the Disciplines is liberation from the stifling slavery to self-interest and fear” (2). As we pursue the depths of the disciple life, we find the disciplines as guides to those practices mentioned in Scripture such as fasting, prayer, worship and celebration. Over the next few weeks we will explore the Inward Disciplines (meditation, prayer, fasting, and study), the Outward Disciplines (simplicity, submission, solitude, and service) and the Corporate Disciplines (confession, worship, guidance, and celebration).

As you join us for this month of Digging the Disciplines, we hope you will find this study challenging and inspiring. Some of the disciplines will be familiar and some may not. Some may be practices you have already learned and some may be challenges for you to pursue. Regardless, our deepest longing is that as we dig into these ideas, we will all be drawn back to the Idea-Giver … the One who calls us His disciples and lovingly disciplines us and draws us near.

Will you join us?

Let God talk first

July 28, 2010 by Kathy Howard 11 Comments

A couple of weeks ago, I had the joy of sharing my quiet time spot with you. I even posted a photo of my desk! (See that post here.) In that post I gave a fairly general overview of the components of my time with God. Today, I’d like to linger a bit on how my Bible reading and prayer go hand in hand.

Occasionally I go to my desk to spend time with God with something specific weighing heavily on my heart. Those days I have to pour out my heart to God in prayer before I can do anything else. But those days are the exception.

Most days I begin my time with God by seeking to hear what He has to say to me through His Word. I ask Him to speak to me and to open my ears to hear. Then I begin to read the Bible. My goal is to make what God has to say my priority. I work to let Him begin and guide our conversation.

Because I’m a Type A personality, it’s easy for me to fall into the mistake of reading too quickly to make sure I “finish” the day’s reading assignment. So I have to remind myself that the purpose of reading is for God to speak to me. I need to stop when God prompts. When a verse or phrase “jumps off the page” I pause and linger there, meditating on that passage.

About a month ago, I wrote a post about meditating on God’s Word. (You can review that here.) Biblical meditation is not emptying your mind, but filling it with God’s Word. It includes asking God questions about the passage. For instance, does this text reveal something I should…

Believe about God?
Praise or thank or trust God for?
Pray about for myself or others?
Have a new attitude about?
Make a decision about?
Act on for the sake of Christ, others, or myself?

As I think deeply on the passage and ask God questions I “listen” for His answers. I want to understand what He is saying to me through His Word. I record what He says in a journal. This process is the heart of my daily time with God.

Usually there is additional prayer time to talk with God about things that have not already come up. And often there is also some “follow up.” Something I need to do, someone I need to talk to, something I need to make right. In other words, I need to be obedient to something God has told me during our time together.

Donald Whitney, author of “Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life,” writes that “meditation is the missing link between Bible intake and prayer.” He explains that meditation helps us digest what God says to us in His Word and then speak to Him about it in a meaningful way. He also quotes from several Puritan writers who passionately wrote about the same thing.

Although this type of interaction with God is my goal, I still sometimes struggle to let Him speak first and guide our time together. Some days my own schedule or own agenda gets in the way. Maybe you can relate. I forget that it’s not all about me! What about you? How do you focus on what God has to say to you?

Blessings, Kathy

Daily Time in the Word: A Recap

July 9, 2010 by ScriptureDig 2 Comments

We’ve covered a lot of ground over the past three weeks. Here is a brief summary of all our posts on this topic of developing and maintaining a daily time in the Bible.

Reading God’s Word: In this introductory post, Stephanie gave us some great questions to ask ourselves as we begin the pursuit of spending time every day in God’s Word.

Why Should We Read the Bible Anyway? Kathy reminded us of the many characteristics of the Bible and, that the bottom line is, “The Bible is God’s revelation of Himself and His ways to mankind – the very words of God ‘breathed’through divinely inspired humans (2 Timothy 3:16).”

What’s Your Goal? Breaking down five different methods of interaction with Scripture, Teri Lynne gave a descriptions of study, devotional reading, meditation, memorization, and action … as well as the goal and significance of each.

Time to Mull, Ponder, Meditate: Kathy’s excellent explanation of meditation also offered specific ideas about how to incorporate this spiritual discipline into our lives.

