Psalm 1:1-2 - Memorize

Blessed is the man who doesn’t walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand on the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the LORD’s law. On his law he meditates day and night. 
—Psalm 1:1-2

Scripture meditation is a living, growing relationship with your Heavenly Father through the transforming power of His Word, the Holy Bible. Scripture meditation is not an intellectual study, but rather a spiritual exercise. How can you meditate on Scripture? Here are some suggestions.

Read the Bible.

Reading a passage of Scripture can have a cleansing effect on your mind, will, and emotions. As Jesus told His disciples…

“You are already pruned clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.” 
—John 15:3

Reading Scripture can build personal faith.

So faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. 
—Romans 10:17

Reading Scripture fulfills God’s instruction to believers. As the Apostle Paul admonished Timothy…

Until I come, pay attention to reading, to exhortation, and to teaching. 
—1 Timothy 4:13

Read with your mind and your spirit.

Meditating on Scripture is a Spirit-to-spirit interaction.

“But the hour comes, and now is, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such to be his worshippers. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth” 
—John 4:23–24

Scripture meditation requires that you place our mind under the control of your spirit and God’s Spirit, because the Scriptures are spiritually discerned, as Paul explained.

“Now the natural man doesn’t receive the things of God’s Spirit, for they are foolishness to him, and he can’t know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” 
—1 Corinthians 2:14

This also requires that you have the Holy Spirit in you by being born again and that you have not grieved Him or quenched His power. Your sins must be confessed and forsaken, because…

“If I cherished sin in my heart, the Lord wouldn’t have listened.” 
—Psalm 66:18

Mark the verses that stand out to you.
As you read, the Holy Spirit will cause certain verses to stand out to you with special meaning. Mark these verses so that you can come back to them. As you reread familiar passages, different verses will stand out because of new experience you have and new needs in your life. After finishing your reading, select the most significant verse or passage so that you can use it for your meditation. If God directs, you can also select an entire chapter or book to use for your memorization and meditation.

Put the passage in your heart.

Scripture meditation is an activity that takes place in the heart. The psalmist prayed…

With my whole heart, I have sought you. Don’t let me wander from your commandments. 
—Psalm 119:10

And just as the writer of Proverbs wrote of his father…

He taught me, and said to me: “Let your heart retain my words. Keep my commandments, and live.” 
—Proverbs 4:4

You put God’s Word in your heart by memorizing it word for word. God urges you to do this when He says…

Turn your ear, and listen to the words of the wise. Apply your heart to my teaching. For it is a pleasant thing if you keep them within you, if all of them are ready on your lips. 
—Proverbs 22:17–18

Use Scripture to talk with God.

In the process of memorizing a passage, quote it back to the Lord as an expression of your mind, will, and emotions. This is what David did in his meditation.

To you, LORD, I lift up my soul. My God, I have trusted in you. Don’t let me be shamed. Don’t let my enemies triumph over me. 
—Psalm 25:1–2

As you use Scripture to express yourself to God, you are engrafting it into your soul which fulfills the instruction of James 1:21.

Therefore, putting away all filthiness and overflowing of wickedness, receive with humility the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. 
—James 1:21

Focus on one word at a time.

There is a vast world of truth and meaning in each word of Scripture, because…

Every Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness, that each person who belongs to God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. 
—2 Timothy 3:16-17

By focusing on each word in the sequence of the verse, you expand your understanding of its meaning and increase your ability to think God’s thoughts after Him.

“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” 
—Isaiah 55:9

Where possible and appropriate, personalize the passage. Do this by using the words I, my, and me in place of he or they.

Share your results with others.

You are told to…

...but exhort one another day by day, so long as it is called “today”, lest any one of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. 
—Hebrews 3:13

By telling what God is doing in your life through Scripture meditation, you also deepen your grasp of the Bible verses and often see new applications of them. As you meditate on Scripture, God will bless you in significant ways. As you share these blessings with others, they should be motivated to follow your example and meditate on Scripture day and night.

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