Memorizing and Meditating
“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. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.”
(Psalm 1:1-3)
The words of the Bible are powerful; not just the ideas in the Bible, but the actual words. “The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.” (Psalm 12:6) It doesn’t say, “The message of the LORD is a pure message:…” although it is, but “The WORDS of the LORD are pure WORDS:” (capitals added)
The first part of our passage says to avoid ungodly people: “…walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly,…” That doesn’t mean you should be “holier than thou.” That phrase is in the Bible, by the way. It means to be spiritually stuck-up: “…I am holier than thou.” (Isaiah 65:5) God is not pleased when people are like that: “…These are a smoke in my [God’s] nose, a fire that burneth all the day.” (Isaiah 65:5) Rather, the passage means not to let ungodly people influence you with their conduct.
It also says to meditate in God’s Word: “…in his law doth he meditate day and night.” To meditate in God’s Word is to think about its words in order to let it guide your life. Joshua 1:8 says, “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that THOU MAYEST OBSERVE TO DO according to all that is written therein:” (capitals added)
In order to meditate on God’s Word, you need to memorize it verbatim. Doing so takes work, but the result is worth the effort. Here are some ways Scripture memorization and meditation will help you.
Meditating on God’s Word gives us a special sense of Jesus’ presence. John the apostle wrote, “That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.” (1 John 1:3) This epistle was written after Jesus had gone up to heaven. Didn’t John mean, “…truly our fellowship WAS with the Father…”? No, he meant “IS.” Jesus is alive now, and we can fellowship with Him through His Word.
Jesus also said, “Abide in me, and I in you.” (John 15:4) We can’t fellowship with Jesus personally because He ascended into heaven long ago. Yet we can “abide in Him and He in us” by reading and meditating on His Word. Three verses later, Jesus said, “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” (John 15:7) He didn’t say, “If ye abide in me, and I in you,…” but “If ye abide in me, and MY WORDS abide in you,…” (capitals added)
Meditating on God’s Word also helps us against temptation: “…I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.” (1 John 2:14) When Jesus was tempted in the desert on His 40-day fast, He used one weapon-the Word of God-to resist the devil’s temptation. We still have that weapon today, and it still works.
Meditating on God’s Word also gives us comfort and hope: “…that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.” (Romans 15:4) So much more could be said that Bible meditation gives: discernment, wisdom, a productive thought-life. Most importantly, the Bible tells us how to have forgiveness of sins and eternal life through Jesus Christ. To learn how to have eternal life, please go to www.clevelandbaptist.org, click “Helpful Links,” then “How Do I Go to Heaven?”
Brian Miller 5/26/2023
Cleveland Baptist Church 4431 Tiedeman Road, Brooklyn, Ohio 44144 216/671-2822