What it Means to Meditate on God's Word

For the Christian, the word “meditate” can carry some negative connotations. We tend to think of a New Age-y guru, sitting on a pillow, fingers and thumbs together, stretching out some “ohms.” We associate meditation with Eastern religion and spiritualism, and we shy away from it. For a long time, that's exactly how I felt.

But then, as we study through the Bible, we come across verses like Joshua 1:8, which says to meditate on God's word day and night. But what does it mean to meditate on God's word?

I wondered about this question for a long time. I thought that it meant simply reading the Bible and trying to absorb it, and while this is partially correct, it doesn't quite cover it.

When we read the Bible, it can be fairly easy to miss certain passages that might actually hold a lot of meaning for our lives. Sometimes, it can actually be more beneficial to pick a verse, any verse, and try to extract every possible bit of meaning from it.

Try this. Next time you start to read, pick a verse that stands out to you for any reason. Then, set your Bible aside, close your eyes, and talk to God about it. Put aside all the other thoughts that will try to invade your mind. Then, for just a few minutes, just be silent and listen for God's voice.

At first, it'll be uncomfortable. In today's world, silence just isn't natural. But stick with it! It's in solitude that we hear God's voice most clearly.

That's really all there is to it. It's not a chant, it's not trying to achieve oneness with the universe. It's simply being still and knowing God. Once you try it a few times, it'll be the best part of your day. No ohms required.