Meditation and God's Word

"My eyes are awake before the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promise."  Psalm 119:148

What comes to mind when you hear the word "meditate"?  I dare say that, for many, some sort of mystical image comes to mind.  A person sitting on the floor, legs crossed, arms on the knees, and some kind of "mm, mmmm" sound being made by the person meditating.

If that is the image that many have of meditation, then what does Christian meditation "look like"?  Does it involve emptying the mind, focusing on some image, or making strange sounds while sitting in a strange position?

The second of Martin Luther's "rules" for growing in God's Word is to meditate upon that word.  Frequently, Psalm 119 makes use of the word meditate, with David emphasizing how he took time to meditate upon God's laws, statutes, commands, etc, just like we see in the verse above.

Christian meditation involves hearing God's Word, and then intentionally thinking about what God is saying in that word.  Luther would even say that speaking that word out loud, hearing it again and again, is what meditating consists of.  Reflecting not merely on the meaning of the words, but upon what God seeks to convey through those words is what Christian meditation is about.

Why not try that for a few moments today?  Pick out a short Psalm, maybe one in the 120s or 130s.  Pray for God to guide and instruct you, as yesterday's post discussed.  Then, reflect and meditate upon that Psalm.  Speak it out loud a couple of times.  Ask what God is trying to say to His people through that Psalm.  As you do this, you are actually engaging in Christian meditation.