I enjoy a tasty meal.  In fact, I think I may enjoy tasty meals too much.  God wonderfully designed our bodies to break down and use the nutrients in the food we eat to sustain our bodies and give us energy.  Before our bodies can use that tasty meal, we have to chew it up and digest it; then our digestive system distributes the nutrients throughout our bodies.  When we meditate on the Bible passages we read, we carry out the spiritual equivalent of our body’s digestive process.

Meditate on God’s Word

I owe much of what I share with you today to my friend, pastor of Highlands Baptist Church in Ocala, Florida, founder of FishForMen.Net and blogger Chris Gilliam.  You can find his links at the end of this article.

Seven Ways to Meditate On Scripture.

Taking the time to digest the meaning and application of Scripture is not that difficult if you are willing to take a little time, give the passage some intentional attention, and meditate on it.  Here are seven practices that help you meditate on a passage of Scripture.

1. PICTURE IT! Imagine the scene, engage your five senses and place yourself in the setting.  If it is a narrative passage, consider what is going on in the story.  Is it day or night?  Country or city?  Are animals present?  By the sea, on a mountain, in a dessert?  What would you hear if you were there, or see, or smell?
2. PRONOUNCE IT! Say the verse out loud, each time emphasizing a different word.  With each stressed word, you may see a nuance to the verse which you had never realized.  How does emphasizing each word change the application for your life.  For instance saying, “The LORD is my shepherd,” reminds us that Jehovah God guards and guides us through life.  He is an infallible shepherd.  To read the verse, “The Lord is MY shepherd,” reminds me that God cares about me as an individual.  He is leading ME.
3. PARAPHRASE IT! Rewrite the verse in your own words. Think of how you would have written the verse if you were writing the Bible for the very first time today in 2016. What would be the best way to communicate the verse to the people in your current context?
4. PERSONALIZE IT! Replace the pronouns or people in the verse with your own name. “For God so loved Jim Duggan…” makes me appreciate John 3:16 on an entirely different level.  This practice works amazingly
5. PRAY IT! Turn the verse into a prayer and say it back to God.
6. PROBE IT! Next Wednesday’s blog will develop this practice a little more, but for now ask yourself questions about the passage of Scripture.  Ask the interrogative questions like who, when, where, how, why, etc.  Ask what?  So what? Now what?
7. PRACTICE IT! Find ways to immediately put what God has told you into action. Think of specific, intentional, and immediate ways you can rush to obey what God has shown you.  God doesn’t reveal His Word to us just to fill our head, but to move our feet, our hands, and especially our heart.

Try using some of these seven practices and let me know how it goes.  Feel free to click on the “Leave a Comment” link just below the title above and let us know how it worked for you, or feel free to share other ways you meditate on Scripture.

Links of Interest

Chris Gilliam’s Blog

FishForMen.Net

Highlands Baptist Church, Ocala, Florida