What is Christian meditation?

Meditation has got itself a bit of a bad name with Christians as it is so often linked to Buddhism and eastern religions- meditation linked with emptying of the mind. The psalmist meditated and his meditation had nothing to do with this - instead it was a focused meditation- reflecting on God's word.

Most of us are very busy, we seem to find ourselves with far too much to do. We read the word, we pray and then move on to something else. Of course, it is good, it is essential to hold on to a regular habit of reading the scriptures and praying - but what about this: "My eyes stay open during the night watches that I may meditate of thy word" [verse 148]. Choosing to stay awake at night in order to reflect, think about, mentally chew over what God has written. Meditation was clearly is of enormous importance to the psalmist, and several times we find him mentioning it. How important is it to us? All night sessions may not be practical for many of us, but giving time for quiet reflection on what God has written should be habitual for each of us.

Verses 2 and 3 are beautifully positive. Some people tell us not to mention the negative at all, but God mentions it first. Why? Because the whole world is in a state of evil, and it must first be established that the believer is not of this world. Then the positive things provide the evidence as to why he is not of this world. "His delight is in the law of the Lord" (v. 2). The law here is not confined to the five books of Moses, which are rightly called "the law of Moses," but includes the entire word of God as revealed at the time this psalm was written.

The blessed man meditates in the law of God day and night. Some eastern religions advocate "meditation," but their practice is not meditation at all, but the effort to rid one's mind of everything, good or bad, and leave him in a state, of nothingness. How much better to meditate on God's word!

Just as a man's speech or writings is the means or instrument by which he communicates his thoughts, and makes known his feelings, so is God's word the instrument or means by which He makes Himself known. Meditation is the means by which we, on our part, become possessed of that which is made known. In the case of a fellow-creature, suppose I find all my happiness in keeping company with him, listening to his discourse; or, supposing him absent, in reading his letters or writings, poring over their contents, repeating them to myself and following out the trains of thought to which they give rise — clearly, in such a case, it is my delight in the speaker or writer, my admiration of his character or abilities, my sympathy with his thoughts and principles and pursuits, my attachment to himself, which accounts for the delight I have in his writings and discourses. So, if my delight is in the word of God, and if in that word I meditate day and night — my thoughts whenever released from pressure returning to God's word, and flowing spontaneously in that channel, it is because God Himself is known, loved, and delighted in. If it be, then, the secret of true happiness which is here unfolded to us, what is it but that God Himself alone suffices for the happiness of his intelligent creature, man? "Delight thyself also in the Lord, and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart."1 "The Lord is my portion, saith my soul."2 "Whom have I in heaven but Thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee."3 "The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup."4 Such breathings as these are expressions of the counsel of the godly. Even as to the means of enjoying Him as our portion, other scriptures are not wanting. "Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever; for they are the rejoicing of my heart."5 "Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and Thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart."6 See also Psalm 19:7-11; and the whole of Psalm 119.

With the ever-increasing urgency of our daily lives there is some danger of losing sight of the need of quiet in the Lord's presence. We do not speak of stated seasons for reading the Scriptures and for prayer (which all believers will seek to have), but rather of that which was seen in David when, after the Lord's gracious communication to him concerning his desire to build the temple, he went in and sat before the Lord. It is true that his heart overflowed, while in this attitude, in thanksgiving, praise, and prayer; but this, we apprehend, was the result of his meditation upon the message he had received. Sitting before the Lord, Nathan's words sank deep into the king's heart, and he comprehended, as he otherwise could not have done, the greatness of the favour which had been bestowed upon him and upon his house. It is this posture of soul which we desire to commend for the consideration of the Lord's people.

It is exemplified in the scriptures at the head of this paper in the word meditation. The meaning of the word in the several places cited is "to talk to one's self" about the subject occupying the mind; and, as the matters in hand show, this would be carried on, as in David's case, in the presence of the Lord. Let another example be cited to show its value. In Psalm 73 we find that Asaph was troubled in his meditations upon the prosperity of the wicked. He talked it over with himself, and could not see any way out of his difficulty. It was a blot, he was tempted to think, upon the government of God, and he was filled with perplexity. Then he tells us, "When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me; until I went into the sanctuary of God, then understood I their end." The lesson is that, if meditation is to be of value and for blessing, it must be exercised in the presence of God - in the sense of dependence upon Him and upon the ministry of His Spirit. Otherwise we should be lost in the mazes of human thoughts and speculations.

Meditation and study. Meditation and study differ. Study is a work of the brain, meditation of the heart; study sets the invention on work, meditation sets the affection on work. Study is the finding out of a truth, meditation is the spiritual improvement of a truth; the one searcheth for the vein of gold, the other digs out the gold. Study is like a winter sun that has little warmth and influence: meditation leaves one in a holy frame: it melts the heart when it is frozen, and makes it drop into tears of love.

