Practicing the Way: Scripture — MEDITATE

Devotional

Day 1: Meditate on Scripture Day and Night

Meditating on Scripture is not just a suggestion but a foundational practice for spiritual growth, as seen in the hinge passages of Joshua 1 and Psalm 1, which call us to let God's Word be on our lips and in our hearts day and night. This kind of meditation is not about emptying our minds but about filling them with God's truth, promises, and presence, allowing His words to shape our imagination and transform our lives. When we slow down and savor Scripture, we become like trees planted by streams of water, deeply rooted and nourished, able to withstand the distractions and anxieties of our fast-paced world. [35:13]

Joshua 1:8 (NIV)
Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.

Psalm 1:1-3 (NIV)
Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers.

Reflection: What is one specific time each day—morning, midday, or evening—when you can intentionally pause to meditate on a verse or passage, letting it shape your thoughts and actions for the rest of the day?

Day 2: Let Scripture Move from Head to Heart to Hands

Biblical meditation is not just about reading or studying Scripture but about letting it be absorbed into our lives, so that it is metabolized into acts of love and obedience. Like a cow chewing cud, we are invited to return to God's Word repeatedly, allowing its sweetness and strength to emerge, and then letting it nourish every part of our being until it is lived out in our actions. True transformation happens when Scripture moves from our eyes to our hearts and from our hearts to our hands and feet, becoming visible in the way we love God and others. [39:57]

James 1:22 (NIV)
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

Reflection: What is one way you can put into practice today something you have read or meditated on in Scripture, turning it into a concrete act of love or service?

Day 3: Jesus as the Fulfillment and Interpreter of Scripture

Jesus modeled a life immersed in Scripture, seeing all of it as pointing to Himself and teaching His followers to read the Bible as one unified story centered on Him. He internalized God's Word so deeply that it shaped His responses, sustained Him in temptation, and even became His prayers on the cross. When we meditate on Scripture as Jesus did, we allow our hearts to burn within us and our minds to be opened to understand God's purposes more fully. [33:27]

Luke 24:27, 32, 44-45 (NIV)
And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself... They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”... He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.” Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.

Reflection: As you read Scripture this week, how can you look for Jesus—His character, His promises, and His presence—in every passage, and what difference does that make in your understanding?

Day 4: Slow Down and Savor—Lectio Divina as a Spiritual Practice

In a world that trains us to skim and scroll, God invites us to slow down and savor His Word through practices like Lectio Divina, which involves reading, meditating, praying, contemplating, and obeying. This slow, prayerful approach allows us to notice what God is highlighting, chew on it deeply, pray it back to Him, rest in His love, and then live it out. By retraining our attention and rewiring our hearts for faith and love, we become more attentive to God's voice and more compassionate toward others. [47:56]

Psalm 119:15-16 (NIV)
I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways. I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word.

Reflection: Try practicing Lectio Divina with a short passage today—what word or phrase stands out to you, and how might God be inviting you to respond?

Day 5: Scripture Transforms Us—From Information to Joy and Delight

When we haggah—chew on—God's Word, it does not merely inform or inspire us; it transforms us, bringing joy and delight to our hearts and nourishing us to become more like Jesus. In a distracted, anxious world, meditating on Scripture roots our emotions in truth, cultivates empathy, and rewires us for love rather than fear. As Jeremiah wrote, God's words become the joy and delight of our hearts when we truly take them in and let them shape our lives. [52:12]

Jeremiah 15:16 (NIV)
When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, Lord God Almighty.

Reflection: What is one verse or promise from God’s Word that has brought you joy or comfort in the past? How can you return to it today and let it become your delight again?

Sermon Summary

In our fast-paced, digital world, our attention spans are shrinking, and our ability to focus deeply is being eroded. We often find ourselves distracted, skimming through life and even through scripture, rather than savoring and reflecting on God’s Word. Scientific studies confirm that our brains are being rewired for speed and distraction, not for depth and empathy. This is not just a personal struggle; it affects our children and our communities, shaping us into people who react quickly but rarely reflect deeply.

Yet, God invites us to be reformed by His Word, to slow down and let scripture heal our distracted minds and rekindle our delight in Him. The ancient practice of meditating on scripture—what the Hebrew calls “haggah”—is not about emptying our minds, but about filling them with God’s truth, promises, and presence. Unlike modern mindfulness, biblical meditation is about deeper attachment to God, letting His words shape our imagination and our lives.

