“I have more understanding than all my teachers, for Your testimonies are my meditation” (Psalm 119:99).
Transcendental meditation, as eastern religions is often called, is not same with biblical meditation. It is dangerous and actually opens up one’s mind for Satanic attack as it is found in New Age thinking. Biblical meditation consists of reflective thinking usually on a specific subject to discern its meaning or significance or a plan of action. Psalm 63:6 says “When I remember Thee on my bed, I meditate on Thee in the night watches.” When we begin to focus or pondering on the word of God, we allow the Word to mould our thoughts and activities and by so doing we will start moving into a spiritual, life-giving understanding of truth from God. Meditating in the Word of God is one of the greatest keys to obtaining and understanding truth in our lives. It fill our thoughts with the thoughts of God, to allow ourselves to be consumed with the things God has said. When we become consumed with what He has said, it becomes effortless to do the things He said to do.
David lists understanding as one of the benefits we will obtain from meditating on God’s Word – “I have more understanding than all my teachers, for Your testimonies are my meditation” (Psalm 119:99).
“The entrance of Your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple” (Psalm 119:130).God never intended for meditation to merely produce more knowledge. Instead, His true intention was that after meditating His Word we will receive a greater understanding of God, of His ways, and how to activate His Word. Once we begin a regular habit of meditating the Word of God and not just reading it, we will receive insight and an understanding of how to walk in the principles that He reveals to us.
Joshua 1:8 is a classic scripture on the subject of meditation. It describes what will happen when we make a daily practice of meditating on God’s Word: “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”
One purpose of meditation is to put us in a position that empowers us to “do” God’s Word, not just hear it. Joshua said meditating on God’s Word day and night will cause us to “observe to do” all that is written. As we meditate on the promise of God, we will see things in the Word that we have never seen before, even though we may have read it before. And the revelation knowledge that comes from meditation will enable us to act according to what we have seen.
True meditation will bring us to the place of responding to God’s Word with action. And true Bible faith demands that we take action. Begin meditating on God’s Word and expect to see what to do about the situations you face today.