I Will Be With YouSample

Meditation time

My daughter acts like a Buddhist. Whenever I talk about meditating on the Bible, she assumes the lotus position, pinches her index fingers to her thumbs, closes her ears, and chants, “Hmm.” Then she peeks one eye open to make sure we are paying attention to her performance.

The Bible talks a lot about meditation. But it’s not about clearing your mind. It’s about laser-focusing your mind on the Word of God. As God said, “Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night” (Joshua 1:8). In Hebrew, the word meditate means to enjoy something so thoroughly that your body emits a sound, like a dog instinctively growling as he enjoys a bone. That’s God’s goal, that we would not just check the Bible-reading box but instead savor his promises like a gourmet feast.

What else can we do but savor when we chew on the gospel and read how committed God is to us, despite our sins? How else could our souls react when we hear that God is with us, even though we have struggled to obey fully?

In our family, we have a saying—Chew first. That’s our slang for “meditate on the Bible before everything else.” We don’t want to skim the surface of the Word that has changed the world. We want to chew on it. We want to enjoy it. We want to meditate upon it. 

As a guy who can’t touch his toes, I can’t assume the lotus position like my little girl. But thankfully I can meditate on the gospel all day long!

Find for more devotions like this here!