Scripture itself teaches us to meditate on God’s Word. At the seams of the Hebrew Bible, in Joshua 1 and Psalm 1, we are instructed to meditate on the law day and night. This is not a passive act, but an active, ongoing engagement—like a cow chewing its cud, returning to the same words until their sweetness and strength emerge. Meditation is how scripture moves from the page into our personhood, metabolized into acts of love and obedience.

Jesus Himself embodied this practice. He internalized scripture so deeply that it shaped His responses, His prayers, and even His words on the cross. We are invited to follow His example, not just reading scripture, but letting it abide in us through slow, prayerful meditation.

A practical way to do this is through Lectio Divina—a four-step process of reading, meditating, praying, and resting in God’s love, with a fifth step of obedience. This is not reserved for spiritual experts; it is for anyone longing to be an apprentice of Jesus in a distracted world. As we meditate on scripture, we retrain our attention, root our emotions in truth, and are transformed from the inside out. God’s invitation is simple: stop scrolling, start chewing. Let His Word become the joy and delight of your heart, nourishing you to become more like Jesus for the sake of others.

Key Takeaways

1. Meditate, Don’t Just Read Scripture Scripture is not meant to be skimmed or rushed through, but savored and meditated upon. Biblical meditation—haggah—means to chew on God’s Word, letting it fill our minds and hearts until it becomes part of us. This slow, reflective engagement allows God’s truth to shape our lives in ways that quick reading never can. [35:50]
2. Biblical Meditation Fosters Deep Attachment Unlike mindfulness practices that focus on detachment, biblical meditation is about deeper attachment to God’s presence, truth, and purposes. It is not about emptying the mind, but about filling it with God’s story and promises, cultivating intimacy and love for God in the midst of ordinary life. [37:34]
3. Meditation Transforms Us from the Inside Out When we meditate on scripture, it moves from the page into our personhood, becoming metabolized into acts of love and obedience. This transformation is not just intellectual, but holistic—shaping our emotions, actions, and relationships, and making us more like Jesus. [42:15]
4. Lectio Divina: A Practical Pathway Lectio Divina offers a simple, time-tested way to meditate on scripture: read, meditate, pray, rest, and obey. This practice is accessible to everyone, not just spiritual elites, and helps us listen for God’s voice, integrate His Word into our lives, and respond in faithful action. [46:05]
5. Meditation Retrains Our Distracted Minds In a world that rewires us for distraction, outrage, and anxiety, meditating on scripture retrains our attention and roots us in faith, love, and empathy. As we linger with God’s Word, the Spirit transforms our brains and our souls, enabling us to live with greater joy, peace, and purpose. [49:53]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[28:14] - The Challenge of Distraction
[29:03] - How Digital Media Shapes Us
[30:21] - God’s Invitation to Be Reformed
[31:31] - Meditating on Scripture: Haggah
[32:44] - How Jesus Engaged Scripture
[34:05] - The Structure of the Hebrew Scriptures
[35:13] - Canonical Seams: Joshua 1 and Psalm 1
[36:27] - What Does “Haggah” Mean?
[37:34] - Biblical vs. Modern Meditation
[38:49] - The Cow Analogy: Chewing the Cud
[41:05] - Personal Example of Meditation
[42:15] - Scripture Metabolized into Love
[44:55] - Lectio Divina Explained
[48:37] - Meditation Leads to Obedience
[49:53] - Meditation Retrains Our Attention
[50:46] - A Slow Reading Challenge
[52:12] - Transformation Through Meditation
[53:00] - Prayer and Blessing
[60:08] - Child Dedication Ceremony

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Joshua 1:8 (NIV) — > "Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful."

2. Psalm 1:1-3 (NIV)
> "Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers."

3. Luke 24:27, 32, 44-45 (NIV)
> "And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself... They asked each other, 'Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?'... He said to them, 'This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.' Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures."

