Meditate
By Nell Reece
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Philippians 4:8 KJV
Every day our minds are constantly bombarded with information, distractions, and worries. In today’s culture, we are told that whatever you want to be “true” can be true for you. And unfortunately, sometimes people look to friends or social media or search Google for truth without ever going to the source of truth: the BIBLE – God’s Word.
We all know that the only real truth is found in the Scriptures! We know that it is only God’s word that stands as an unwavering source of wisdom, comfort, and guidance.
In this verse in Philippians, Paul didn’t mean “whatever” as in “choose what you want to be true.” Paul meant “fill your mind with what is true.” We already know from Jesus that God’s Word is truth. The Bible is full of exhortations to treasure God’s Word and think about it often.
Joshua 1: 8 (ESV) “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it”.
Psalm 1:1-2 (KJV) “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. 2But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.”
Meditating on God’s word is like planting seeds of truth in the fertile soil of our hearts. It is taking time to let those Words of Life transform us. When we meditate on God’s word, it’s like a spiritual mirror that reveals both our strengths and areas for growth.
Hebrews 4:12 Good News Translation – “The word of God is alive and active, sharper than any double-edged sword. It cuts all the way through, to where soul and spirit meet, to where joints and marrow come together.”
A cancer patient needs an expert surgeon to remove the tumor without compromising other organs. His scalpel needs to be sharp, the incisions and excisions exact and the margins wide and clear. There is no room for error. If he left just one microscopic cancer cell, the cancer will grow back even faster!
God’s Word is like that razor-sharp scalpel, and His Holy Spirit is like the surgeon who works on our hearts and our minds with great precision, helping us to rightly divide the Word of Truth as it says in 2nd Timothy 2:15.
By meditating on the scripture regularly, reciting them— (The Hebrew word for “meditate” means to mumble or mutter aloud to oneself) our minds are transformed and we will know what is true. Christian meditation is vastly different from what the world portrays as meditation. You will never achieve any understanding of truth by emptying your mind. Rather, we need to fill our mind with God’s Word. When we do that, we will find clarity in confusion and peace in turmoil.
Dear Father, Help us to be like a tree that draws strength from Your Words. Let Your truths take root in our souls. Help us to be transformed by the renewing of our minds with Your Word and be drawn closer to You by reading and meditating on Your Words of Life. Amen.