How Much Time is Enough? “When it comes to the time we spend in God’s Word, there is no such thing as ‘too much’ – there is no such thing as ‘too little.'” Great encouragement from Stephanie about the value of all time spent in Scripture.

Do I HAVE to Memorize? For many of us, memorizing Scripture seems out of reach and far too difficult to even attempt. Teri Lynne explains the benefits of investing time in “hiding the Word in our hearts.”

What? Me Memorize Scripture? Kathy offers some specific methods of memorization and the ways doing so benefits us in our Christian life.

How do I fit it in? part 1 Julie gives wise suggestions about making the Word of God easily accessible. Many seasons of life are particularly difficult and Julie’s practical ideas about “easy access” are very encouraging.

How do I fit it in? part 2 Julie offers more Godly counsel on the nature of our time spent in the Word. This post challenges us to consider the amount of Scripture we consume and the accountability that can help us stay on track, especially during busy times of life.

The Buddy System in Bible Study Teri Lynne looks at Proverbs 27:17 and Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 for guidelines in developing accountability relationships.

You can check out more resource suggestions on the Time in the Word page under Resources and References tab in the right sidebar!

Over the next few days we will be sharing about our own personal Bible study times. We will have an ongoing feature “My Time to Dig” … and we’d love for you to share with us what your quiet time involves. If you are interested, please email us at scripturedig {at} comcast {dot} net and ask for the guidelines.

Time to mull, ponder, meditate

June 28, 2010 by Kathy Howard 22 Comments

What is meditation?

Whitney defines biblical meditation as “deep thinking on the truths and spiritual realities revealed in Scripture for the purposes of understanding, application, and prayer.”

Why should we meditate?

He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. Psalm 1:3

How do we meditate?

Let’s get hands on and practical so we can get a feel for how to meditate on God’s Word.

Choose a passage. It may be one that God impressed on your heart during Bible reading or one that jumped out at you during a sermon. It should be small enough to work through thoroughly.
Reread with different emphasis on different words and phrases.
Rewrite the passage in your own words.
Ask questions about what it teaches. For instance, does this passage reveal something I should:

Believe about God?
Praise or thank or trust God for?
Have a new attitude about?
Do for the sake of Christ, others, or myself?

5. Look for personal application then obey.

6. Pray through the Scripture.

7. Think on it throughout the day.

I want to be like that tree planted by streams of water. I long to please God and flourish through the truth of His Word. I think I’ll go ponder for a while.

Recommended Reading:

Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, by Donald S. Whitney

Meditating on the Scriptures, by Charles Spurgeon

What’s your goal?

June 25, 2010 by ScriptureDig 26 Comments

The Bible is to us what the star was to the wise men; but if we spend all our time in gazing upon it, observing its motions, and admiring its splendor, without being led to Christ by it, the use of it will be lost on us. Thomas Adams (1583–1652), English clergyman and religious writer

STUDY

For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the Lord, and to practice it, and to teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel. ~ Ezra 7:10, NASB

DEVOTIONAL

MEDITATION

But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. ~ Psalm 1:2, NASB

On Monday, Kathy will be sharing more detailed information about how to meditate. But I wanted to share with you a few thoughts. Again from Foster, “Christian meditation, very simply, is the ability to hear God’s voice and obey His Word” (17). We have a tendency to make meditation a complex thing or something only the “super spiritual” can accomplish. Or on the flip side, we shy away from this discipline because of it’s association with eastern religions. I have heard it said that eastern meditation is the goal of emptying the mind while Christian meditation’s purpose is to fill the mind with Christ. Honestly, I believe the goal of mediation is simple: REFLECTION.

MEMORIZATION

Thy Word have I treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against Thee. Psalm 119:11, NASB

Familiar verse to most of us … but a powerful, powerful promise! We will be digging deeper into the hows and whys of Scripture memorization next week. For today, however, it is important to understand that Scripture clearly teaches and Christ clearly models the value and necessity of embedding Scripture into our hearts and minds. Memorizing Scripture helps us achieve the goal of DISCIPLINE. Within this goal, we find that we are more self-controlled in our actions and protected from temptation to sin.