Psalms 1:2 ESV  but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.

Dear Fellowship of the Burning Heart:

When we talk about meditation, people often confuse what we mean with what they have observed in the world. The meditation that is primarily for relaxation and is designed to empty the mind of thoughts and worries is not what we have in mind. Christian meditation is not emptying the mind of debilitating thoughts; it is filling the mind with the Word of God.

I mentioned in an earlier posting that God and I have a running conversation throughout the day. Now, I don’t mean that we talk nonstop. Instead, I would describe it as the same thing that would take place in any relationship. My wife and I sit in the same room in the evening. We are involved in separate activities, but as the desire or need arises, we will converse. Our encounters might consist of a few short sentences, or might launch us into a heated discussion or a long casual conversation.

Now imagine that you had the opportunity to view a conversation between me and my wife, but for some reason, you were unable to see or hear her. It would appear to you that I was talking to myself. It might be possible to follow the conversation and pick up what was being discussed, but you would only hear my side of the discussion. When I was reading Psalm 1 on one occasion, I noticed in the center column of my study Bible a reference to the word “meditate.” It gave an alternate reading: “ponders by talking to himself.” I then looked up the Hebrew word and it means “to murmur or mutter.”

I like that way of describing meditation. I am having a conversation with God about a particular subject and it appears that I am talking to myself. I am asking myself what he has said about it, what I think about what he has said about it, why he might have said it, what I need to understand about the subject, etc. I am exploring God’s Word in my mind. I am looking at it as I would a multi-faced diamond or intricate design. I want to fully understand what I am observing. I am listening to hear what God is saying to me in his Word.

I believe that is what Christian meditation should involve. Although I don’t read the Bible for hours on end or involve myself in reading passages throughout the day (I am, after all, a bi-vocational pastor who has to focus on a secular job). I do, however, focus on a passage and meditate on it throughout the day. Sometimes, God and I have a heated discussion, where I am wrestling to understand the Word or figure out its application to my need or circumstance. I also have long times of conversation with God through his Word, but these are less frequent than I would like.

When I was growing up on the farm, I observed our cattle chewing their cud. My dad explained that they would graze, and then, at a later point, regurgitate and chew up their food to prepare it for digestion. To “chew the cud” or “chew on something” has come to mean to meditate, ponder, or ruminate.

We are told in Psalm 1 to “chew on” the Word day and night. Consistently, persistently, and continually, we can recall and meditate on the Word of God. Are you “chewing” on the Word?

Jeremiah 15:16 ESV  Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O LORD, God of hosts.