What does it mean to meditate on Scripture?
Biblical meditation is not emptying the mind but filling it: a thoughtful, prayerful dwelling on the word of God, chewing it over until it sinks from the head into the heart and shapes the life. The psalmist delights in the law and meditates on it day and night, and the blessed man is 'like a tree planted by the streams of water.' Meditation is how the word we read becomes the word we live.
This question arose from studying How should I read the Bible? and How do I build a daily habit of reading the Bible?.
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What the Scripture says
Meditation is filling the mind, not emptying it
Unlike the world's meditation, biblical meditation is not a blanking of the mind but a deliberate filling of it with the word of God. The psalmist speaks of meditating on God's precepts and considering His ways, delighting in the law and pondering it day and night. Jesus' mother Mary 'kept all these sayings, pondering them in her heart.' It is the slow, thoughtful chewing of Scripture until it saturates the mind and heart.
I will meditate on your precepts, and consider your ways.
but his delight is in Yahweh’s law. On his law he meditates day and night.
But Mary kept all these sayings, pondering them in her heart.
It is delight, not mere duty
Meditation grows out of love. The psalmist cries, 'How I love your law! It is my meditation all day,' and 'I reach out my hands for your commandments, which I love. I will meditate on your statutes.' The blessed man's delight in the law is the soil in which his pondering grows, 'like a tree planted by the streams of water.' We do not meditate because we must, but because we treasure the word.
How I love your law! It is my meditation all day.
I reach out my hands for your commandments, which I love. I will meditate on your statutes.
but his delight is in Yahweh’s law. On his law he meditates day and night.
He will be like a tree planted by the streams of water, that produces its fruit in its season, whose leaf also does not wither. Whatever he does shall prosper.
It is the way the word becomes a life
Meditation carries the word from the page into the walk. God told Joshua to let the book not depart from his mouth, meditating on it day and night, 'for then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall have good success.' Biblical meditation is aimed at doing: the word is pondered so it can be obeyed. David even links it to life change, praying, 'Open my eyes, that I may see wondrous things out of your law.'
This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall have good success.
Open my eyes, that I may see wondrous things out of your law.
I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.
It is a skill to be practiced and devoted to
Paul tells Timothy to be devoted to the Scriptures, to 'pay attention to reading, to exhortation, and to teaching,' and to be diligent in these things, giving himself wholly to them, that his progress may be evident to all. Meditation is not a gift only for the spiritually mature; it is a practice to be learned, a discipline of pausing over the word, asking what it says, what it means, and how it changes us.
Until I come, pay attention to reading, to exhortation, and to teaching.
Be diligent in these things. Give yourself wholly to them, that your progress may be revealed to all.
It fills the heart with what is true
A life is shaped by what it dwells on. Paul urges us to think about whatever is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, and of good report, and then names the result: 'the God of peace will be with you.' The psalmist says the man who meditates on the word is blessed and fruitful, and David's desire to hide the word in his heart was so that he might not sin against God. What we meditate on steadily, we become.
Finally, brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things are honorable, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report; if there is any virtue, and if there is any praise, think about these things.
The things which you learned, received, heard, and saw in me: do these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
He will be like a tree planted by the streams of water, that produces its fruit in its season, whose leaf also does not wither. Whatever he does shall prosper.
I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.
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Verses to meditate on
but his delight is in Yahweh’s law. On his law he meditates day and night.
How I love your law! It is my meditation all day.
This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall have good success.
Finally, brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things are honorable, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report; if there is any virtue, and if there is any praise, think about these things.
I will meditate on your precepts, and consider your ways.
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