Meditating on God’s Word
When I read through Scripture, I find it easy to slip from reading the words on the page to running through my own task list of to-dos for the day. Because of my struggle, I have found enormous value in being a part of formal bible study groups. Some churches call them community groups, life groups, or small groups, but the idea is the same. Work through a piece of Scripture together to grow deeper in your faith. I needed this for a solid 5 years. Maybe longer. I needed to know I wasn’t alone. I needed to know I was loved and seen by others. I needed to have a level of accountability to study God’s word because I truly wanted to be more like Him.
I validated my need for a group by pointing out the early church in Acts or even Jesus with his group of disciples, his “tribe,” as we might call it today. I pointed out that we need to be in relationship with others, that this is where Christ is most glorified, and we must do this life together. And all of that is true.
What I failed to acknowledge is the large responsibility I have to own my own walk with Christ. I didn’t acknowledge with the same reverence Christ’s time away from the crowds and the disciples. I refused to see the musical and sometimes lonely years in between David slaying Goliath and his kingship. God’s mission. I refused to acknowledge the day in and day out prayers of Daniel, Esther, Nehemiah, and other exiles. I couldn’t see that mature believers, while in community with others, don’t rely their faith on others doing life with them.
How, though, among the never-ending task lists and fires to put out, do I take the next step to grow in my faith day after day and stay connected to Jesus?
Maybe you are familiar with this passage, or perhaps you are reading it for the first time. Psalm 1 (click to read the full chapter) is a clear guidebook on the dos and don’ts of living a righteous life and avoiding evil. When I picture the imagery described by David above, I feel peace, life, and connection. John 15 reminds us of our place as the branches and Jesus as the Vine, giving us everything we need to sustain life. To grow and flourish, we must do our part to remain grounded in Him.
I mentioned above my deep addiction to doing life with others in the form of my Bible study, and while there is a place for community, our faith, and connectedness to the Vine must start in the quiet moments we spend with Jesus. Gaining regular momentum in my own quiet time has been a struggle, but I am sharing a few simple ideas I remember as I engage with God each morning.
Allow an Extra Ten Minutes. If you are struggling to find the flourishing life promised, schedule an additional ten minutes longer than you might think you need. I know on mornings I feel especially rushed, I rarely find the sweet truths God has for me that day. By giving myself a doable buffer, I can allow a little more meditation on God’s word, the place where life grows.
Read a Scripture More Than Once. If you are like me, you will often get caught in the rabbit trail thinking, leading you to wonder about your day. You find you are at the end of your reading selection for the day, yet you don’t remember much of what you just read. Consider the first read the practice run. You’ve got it out of your system, and now you are ready for the next read of it. Recently I have been reading a passage four times, each time allowing myself to wrestle a little deeper.
Pray. This may seem a bit cliche, however, consider this: the Bible was written for a different audience and often had a context of some sort around the contents of the letter. Something may have happened which sparked the need to document the said passage of Scripture or something that the author wanted to prepare the reader for. In the same way, when you receive a letter, text, or email from a friend, there is often conversation before that message and follow-up conversation following this communication.
When we pray, we are conversing with God about his words. We are starting with the context of where we are with God up to that point. After we read his words, we want to follow up the conversation about what we have read. Praying through what we have read and asking God to reveal His truth to us is one way to meditate on His words.
Apply Apply Apply. There are very few verses in the Bible in which God doesn’t reveal something about his character or that we can glean from and apply to our life. Sometimes I might be staring at a passage blankly, ready to move on with my day. Resisting this urge, I will often stay with this selection until I find how God wants me to move forward in His work.
When I regularly practice these four basic steps as I enter into Scripture, each day, I notice more than I did before, my roots dig a little deeper, and I walk just a little more confidently in my faith.
What about you? What is your favorite tip for understanding and applying God’s word below OR which tip you find most helpful!
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