Observation Questions

In Joshua 1:8 and Psalm 1:2, what specific instructions are given about how we are to engage with God’s Word?
According to the sermon, what does the Hebrew word “haggah” mean, and how does it describe the way we should interact with Scripture? [[36:27]]
How did Jesus model the practice of meditating on Scripture, according to the examples given in Luke 24 and the sermon? [[43:35]]
What are the main differences between biblical meditation and modern mindfulness practices, as described in the sermon? [[37:34]]

Interpretation Questions

Why do you think the Bible emphasizes meditating on God’s Word “day and night” rather than just reading it once? What might be the impact of this kind of ongoing engagement? [[35:13]]
The sermon compares biblical meditation to a cow chewing its cud. What does this analogy suggest about the process and purpose of meditation? [[39:19]]
According to the sermon, how does meditating on Scripture transform a person differently than simply reading or studying it? [[42:15]]
The practice of Lectio Divina was introduced as a way to meditate on Scripture. What are the steps, and why might this be helpful for people living in a distracted, digital age? [[46:05]]

Application Questions

The sermon described how our digital habits are training us to be distracted and reactive. What is one specific way you notice digital distractions affecting your ability to focus on God or Scripture? What could you do to change that this week? [[29:41]]
When you read the Bible, do you tend to skim or rush through it? What would it look like for you to “chew” on a passage this week instead of just reading it quickly? [[35:50]]
The practice of Lectio Divina involves reading, meditating, praying, resting, and obeying. Which of these steps feels most natural to you, and which feels most challenging? Why? [[46:05]]
The sermon said that biblical meditation is about deeper attachment to God, not detachment from the world. How could you use meditation on Scripture to draw closer to God in your everyday routines? [[37:34]]
Think of a recent situation where you reacted quickly but didn’t reflect deeply. How might meditating on Scripture have changed your response? [[29:41]]
The speaker shared a personal example of carrying a verse throughout the day and letting it shape his thoughts and actions. Is there a verse you could carry with you this week? How will you remind yourself to return to it? [[41:05]]
The sermon challenged us to “stop scrolling, start chewing.” What is one practical step you can take this week to replace a moment of digital distraction with a moment of meditating on God’s Word? [[51:25]]

Sermon Clips

Haggah is returning these same words until their sweetness and their savoriness and strength emerge in us, in our mouth. Then it goes into the third stomach, the omassum, which is where it begins absorbing the nutrients. And that's how meditation distills and turns the wisdom on the pages into something that applies to our lives. [00:39:33] (25 seconds) #AttentionOnLove

Meditation in God's word is how the word abides in us. It's how scripture moves from these pages into our personhood. The first step for many of us, perhaps, in our practice of reading scripture, is to slow down and read scripture. And that's the first step for many of us, is meditate. Slow down and meditate. [00:44:17] (22 seconds) #SpiritualCudChewing

Now, this meditative mode of reading is different from study, which we're going to learn next week. Bible study asks, what do these words mean to the original hearers in their context, in their time, and how do we apply that to us today? That's Bible study. But Lectio asks, how is God coming to me personally through the text right now? [00:45:12] (29 seconds) #SlowDownAndMeditate

As you reread it, and second, third time, or more, you reflect on the connections that are being made in the passage and your life. You're listening for what God might be saying to you, and this helps us deepen reflection. It takes us from what the left brain, right brain, to the left brain, and then you go Oratio, which means to pray, to speak out. You talk to God what we are hearing from God, and this begins to integrate our hearts and our minds together. [00:46:50] (29 seconds) #GodSpeaksNow

When the original monk named Guigo developed this, he kind of described them as a linear experience. One, two, three, four. But as we practice it, it might be like a dance. You learn the dance moves, and then it comes sometimes as two, then four, then one, then three. And however you end up practicing this, remember, meditating on scripture is essential to our formation in Christ, to recognizing how much God loves us, especially in this digital age. [00:47:39] (30 seconds) #DeepenReflection

Jewish rabbis used to teach that you learn the Torah with your feet more than your ears. You learn the Torah with your feet more than your ears. Meaning, you learn through obedience. You learn through doing it. [00:48:59] (18 seconds) #PrayAndListen

Meditation isn't for seasoned pros. It's for everyone who longs to be an apprentice of Jesus, especially in such a distracted, short attention span world. Meditation retrains our attention. Meditating on scripture roots our emotions in truth, not the headlines. Meditation cultivates empathy. [00:49:18] (27 seconds) #DanceOfMeditation

So if you're tired of skimming life, scrolling through it for something meaningful, God's invitation is simple. Stop. Stop scrolling. Start chewing. Chew on God's Word. It's meant to be scanned. It's meant to be savored and enjoyed. [00:51:41] (21 seconds) #MeditationForEveryone

When you haggah God's Word, when you chew it slowly and prayerfully and obediently, it doesn't just inform you or inspire you. It transforms you. It transforms your brain. It transforms your life. It brings joy. It brings delight. It nourishes you so that you can become more like Jesus, so they can really live for God and really live for others. [00:52:14] (27 seconds) #RewireForLove

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