The necessity of meditation. Without meditation the truth of God will not stay with us; the heart is hard, and the memory slippery, and without meditation all is lost; meditation imprints and fastens a truth in the mind. Without meditation the truths which we know will never affect our hearts, "These words which I command thee this day shall be in thine heart" (Deut. 6:6). How can the word be in the heart, unless it be wrought in by meditation? As an hammer drives a nail to the head, so meditation drives a truth to the heart. Without meditation the word preached may increase notion, not affection. Meditation fetcheth life in a truth. There are many truths lie, as it were, in the heart dead, which when we meditate upon, they begin to have light and heat in them.

We exercise our minds when we use them for reflection and meditation. Of this the Psalms are full, speaking of meditation on God Himself, on His word and His works. (Ps. 63:6; Ps. 119:148, Ps. 77:12) It is often a valuable thing to go over again in our minds the scriptures we have recently read, the substance of an address we have heard, or some experience we have passed through to make sure that we have absorbed its special message. We do not often think of Peter as a man given to reflection, yet twice we find him so engaged at critical moments in his life. “Peter called to mind the word Jesus said to him … and when he thought thereon he wept.” (Mark 14:72) “While Peter thought (or pondered) on the vision, the Spirit said to him, Behold, three men seek thee.” (Acts 10:19)

Obedience is always governed by the word of God. God gives strength to Joshua, in order, He says, "that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law of Moses." But besides the spiritual energy necessary to obey, there must be something more. He adds in verse 8: "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." There must then be; besides divine energy, diligent care to appropriate the thoughts of God. He says: meditate therein in order to obey. Is that our aim when we study the word of God? Often we like to read for the sake of instruction, which is of itself a good thing; at other times, so as to be able to impart to others, also an excellent thing in its place; but, let me say again, do we habitually read it for the purpose of diligently obeying? If it were so, how it would change the whole current of Christians' lives!

He adds: "Meditate therein day and night." There are some Christians who read a chapter (alas, a verse perhaps!) every morning as a sort of amulet to preserve them throughout the day. Is that meditating day and night on the word of God? What about our occupations? do you say? Well, let me ask you in return: In the midst of your occupations, is it the word given by God which nourishes you — that word given for your soul's enjoyment, and to guide you in the path of Christ? That is the way to "have good success in our ways and to prosper."

This leads to another and natural consequence, but one of great importance, because it not only informs us of the will of God, but keeps us in His presence, and familiar with the ideas, thoughts, ways, hopes, the whole manner of our God. "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 all that is written therein, for thus shalt thou make thy way prosperous, and then shalt thou have good success." Compare Psalm 1. This meditation on God's word, of course, makes us know His will. But it does a great deal more. It gives the habitual delight of the heart to be in what God reveals, in what He delights in. We acquire His (that is, the true but divine) way of thinking of things; not the side of the vain show of this world. Our own hearts are formed by and in this divine and blessed apprehension of things. Oh what a light it is, and how does the vanity of this world appear what it is! "Sanctify them through thy truth, thy word is truth." "For their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth." Besides, the soul is kept subject to God in meditating on His word: an immense point morally. Nor is this all. It secures the communications of His grace. "I have called you friends, for whatsoever I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you." Owning the word of God is owning God in this world as He has spoken. But I must pass on.

"Thou shalt meditate" is a distinct call, which should exercise the heart. Spiritually feeding upon the word, we gain the desired heart-knowledge. There is no hour more profitably spent than that in which the Christian is alone with God over His word, humbly pondering upon God's thoughts in God's presence. A book-learned and a Spirit-taught Christian are very distinct. There may be a knowledge of the truth of the word, obtained by reading or instruction, where "thou shalt meditate" is but scantily observed. There may be an intellectual grasp of the doctrines and principles of Scripture, and what then "Knowledge puffs up!" The Christian, who has learned to enter in secret into God's presence as to knowledge, is necessarily humble and lowly in mind. We say necessarily so, because God's presence ever makes man humble.

Meditate upon these things

or "Occupy thyself with these things" (New Trans.). When we read our Bibles, we miss much of the Spirit's teaching in the truth by reason of our failure to quietly consider what we have read. God, as our Father, in His great love, delights to minister Christ to us when we read His word, and the blessed Lord Jesus Christ seeks to speak to us of Himself when we are so engaged. But how much more should we receive if we meditated more upon the scriptures in the spirit of one of old who could pray "Open Thou mine eyes, and I shall behold wondrous things out of Thy law" Ps. 119:18. The Holy Scriptures abound with instances of men of God receiving spiritual enlightenment during moments of meditation, that is, when led by the Spirit, they have concentrated on the things of God to the exclusion of the affairs of earth. It was when Moses was ready to "turn aside" from the quiet task of minding the flock of Jethro, to the even more quiet occupation of looking at the burning bush, that God could call to him out of the midst of the bush and acquaint him with His intentions concerning Israel's deliverance (Ex. 3). Similarly, Daniel, when he was prepared to turn away from everything else on earth, and set his "face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications" was "informed," or enlightened, by Gabriel, and given "skill and understanding" in the truth relating to God's future dealings with His people, as bound up with the Messiah (Dan. 9:3, 20-22). Then there is the case of Peter in Acts 10:19. It was when he pondered, or "thought on the vision," which he had seen, that the Spirit of God instructed him in connection with it.