MEDITATING IN GOD'S WORD

In the opening verses of the book of Psalms, Psalm 1:2 says “But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night”. This sets the standard for what is expected of us – to study and meditate on His Word daily and to delight in doing so. 

But perhaps we may not always find Bible studies that delightful. This is especially if we feel that the topic does not resonate with us. For those of us struggling with the high standards espoused in this verse, here are some practical tips that we can consider – to pick (a verse), to pray (to delight) and to remember the purpose of doing this. 

First, pick a verse. Start the day by picking one verse specific to what you need, something that speaks to you most that day. This would naturally vary based on whatever you need, in that season. If you are struggling with uncertainty, perhaps find a verse of encouragement, e.g. Proverbs 3: 5 – 6 “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” If you are facing some tough battles at work or in school, perhaps Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me”. The key is to pick a verse that resonates with you and gives you what you need for that day or week. 

Memorise it. Proverbs 7: 1 – 3 says “My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee. Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye. Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thine heart.” This is so you can draw upon the verse you have selected whenever you need it during the day. When uncertainty roars, repeat this verse to yourself. Pray and lean upon this verse. When you face tough questions, or get stuck at a problem, lean upon this verse. 

There is no need to change verses every day. You can mull over the same verse or topic for a while. You can always go deeper and deeper into God’s Word by further studying that one verse. Understand the historical context. Look up other sermons preached on that verse. Through our studies, and throughout the day when we lean upon those verses, it will provide us with much encouragement and strength.

Second, pray about this. Delighting in His Word does not always come naturally. There are always some exciting Netflix shows that your friends are talking about and some fun activities to participate in. Does Bible study generate a greater level of delight than these? 

When it does not, let us pray about it. What do we pray for? Pray for knowledge, as we see in Psalm 119:18, which says “Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law”. Sometimes, studying feels laborious, and the wondrous delight often does not pop out immediately. Especially for tough passages, we should not feel discouraged if at first we do not understand. Pray for a receptive heart. Psalm 119:36 says “Incline my heart unto thy testimonies, and not to covetousness”. Some things are an acquired taste, and we develop a taste for them over time. Pray also for delight itself – Psalm 90:14 says “O satisfy us early with thy mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days”.

If we persist in our Bible studies, going deeper and deeper into the verses, we will start to realise how little we know, how amazing God’s design is and how deep God’s wisdom is. We may start to find our own tastes changing over time. The shows on Netflix can be interesting, but somehow they become a bit more bland over time. There is only so much depth and analysis in these shows. The endless scrolling on Tik Tok can be momentarily addictive, but after that we are left tired and drained. But God’s Word energises us. Each time we study the same verse, we may discover something new, something that we didn’t realise before. Job 23:12 gives us a sense of how much Job delighted in God’s word: “Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food”. More than necessary food!

Third, let us remind ourselves of the purpose, of why we should meditate on His Word daily. Psalm 1:1 gives us a clue: “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful”. This man who delights in the Word and meditates on the Word daily does not walk in the ways of the ungodly. Psalm 119:11 says it more plainly: “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee”.

There is this common saying that we become the average of the five people whom we spend the most time with. By meditating on God’s Word, we are peering into the character of God, His wisdom, His justice and His love. It becomes easier and easier to love Him and His ways, whereas sin and the ways of the world become less and less attractive. It is hard to delight in His Word and yet also delight equally in the things of this world. 

So go ahead, pick a verse, pray and remember the purpose of meditating daily in His Word.