In the winter of 1942, Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote to his colleagues at the war front, “daily, quiet reflection on the Word of God as it applies to me becomes for me a point of crystallization for everything that gives interior and exterior order to my life.” This quote both inspires me and frustrates me. Each time I read it, I envision a scene in my mind, of me in an alternate time and space, relaxing under a willow tree and reading the Bible. There is a gentle breeze, and all is calm, as if no one else is near and I can bask in the sun, while enjoying the warmth of God’s word. The problem, of course, is that this idyllic scene is far from reality.

I’m a church planter, a pastor and a father with small kids. I wake up at 5 am with my son. My day is full of appointments, meetings, sermon prep, hospital visitations and more, and my wife and I usually stay up late at night just so we can find time for the two of us to enjoy together, alone. It’s a rare occasion to have time for “quiet reflection” (by that, I mean, time when I’m fully alone with no possibility of being interrupted or distracted). I long for deep, contemplative and meditative prayer over God’s word, but like many people, I imagine, my longings and my reality are often disconnected. But I’m compelled to keep at it. I must. For, who are we, as Christians, if we do not meditate?

The spiritual practice of meditation is deeply rooted in the essence of the Christian faith. A wise Christian mystic once said that the greatest act of genius God ever did was burrowing himself and his image deep within humanity itself, and it is through meditating on God’s word that we can begin to discover this hidden treasure.

Meditation in Psalm 1

Psalm 1 gives us a powerful glimpse into a life steeped in meditation. The scene that unfolds here in far from anything that I have imagined for myself. It is deeper, truer. The psalm begins: “Blessed is the one…whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law, day and night” (vv. 1-2). What I find so incredible in this opening statement is that, meditating on God’s word is not only possible, there is great delight to be found in this practice.

I can’t help but notice the word “delight” here. This descried happiness is linked to God’s word. Meditating on Scripture is paramount to experiencing God-given happiness, which is an interesting thought, considering that often we see spiritual practices like meditation as a chore. The act feels hard, the rhythm is awkward, and sometimes it feels more stressful and confusing than peaceful. Nevertheless, this is God’s promise to us. Joy comes with meditation.

Now, undoubtedly, the Psalmist has all of Scripture in mind here. Nevertheless, the word “law” is used in verse 2. In the original language, “law” means much more than legal matters. It means “instruction.” This is because the whole Bible contains God’s instruction. So, we can read the text in this way: “happy is the man and woman who delights in God’s word and meditates on it day and night.” In other words, reading, memorizing and reflecting in the Bible should not be reductive or simplistic. We should not limit ourselves to only a few books of the Bible. There is possibility for meditation in Revelation as much as in the Psalms, in Judges as much as in Matthew.

Furthermore, the verb, “to meditate” conveys the idea of murmuring, of muttering. For the author, to meditate means that one is whispering and recalling God’s word, and I believe this means not just in solitude, but also in the course of daily activities. This gives me hope. It means that I can find peace and quiet and connection with God, even during busyness. For example, I don’t need to always find a way to remove myself from my children in order to meditate on God’s word. I can do this in their presence, even modeling it to them when I do.

There is urgency in meditation. The author of Psalm 1 knows this, which is why he shows us a contrast. The blessed man or woman meditates on God’s word, but “not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. Therefore, the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous” (vv. 4-5). You are either meditating on the word of God or the words of the world. There is no other possibility. So, what’s occupying our thoughts today?

“Why do I meditate?” asks Bonhoeffer. “Because I am a Christian. Therefore, every day in which I do not penetrate more deeply into the knowledge of God’s Word in Holy Scripture is a lost day for me.”

3 Steps to Meditation

I want to conclude with three steps on how to develop the spiritual practice of meditation.

First, regularly listen to God’s word.

Notice that I say “listen.” That’s because we are all at different places in our reading of God’s word. Some of us are good readers and some are not. That’s okay. Nevertheless, all of us can listen. So, if reading is challenging for you, then listen to the Bible. You can listen to the Bible on a number of apps or through biblegateway.com. Listen to the Bible while driving to work or driving home. Listen to it while you’re exercising. And, really listen. Don’t let your mind wander. Listen to a chapter several times or, if you’re reading, read a passage of Scripture several times. Doing so will allow your mind and heart to be engaged with the text.

Second, ask yourself the following questions: What does this passage say about God? What does it say about humans? What is this passage calling me to do (e.g., praise, repent, pray, encourage, instruct)?

Genuinely think through these questions and write them down. I encourage people to keep some sort of notebook or journal, so that they can put their answers down in writing and return to them later for remembrance and reflection.

Third, process God’s word with others.

Talk about and reflect on God’s word with your spouse, your friends, your colleagues and roommates. That’s what Moses urges the Israelites to do. Think of the passage in Deuteronomy 6:6-11, where Moses commands God’s people to talk to everyone, including their own children, about God’s Word. They were to talk about it when they woke up, when they went to work and when they came home at night. The Israelites’ meditation on God’s word was supposed to form the main bulk of their conversations during the day. Can you imagine how differently your speech might be if you held yourself to the same challenge?

That is my challenge for you this week: Do not just meditate on God’s word in some abstract form, but try out these steps of prolonged reading (or listening), of memorization, of reflection and verbal processing. In doing so, may you see and delight more in what God has to say to you each day.

Who are we, as Christians, if we do not meditate? Click To Tweet