Bible Studies for Life: November 6
Meditate on God’s Word • Psalm 1:1-6; Philippians 4:8
By Laura Lee Leathers
At the 2022 Annual Meeting of the Mississippi Baptist Convention on October 25-26, one of the speakers used the phrase, “Garbage In, Garbage Out.” There’s a lot of truth in that phrase, but how often do you hear people say, “Scripture In, Scripture Out?”
“Scripture in” comes through reading, writing, studying, memorizing, meditating, and hearing God’s Word. “Scripture out” is evident by our obedience to the precepts of God’s Word and the fruitfulness that is produced through ministry, missions, and evangelism.
As a Christ follower, one of our daily disciplines should be to meditate upon the Word. What does it mean to meditate on God’s Word?
Canadian theologian J. I. Packer (1925-2020), in his book Knowing God, describes it this way: “Meditation is the activity of calling to mind, and thinking over, and dwelling on, and applying to oneself, the various things that one knows about the works and ways and purposes and promises of God… It is an activity of holy thought, consciously performed in the presence of God, under the eye of God, by the help of God, as a means of communion with God.”
Meditating on Scripture provides blessing and delight (Psalm 1:1-3) The word, “blessed,” in verse one is used in plural form, meaning many blessings. British Baptist preacher Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892) states we should read it as, “Oh, the blessedness!”
The verse also illustrates the negative and the positive of how a blessed man is to live. “Observe the progression, “walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scornful.”
Sin entices. It’s subtle. It will take you farther than you want to go and keep you longer than you want to stay. The godly man should not have fellowship with the lawless (2 Cor. 6:14). A good study would be to look at Lot in the story of sin-filled Sodom in Genesis 19.
There is great delight found in the instruction of the Lord. In The Treasury of David, Spurgeon writes, “He delights to be in it, he delights to meditate in it, to read it by day and meditate in it at night. He takes a text and carries it all day. In the night, when sleep forsakes his eyes, he ponders the word of God. In prosperous days, he sings Psalms from God’s word, and in affliction’s night, he finds comfort with promises from the same book.”
Have you ever selected a tree from the nursery? The tree mentioned in verse three has been chosen, specifically planted in a location, cultivated, and protected from uprooting. The tree is planted by the “rivers of waters.”
Everything the tree needs is found in this one place. It’s a place of great abundance. Spurgeon’s commentary states that it’s “the rivers of pardon, grace, promise, and fellowship with Christ -never failing sources of supply.”
When we are rooted and grounded in God’s Word, we will find everything we need to live this life. He equips and empowers us to be productive for His Kingdom purposes.
Our eyesight is limited in how God is working in our lives. However, “to faith’s eyes, this word is sure; we perceive that our works prosper even when everything seems against us” (Spurgeon).
Meditating on Scripture helps us pursue righteous living (Psalm 1:4-6). The next two verses describe the ungodly and judgment. The ungodly choose to go in the opposite direction rather than being like a tree firmly rooted in the precepts and testimonies of God’s Word. They don’t follow God’s law and are like dead and rootless plants, blown and carried away by the wind.
There will come a day of judgment. “In the day of judgment, the wicked will not be left standing with those who love God and strive to obey Him; they will be separated and sentenced to eternal punishment” (The Jeremiah Study Bible).
Meditating on Scripture keeps us focused on the right thoughts (Philippians 4:8). Six times, the word “whatever” is used and each time a virtue is mentioned. The list does not include all virtues, but maybe the top ones to consider. They are: “things are true, noble, just, pure, lovely, and of good report.”
Christ followers are to prepare their minds and hearts for purposeful action on these virtues.
Please spend some time studying each virtue and what they mean. For example, the virtue, “true, is found in God (2 Tim. 2:15), in Christ (Eph. 4:20-21), in the Holy Spirit (John 16:13), and in God’s word (John 17:17)” (The MacArthur Study Bible, ESV).
Also, notice verse nine. The Apostle Paul reminds the Philippians to “practice these things” (NKJV). When we do, there is the reward of the peace of God (vv. 7, 9, Phil. 4:7).
Ponder the Word. Practice “Scripture in, Scripture out.” You’re promised His blessings when you do.
Laura Lee Leathers is a freelance writer and a member of First Church, Lexington.