Many people when they hear the word meditation think of transcendental meditation (TM). TM is a technique where a practitioner repeats a word or phrase called a mantra, with the aim of achieving a state of inner peacefulness. In this discipline one is taught to empty their mind except for the mantra. However, if we empty our minds, then how in the word can we ever find out what life is all about if we have no facility left to think, analyze, and ponder with?
A much more profitable type of meditation is biblical meditation. In this type of meditation, we decide to read a verse or verses of Scripture and allow our minds to think, analyze, and ponder the rich full meaning in the verse(s) we have chosen. I love what the psalmist shares in (Psalm 119:148) when he declares: “My eyes are awake through the night watches, that I may meditate on Your word.” Notice in this type of meditation the psalmist is wide awake and is excited to meditate on the Word of God. Meditation on the Scriptures should be an exciting and exhilarating endeavor since we are allowing our minds to truly plumb the depths of a portion of Scripture.
As an example, let’s try to meditate on (Psalm 119:18): “Open my eyes, that I may see wondrous things from Your law.” The first thing that excites me in reading this verse, several times, is that as I get deeper into the Bible, I am guaranteed to find wonderful things to ponder and experience. A second thing I notice is that we need to request God to open up the Scriptures for us so He can illuminate the written word to our hearts. The third thing I find here is that the law of God is precious. And finally, this verse is just one verse of the 176 verses of Psalm 119; which is full of nuggets of incomparable bliss and delight as one reads these amazing verses. Thus, meditating on this one verse can begin to unlock a treasure-trove of verses that are all designed to help us fall more in love with the Word and its author – Jesus Christ.
The next time you open the Bible ask the Holy Spirit to illuminate what you are reading and take the time to meditate on the passage you are exploring. I believe that the exercise of biblical meditation can be one of the most rewarding ways to study the Scriptures!
Hi Curt…re: delving into 1 special verse in the Bible….I quoted over & over Jeremiah 29:11 to my grand-children (Iknow it was written to the nation of Israel, but I told them it was written for them too.) I think it has greatly encouraged them & helped them be positive, & do the right thing over the years.