Live Like You're Loved: What Is Meditation?

Throughout this Live Like You're Loved experience, I might occasionally ask you to meditate on Scripture. What is meditation? How does one meditate? Is it as intimidating as it sounds? Today, I thought I would talk a little bit about meditation.

Meditation is spiritually tasting the Scripture--delighting in it, sensing the sweetness of the teaching, feeling the conviction of what it tells us about ourselves, and thanking God and praising God for what it shows us about him. Meditation is also spiritually digesting the Scripture--applying it, thinking out how it affects you, describes you, guides you in the most practical way. It is drawing strength from the Scripture, letting it give you hope, using it to remember how loved you are. ~ Timothy Keller

Martin Luther's approach to meditation: After fixing the truth in the mind as instruction, he asks how it shows you something about the character of God for which you can praise him, something wrong about yourself for which you can repent, and something that is needed for which you can petition him.

Let's see if we can put this into practice. The passage I've selected is one of the first I ever memorized.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.
Be not wise in your own eyes;
fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. Proverbs 3:5-7

Let's start with Martin Luther's three questions:

1. What can I learn about God's character in this passage? What in this passage can inspire praise?
2. What can I learn about myself by reading this passage? Is there anything I need to repent of?
3. And what about petition--are any needs revealed while reading this passage?

For the first question, I can say that God IS trustworthy. Though this passage doesn't elaborate on why He is trustworthy, I know from reading other verses that:

• God is faithful; 
• God is good; 
• God is wise; 
• God is steadfast; 
• God is merciful; 
• God is slow to anger. 

For the second question, I can say a lot. Here are some of the questions you can ask yourself:

• Do I trust in the Lord?
• Do I trust in the Lord with all my heart?
• In what ways am I not trusting the Lord?
• Do I acknowledge the Lord? Do I acknowledge Him in ALL my ways?
• Am I guilty of leaning on my own understanding and being wise in my own eyes?
• Do I fear the Lord?
• Am I willing to turn away from evil?

For the third question, I can say just look to the answers to the above!

Meditation can lead to prayer, and perhaps should lead to prayer.

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible