4 Minute Read
Prepare Your Heart
To the best of your ability, get rid of all distractions. Take a few minutes to breathe deeply and quiet yourself in the Lord’s presence. Then, ask the Lord to speak to you in this time. Let Him know that you will listen and make whatever adjustments He will reveal to you.
Read God’s Word
A Verse for Today
Slowly and reflectively read the following verse(s) and listen to what God will say to you through His written Word. Consider writing down any insights He reveals to you.
Proverbs 16:23 (CSB): “The heart of a wise person instructs his mouth; it adds learning to his speech.”
Reflecting on God’s Word
The verse I have chosen for today speaks of a well-trained mind. It highlights one benefit that comes from gaining knowledge, assimilating it internally, and applying that knowledge correctly to various circumstances. Proverbs 16:23 tells us that a wise person is able to be careful and intentional about what they say and how they say it.
We need a lot of that right now in our country (U.S.A.). Many in our midst celebrate things like “being true to yourself” and “if you feel it, then say it.” With that mindset, and with the First Amendment of our Constitution that guarantees the freedom of speech, so much inflammatory and hateful rhetoric is coming out of people’s mouths these days.
What is a Christian to do? Well, we could try our best to say only what should be said in the way it should be said. But Proverbs 16:23 calls us to acknowledge that our speech is not ultimately the problem. It’s our hearts (who we are) and minds (what we think) that are ultimately the problem. If we are to mend our speech, we need to work on our minds and hearts.
How do we do that?
One of the books I’m currently reading is “From Mind to Heart: Christian Meditation Today” (1987) by Peter Toon. In this book, the author unpacks many of the meditation practices of Christians who have gone before us. Meditation is the way that they enjoyed a deeper relationship with the Lord and assimilated His Word. As they cultivated a mind that was wired with Scripture, the Holy Spirit within them naturally moved them to think, live, and speak in conformity to the internalized Word.
Let me share with you just one of the meditation practices the author shared in his book. The first one was Martin Luther’s (1483-1546) practice. Let me briefly share his process. Maybe you could implement it in your own life.
- Preparation: Set aside 15 minutes in a quiet place to prepare yourself.
- Reading of Scripture: Read whatever Bible plan you have, asking God to reveal His truth to you and any place you may not currently conform to it.
- Choice of short portion: Select a paragraph or verse to particularly focus your attention on.
- Questions to ask of the text: Ask questions that start with “who, what, where, and why”.
- Recollection: Call to mind the things you have previously learned from Scripture, sermons, lessons, etc., that would answer the previous questions and inform your understanding of the text.
- Consideration: Now that you understand the text, consider what God is saying to you personally in and through the text.
- Self-examination: Ask God’s Holy Spirit to help you see if you need to make adjustments in your thinking or behavior (or attitudes, motives, etc.) based on what God is saying to you in the text.
- Prayer and communion with God: Since your mind and heart are now warmed to God and the truth, speak with Him in prayer.
As you work through this process (there are other solid Christians who have advocated for slightly different approaches to meditation), ensure that it is not purely cerebral. Ensure that your heart is fully engaged. Open yourself up to the Lord, and whatever He would reveal to you in your time of biblical meditation.
In fact, why not spend some time meditating very soon? Maybe you should read back over today’s reading to find a verse or two that you will meditate on. I would love to hear from you regarding how it went and what you learned. You can post your comments at the bottom of this article on my website.
Spend Time in Prayer
- Ask God to help you find time very soon to meditate on Him and/or on His Word.
Going Deeper
If you want to dig a little deeper into biblical meditation, consider reading the following GotQuestions article:
“What are some biblical examples of meditation?”
Sharing
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Matt Ellis is the pastor of White Hall Baptist Church in Richmond, Kentucky (whitehallbaptistchurch.org)
Matt’s Musings 