“This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success” (Joshua 1:8).

Talkin’ About Practice!

The Bible promises that God will transform and bless us, but how do we plug into his grace and power? Spiritual disciplines are practices that draw us nearer to God. Practices are naturally practical because they’re things we can do.

If we pay attention to what Jesus did and trained others to do, we start to notice actions we can take to imitate Christ and deepen our relationship with God.

When we “draw near to God … he will draw near” to us (James 4:8), so the Bible directs us to activities of obedience and worship like praying, giving thanks, serving others, and studying Scripture. There’s no official list in Scripture, but if we pay attention to what Jesus did and trained others to do, we start to notice actions we can take to imitate Christ and deepen our relationship with God. Some require solitude and silence, while others come with boisterous praise and fellowship with others. These acts of devotion aren’t always easy, but they change and strengthen us over time. In this series, we’ll look at some spiritual disciplines, beginning this week with Bible meditation.

Muttering & Moaning?

The first time the Bible talks about meditating comes when God commands Joshua to meditate day and night on the scroll of his word (Josh. 1:8). The Hebrew word (haga) often describes low, resonating sounds made from within — like the moaning of mourners (Isa. 16:7), the muttering of mediums (Isa. 8:19), or David’s groaning for help (Ps. 5:1). It can even describe animal sounds (Isa. 31:4; 38:14). But it can also describe thoughts deep within us, like when the heart “ponders how to answer” (Prov. 15:2). So David prays, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight” (Ps. 19:14). So when we meditate on Scripture (Ps. 1:2), or on God (Ps. 63:6) and his works (77:12), we ponder his word and his character in our hearts.

When we get deep into the word, the word gets deep into us.

Steeped Like Tea

Our goal in Bible study is to educate our minds and inform our worldview with an accurate understanding of the truth. But our purpose in Bible meditation is to let that truth shape what we love and want, renovating every part of our inner life. Think of it like making tea. If you quickly splash the teabag into the cup, it doesn’t change anything — it’s just hot water. But if you leave it in the cup, it soaks up the water, and the water takes on a new color, flavor, and aroma. Likewise, if we sit with a passage of Scripture, thinking on it long and hard, it will soak into us and change us. When we get deep into the word, the word gets deep into us.

How to Meditate

Here are four practical steps you can take to meditate on Scripture.

1) Say It. When God told Joshua to meditate on the Book of the Law, he also said it “shall not depart from your mouth” (Joshua 1:8). We saw the connection between the Hebrew word for meditation and speaking, but have you ever considered how vocalizing thoughts can help you focus? Choose a verse and repeat it to yourself. Try emphasizing different words as you reflect on them.
2) See It. Use your imagination to visualize your passage. Whether it’s a vivid word picture like the tree by the riverside in Psalm 1 or a command you can picture yourself keeping, like meditating day and night.
3) Pray It. Turn your passage into a request and talk to God about it. For example, “May your word never depart from my mouth, help me to meditate on it from the morning until bedtime, and give me prosperity as I do your will.”
4) Obey It. As God’s charge to Joshua makes clear (Josh. 1:8), meditation should result in us doing what it says.

But Why?

God promised Joshua that his devotion to the word would lead to prosperity and success (Josh. 1:8). Still, the greater reward comes in the next verse when God promises his presence. “Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Josh. 1:9). As we take the time to listen to God genuinely, we’ll strengthen our bond with him, rooting our lives in our Lord, like a tree planted by the water (Ps. 1:2-3).

Choose a verse and repeat it to yourself.