The actor, Jared Leto, recently emerged from a silent meditation camp only to learn that COVID-19 had become a global pandemic. After close to two weeks in a desert retreat, it was a shock for him to learn what had happened while he had been unplugged. With the constant barrage of troubling news reports and alarming developments, escaping to a desert hideaway may sound tempting. Meditation sounds like it may help deal with the uneasiness that many people are feeling. But does the Bible say anything about meditation? Is meditation Christian? And, if so, is it any different than Hindu and Buddhist forms of meditation?
In other religions, the focus of meditation is on an awareness of self and emptying of distractions. People seek answers from the inside and relief from the outside. Christian meditation is completely different. In the Bible, answers come from God rather than us. And God reveals Himself in His Word. The goal of meditation, therefore, is to concentrate on what God has said and done in an effort to grasp the meaning and implications. By saturating one’s heart and mind in God’s Word, we are shaped into His purposes and transformed by His values.
In Hebrew, there are two words that are translated into the English word meditation. One word literally means “murmur.” It can be used to describe the growling of a lion (Isaiah 31:4) or the cooing of a dove (Isaiah 38:14). But when it is applied to reflection on God and His works it describes a deep preoccupation. In Joshua 1:8, for example, it says, “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it.” God’s law was not merely to be read but considered deeply. It was to be constantly on the lips, turning the phrases over and over again to understand the meaning and application. That, he says, will lead to settled obedience, an aligning of a person’s life with God’s will. The same word is used in Psalm 143:5 to describe deep reflection on God’s works, both in history as well as the psalmist’s life. He writes, “I remember the days of old; I meditate on all that you have done; I ponder the work of your hands.” I picture a person quietly recounting God’s faithfulness and gratefully remembering all that He’s done.
The other Hebrew word that is translated as meditation in English is “siyach.” It means “to talk” and can be used to describe a conversation, but when applied to the Scriptures it pictures more of a deep fixation that results in an internal conversation. The psalms are filled with descriptions of meditation. Psalm 119:48 says, “I will lift up my hands toward your commandments, which I love, and I will meditate on your statutes.” People can meditate on God’s laws, precepts (Psalm 119:15) and deeds (Psalm 77:12), but the psalmist also meditates on God’s promise. In Psalm 119:148, he says, “My eyes are awake before the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promise.” He rises early with a commitment to fix his thoughts on God’s promise and so find his strength in God and His plan.
You don’t need to escape to a desert or a cave to practice biblical meditation. And the goal isn’t to empty your thoughts or listen to your heart. The focus is Scripture. But it does require that we do something more than just read the Bible. We’re called to something deeper. We slow down and churn it over in our minds. We linger long enough in the Scriptures until they begin to saturate our thoughts and crowd out the lies that would oppose them. We think through the implications for our lives and the application that God would have us make.
Many of us are meditating on the Coronavirus these days. We’re fixating on news of it and it’s saturating our thinking. It preoccupies our thoughts and monopolizes our attention. This is the focus that God’s Word is supposed to have. When it does, God changes us. He gives us hope and changes our values. We begin to see the world through His eyes and align our steps with His purposes.
To meditate on Scripture, slow down and ask questions of it. Take notes of what you learn and reflect on what it might mean for your life. Write out a verse that stands out to you and carry it with you so you can reflect on it throughout the day. Read it before you go to bed so it’s the last thing that occupies your thoughts as you fall asleep. As you do, you’ll find it fill you with more hope than the sound of your breathing and the empty contemplation of the universe could ever provide.
In awe of Him,
Paul
