Verle Bell M.D.
[Originally published as Scriptural Meditation. Photo credit: Canyon Ministries]
Happy is the person who does not apply ungodly advice even from godly people or hang around with sinners, wishing we could do what they do, or join in with scoffers as they make fun of other people. Instead, they meditate day and night on God’s word. They will be like trees that are green in the desert, and whatever they do, they will prosper. Psalm 1:1–3
Meditation is a highly powerful thing, for good or for evil.
It is vital to understand the difference between biblical meditation and Eastern meditation.
In both situations, people recognize that having one’s brain filled with the clutter of work and trials does not lead to creativity, stamina, or a sense of well-being. In Eastern meditation, the practitioner tries to get rid of all the clutter and just experience nothingness.
As you know, I was raised in India, where holy men would go out to the woods with just a loincloth on, sit under a tree with their legs crossed, close their eyes, and say some neutral empty sound like “OOOm” to feel more peaceful. Basically, this fits with the idea so many people have that the way to find peace is to not care.
God calls us to care very much, to care passionately, to care intensely, and at the same time find peace.
There is another problem with Eastern meditation. Not only does it lead you to be empty, but that emptiness invites the invasion of attitudes and thoughts from the devil that are not healthy. Nature hates a vacuum, and emptiness will suck negatives into itself.
This is why Judeo-Christian meditation focuses on something real and practical.
Yes, we are to go to our secret room to pray, partly so that we are not making a show in front of others, but also to block out distractions. There, we focus on a passage of God’s Word, or an issue or situation we care about, and ask God to open our minds to what he is trying to teach or show us. We might focus on who God is and on his characteristics. We might take a daily meditation book with us to help us calm down and focus on the Lord.
So, how do we meditate day and night?
Any time you want to form an ongoing habit, such as being mindful at all times, praying without ceasing, etc., you start by setting times of the day to practice. You will then find that mindfulness spreads from those times through the rest of the day.
For example, if three times a day you pause and meditate on
- what God has given you to enjoy,
- what he has helped you do,
- the people he is placed in your life for your benefit,
- or how you are wonderfully and fearfully made,
soon you will find yourself noticing these things as you go through the day.
If you pause and meditate three times a day on how wonderful God is including his names and his characteristics, soon you will see evidence of his character and beauty throughout the day. If you pause and meditate on the needs of those around you and pray for them three times a day, soon you will see the needs of those around you and reach out to them as a way of life.
