The Value and Practice of Meditation

Meditation is basically an extended period of deliberate, intentional thought or
concentration. It is the act of giving your attention to only one thing, either as a religious activity,
or as a way of becoming calm and relaxed for physical and mental health. In the Bible, meditation
is a valuable, disciplined exercise involving the focusing of our thoughts in a way which eliminates
distractions and enables a deeper appreciation for God and His word.
There are God-given blessings from meditation.“Blessed is the man that walketh not in the
counsel of the wicked, Nor standeth in the way of sinners, Nor sitteth in the seat of scoffers: But
his delight is in the law of Jehovah; And on his law doth he meditate day and night. (Psalms 1:1
2 emphasis supplied). God commanded Joshua to discuss and meditate upon His law: “This book
of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth, but thou shalt meditate thereon day and night,” (Joshua
1:8a). The result of such meditation was twofold: “That thou mayest observe to do according to
all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have
good success,” (Joshua 1:8b). So, meditation results in a life which is 1) acceptable to God and 2)
successful.
But in our fast-paced lives, and the daily hustle and bustle of the modern world, how do we
find the time or ability to practice pure and effective meditation? How do we adjust our periods of
solitude or quiet time so that we may say with David, “But I will meditate on thy precepts?”
(Psalms 119:78). Here are two biblical principles about meditation you may find helpful as you
seek to include more of this valuable activity in your life:
1. Meditation requires intentionality, and is not accidental, or something we do because
we have nothing else to do. Great men of God choose to meditate. They deliberately set aside
time in their day for meditation. The Bible says “Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the
eventide,” (Genesis 24:63). He did not go out in the field on that occasion to plow or harvest. His
purpose in going into the field at that time was to meditate. Perhaps one reason we do not meditate
as we should is because when we reach an appropriate time or place to do so, we look around and
find other things to do instead. Isaac specifically selected a time and place to meditate.
Periods of meditation do not come to us, we have to go to them. We have to set aside a
specific time and a specific place. We have to determine that this is what we intend to do, and this
is what we are going to do at this particular time.
2. Meditation requires serious effort and diligence. Paul commanded Timothy, “Meditate
upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all,” (1 Timothy
4:15KJV). People who become really good at something usually spend a great deal of time thinking
about it, visualizing it, practicing it and discussing it with others. Meditation involves a focus
which requires practice and training to achieve.
When I was in college my dorm room was located at the end of the hall, near a stairwell. At
times, the echoing noise on those stairs could be deafening, and at first it was extremely distracting.
In learning to study in my room, I had to learn to tune out the noise around me. I had to focus and
concentrate on what I was doing, and not allow competing noises to distract me. Meditation
requires a similar discipline. There will be many occasions to become distracted and sidetracked,
but we must remember why we are there and what we are doing.
The act of meditating requires us to muse, to seriously reflect upon the most important
subject in life. On such occasions, we are contemplating the most profound and life-changing
spiritual themes of all. Let’s not allow the urgent or mundane affairs of this life to prevent us from
meditating upon God and his word! Maybe we could start by meditating for a few moments upon
the value of meditation, and then try hard to implement these Bible principles for making it a
regular part of our life!