“And don’t for a minute let this Book of The Revelation be out of mind. Ponder and meditate on it day and night, making sure you practice everything written in it. Then you’ll get where you’re going; then you’ll succeed.” (Joshua 1:8 MSG)
The Importance of Meditating on Truth
God told Joshua to meditate on truth and that same tool is just as effective for us today.
I am not a warrior like Joshua trying to conquer enemies in the Promised Land, but I am a busy wife, mother, friend, and ministry leader with a desire to live in the direction of my God-given purpose. Just like you, I have distractions and disappointments that have the potential to derail me.
In my busy world where my mind is prone to wander, biblical meditation continues to be the tool that gives me the ability to take my thoughts captive so that I can stand firm in my faith.
As an anchor exists to secure a vessel so it ceases to wander, God’s Word secures our heart to Him no matter what waves we may face during the day. In our information age where our minds are processing information beyond capacity, it has never been more important to develop this discipline designed by God to walk in truth.
Biblical meditation is God’s prescription to take your thoughts captive to his truth. Biblical meditation renews our minds, transforms our thoughts, and strengthens our faith so we can stand firm in our God-given purpose.
Changing My Perspective on Biblical Meditation
Meditate “hagah” |Hebrew|: to speak; to imagine; to mutter
The word meditate in Hebrew means to speak, to imagine, or to mutter. So, for our use, meditation means to ponder over God’s truth by reading the Bible during our quiet time. We reflect on truths revealed by prayerfully speaking God’s Word, and return to those truths to remember and renew our minds during the day.
I would like to clarify one important point here: This meditation is not like the kind endorsed by other religions.
We do not empty our minds. On the contrary, we fill our minds with God and his Word by speaking scriptures. This kind of meditation was God’s idea and, when performed according to his prescription, it will renew your mind and transform your relationship with him. In my podcast this week, we will discuss this further.
Taking our thoughts captive to truth sounds simple, but when I first tried to put this discipline into practice I was frustrated. Then the Lord gave me some wonderful insight:
Every time you allow worries to take over your thoughts, you are renewing your mind. Every time you allow your mind to sit and dwell on a past hurt, you are renewing your mind. Every time you replay something in your past repeatedly in your thoughts, you are renewing your mind. Every time your mind churns and churns, overanalyzing, trying to fix or figure things out that only I can control, you are renewing your mind. However, you are not meditating on the truths that will set you free, but on lies that oppress you.
God allowed me to see that instead of renewing my mind on the truths in his Word, I was meditating on lies from the Enemy. I learned I was meditating not only during my Bible study but also during the day. I learned I had the ability to focus, but too often my thoughts were focused in the wrong direction.
Biblical Meditation Is God’s Prescription
Renewing our minds with truth is God’s prescription for shifting our perspective to an eternal focus so we may live a Spirit-led life. Pulling one truth away from my quiet time in God’s Word and allowing it to travel with me during the day has proven to be both doable and life-changing.
Sometimes it is hard to get started on this journey. Our podcast this week on iTunes and the third step in the Nourish Bible Study Method Renew can help start you on that journey.
Jesus drew from the Scriptures to defeat Satan’s manipulative tactics of temptation so that he could stand firm (Matthew 4:1–11). Similarly, God’s Word is our offensive weapon in the battle against the enemy of our soul.
As you face battles during the day, be like Joshua and Jesus. Stand firm by strengthening your mind to the truth in his Word.
Nourish Scripture: Ephesians 4:17-24
Take the next step in deepening your connection with God’s Word by downloading Nourishing Your Heart today!
Blog written by Aliene Thompson. Aliene Thompson is the founder of Treasured Ministries and the Author of the Nourish Bible Study Series. © 2019 Treasured Ministries.
