Pondering His Holy Word

As a Christian, I often connect meditation to New Age philosophy or Eastern Religion practices such as yoga. Perhaps because New Age philosophy consistently incorporates such language in various practices, I cringe whenever I hear the word meditation. But, the Bible expects us to meditate on the word of God. The LORD tells Joshua, “The Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night” (Joshua 1:8). Additionally, the term mediate comes up numerous times in the Bible. What does the Bible mean by “meditate,” and how is it different from New Age Meditation? Or better yet, is there a difference? SPOILER ALERT: The answer is yes.

Let’s explore the definition of the English word meditate, which was derived from the Latin word meditari, which means to “think over, reflect, or consider.” So that solves the problem. Pretty easy, huh? God wants us to think over, reflect, and consider his word. This definition is definitely in line with Nelson’s Compact Bible Commentary explanation which states that meditate means “one should reflect upon God’s word thoughtfully, appropriating its truths personally and applying them to life” (129). That makes sense.
           So how is this meaning different from Eastern Meditation or New Age meditation? Well, let’s break this down even further. There are various meditations used all over the world which has been used for thousands of years. However, as a spiritual practice, meditation is working on training your mind in self-awareness. This list is just a brief explanation of a few types of meditation, many of which goes back thousands of years.

• Transcendental Meditation – a person is assigned a mantra to repeat in a specific way.
• Guided meditation – uses guided imagery or visualization to create mental pictures or scenes that a person may find relaxing.
• Mindful meditation – teaching people to focus on their thoughts without engagement or judgment. (As a teacher, I’ve seen this many times.)
• Chakra meditation is made up of relaxation techniques focused on wellbeing and balancing the chakras (centers of energy and spiritual powers in the body.)
• Yoga – “is a system of physical postures, breathing techniques” (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). The person should focus on the moment and less on distractions.

We can see a significant difference between the listed meditation and biblical meditation by reflecting on those terms. Let’s dive a little deeper. In the Old Testament, the word Meditate is translated from several words such as Hagah (Ha’ga) and Siyach (Se’ahk). Hagah, as used in Joshua 1:8. Hagah means to roar, growl, utter, muse, devise. “The Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night.”

Psalms 119:15 states, “I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways.” The passages used the term siyach to mean muse, commune, speak, complain, ponder, and sing. Both hagah and siyach have similar meanings. So as we reflect on God’s word, we should utter them. We should ponder his words.

We are not trying to bring awareness to ourselves but to bring deeper awareness to God’s word for all they are worth. As I was writing this blog, I thought about how I like to meditate on Job Chapter 38 – 42. I reflect on God questioning Job about how the universe works. Then God describes how all of the nuances that we humans tend to overlook. It is pretty fascinating when you think about it.
 God’s word is awe-inspiring, and it is right to savor it. Daily bible reading helps the word of God wash over you like a summer rain shower. Bible study enables you to understand scripture, like putting a puzzle together piece by piece.
We often overlook meditating on the word of God. That’s when you speak God’s word quietly and think about the individual passages and sometimes words and the meaning that they convey. It is as if you are sipping a hot cup of coffee. You are taking in his word slowly and enjoying every bit of it. Then you find yourself gaining more wisdom. Like coffee makes gives you pep after you drink it, meditating on scriptures enhances your desire and ability to make godly choices. 
The goal is not to bring awareness to yourself (yet you might) but your awareness to God. You are not altering your mental state. You are not clearing your mind. You are filling your mind with God’s word. You are eating of the bread of life; you are drinking from the fountain of living waters. You are enjoying the stroll that leads to the narrow gate, the entrance to the Kingdom of Heaven. Meditating is sometimes rereading a verse that captures your attention or digesting a difficult passage verse by verse until it consumes you. 
You can never meditate on the entire scripture in your lifetime, and that’s the point. God has given us more bread and water than we can ever eat in our lifetime and eternity.