Christocentric

One of the most important spiritual exercises in which Christians are called to participate is that of reflecting on God’s Word through biblical meditation. This article is the first in a series that will introduce you to the basics of reflecting on Scripture.  We meditate on God’s Word when we think deeply about what it is that we read. We’ll have more to say about this definition in future articles, but perhaps no place is a better starting point for illustrating this truth than Psalm 1.

The first Psalm contrasts two people: the godly and the wicked. In the first three verses we learn that the secret of the godly person’s spirituality is a delight in God’s Word that shows itself by time spent reflecting upon it.

“Blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
but his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
He is like a tree planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers” (Psalm 1:1-2, ESV).

The godly person doesn’t take the advice of criminals, nor does he imitate their lifestyle, nor does he reject turning to God, but instead, according to this Psalm, he delights in God’s Word and meditates on it continually.

We delight in those things which meet our needs and bring us joy. If you are married, think back to the time when you and your spouse were dating - remember how happy you were just to hear their voice on the telephone, or to receive a note from them in the mail? It is also true that we think often about those things which bring us joy. Returning to your dating days, do you remember how difficult it was to function when the two of you were apart? Do you remember how often you thought about the one you loved? When we delight in God’s law, that is, His instruction, we think about it all the time. This is one example of what it means to meditate on God’s Word: thinking about what we read night and day.

According to this Psalm, the person whose delight in God’s Word is expressed in meditation is like a tree that grows strong because of the constant nourishment it receives: its leaves do not wither and it produces fruit. If you want to see spiritual fruit in your own life, then you must be connected vitally to the source of life-giving power, God, and the roots of your connection run through His Word.

There are many activities in the world that are called “meditation,” but that will not connect the believer with God, in fact, they will do quite the opposite. How can you spot these counterfeits and avoid their spiritual starvation? We’ll answer those questions in Part 2 of this article.

Soli Deo Gloria (Glory to God Alone).