How To Meditate As A Believer
What is Christian Meditation
J. I. Packer describes meditation as “an activity of holy thought, consciously performed in the presence of God, under the eye of God, by the help of God, as a means of communication with God. Its purpose is to clear one’s mental and spiritual vision of God and let his truth make its full and proper impact on one’s mind and heart
A man who wants to see a country, must not hurry through it by express train, but he must stop in the towns and villages, and see what is to be seen. He will know more about the land and its people if he walks the highways, climbs the mountains, stays in the homes, and visits the workshops; than if he does so many miles in the day, and hurries through picture galleries as if death were pursuing him. Don’t hurry through Scripture, but pause for the Lord to speak to you
You do it when you complain, when you grumble: something’s wrong at work, or at church. I don’t like this. I don’t like that. And you could talk endlessly about that and think endlessly about it. That’s really meditation—maybe not positive, but it’s meditation.
Christian vs Eastern Meditation
That kind of meditation looks inward. Bible meditation looks upward. That kind of meditation is not under control. Bible meditation is controlled by the Word of God: “In his law doth he meditate day and night” (Psalm 1:2). Transcendental meditation will get you into all kinds of trouble—it is kind of like going to bed at night and leaving all the doors and windows open to see what might come in. No—you meditate on the Word of God.
Christian meditation also includes the emotions. We focus on God and his Word so much that we feel glad about God’s truth, humbled by his law, thrilled with his creation. Christian meditation combines reflection with emotion in such a way as to produce poetry such as the psalms.
Scriptural Exhortations To Meditate
Psalms is the book of biblical meditation. Psalm 1:2 describes a godly person as one who meditates: “His delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.” The psalms are meditations by David and other godly Israelites. Subjects of meditation include the law (Ps 119), God’s unfailing love (Ps 48:9) and his works (Ps 77:12).
Benefits of Meditation
The Puritan William Bates said, “If I should be asked what do I think is the best means and way to advance the faculties, to make the ordinances fruitful, to increase grace, to enlarge our comfort, to produce holiness and the like, I should answer, meditation, meditation, meditation.”
Other people may have more degrees, but you can have deeper insight as you meditate and the Holy Spirit guides your thoughts.
The commands that God gives us, the instruction that is found in the Bible, is there to benefit us. It is true to life; it’s the best way for us to thrive. And as we think about it and as we understand that and as we understand the rationale and the reason why God gave us these commands, we’ll grow; we’ll become transformed in the image of Christ.