But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law he meditates day and night. Psalm 1:2
There are many spiritual disciplines that make up the life of a Christian: prayer, fasting, simplicity, study and meditation, to name a few. Some of these are more foundational than others. Memorizing Scripture leading to Biblical meditation is one of these. Biblical meditation is at the heart of a life being transformed. Some might ask, “I have been a Christian for a long time; why is my life so void of Christian victory?”
If this is the case for you, maybe you need to evaluate how much of your life is devoted to biblical meditation. Without biblical meditation, our minds do not have the spiritual food necessary to be transformed. “Head knowledge” is knowing a lot of facts but not having them applied to the heart. Meditation is a key to unlocking “heart knowledge,” where the Scriptures come alive within us and do the miraculous work of changing us.
Biblical meditation is drastically different than Eastern meditation. The former is based on filling one’s mind, whereas Eastern meditation is based on emptying one’s mind. As believers in Christ, we are told to set our minds on things above and to let our minds dwell on whatever is true, honorable, right, pure and lovely. Romans 12:2 states that the transforming process is a renewing of our minds. So, how are our minds renewed? Without God, our minds are filled with the garbage of this world. It is not enough to empty our minds of the garbage.
We need to be filled with that which is of the Lord. We have been given a tool in the Word of God, which He gave us in order that we might know Him. When we fill ourselves with the Scriptures, we begin the process of knowing Him. It is best to meditate on only a small portion of Scripture at a time. With too many verses, how can one effectively think about what is being said? If verses are memorized, how much easier it is to meditate on them, chew on them, ponder them throughout the day. When we meditate on verses, they become “hidden” within our hearts. When the Holy Spirit needs to convict us, the verses are easily recalled to do their instructing work. If they have not been memorized, it is much more difficult for the Word to become our Sword (Ephesians 6:10-17).
Memorization of Scripture in itself, however, is not our end goal, because memorizing Scripture does not change lives. The challenge is how to allow the Scriptures to come alive within us. Biblical meditation is the answer. The goal is a life transformed, which brings glory to the Lord Jesus Christ.