But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. Psalm 1:2 NLT

Taking the time out of each day to reset with Jesus is the spiritual practice that gives us a taste of what is to come. As Augustine of Hippo said, “The Holy Scriptures are our letters from home,”[1] until the day when the follower of Jesus follows Jesus all the way to our true home.

Reading a devotional encourages us to grow in our relationship with Jesus, but we need the living Holy Scriptures to be at work in us. We need to absorb Scripture, and this happens when we meditate on it.  Meditation is a biblical discipline; God tells us to meditate on His Word in many passages (Psalm 119:15-16, Joshua 1:8, Psalm 1:2).

What is meditation?  It’s definitely not daydreaming.  In ancient Jewish culture, meditation took the form of speaking Scripture over and over to yourself.  Meditation can involve study or reflection but there is the idea of having it “on your lips” (Psalm 19:14)

If our goal is transformation through the absorption of Scripture, that means we probably can’t take in long passages at one time.  After you read ask, “What one verse stood out to me today?  Or, “What’s the main idea here?”  Try to put what you read in a few of your own words. Say them aloud and often to yourself. The Bible is alive with the power of the Holy Spirit and it changes those allow it to work.

 

Resource Reading: Psalm 119:9-16

[1] “A Quote by Augustine of Hippo.” Goodreads.com. 2011. Web. 16 Nov. 2020.