Psalm 119:97-104 Mem

Oh, how I love your law!  I meditate on it all day long.Your commands are always with me  and make me wiser than my enemies.I have more insight than all my teachers,  for I meditate on your statutes.I have more understanding than the elders,  for I obey your precepts.I have kept my feet from every evil path  so that I might obey your word.I have not departed from your laws,  for you yourself have taught me.How sweet are your words to my taste,  sweeter than honey to my mouth!I gain understanding from your precepts;  therefore I hate every wrong path.

Psalm 119:97-104

What does it mean to meditate?

According to Merriam-Webster:

meditate

intransitive verb
1 : to engage in contemplation or reflection
He meditated long and hard before announcing his decision.

2 : to engage in mental exercise (such as concentration on one's breathing or repetition of a mantra) for the purpose of reaching a heightened level of spiritual awareness

transitive verb
1 : to focus one's thoughts on : reflect on or ponder over
He was meditating his past achievements.

2 : to plan or project in the mind : INTEND, PURPOSE
He was meditating revenge.

But what does the Bible mean when it speaks of meditation?

For quite some time I thought there was a definite difference between reading the Bible, studying the Bible, and meditating on the Bible. Turns out there might actually be a difference, but it's not as definitively separated in the scriptures as we might think. The three ideas are intertwined with one another, along with memorization.

If you read every scriptural passage that mentions meditation, you'll learn that meditation is a long and deep dwelling in the Word. It will likely include both straight reading of the words and analytical study. It will also likely incorporate quiet thinking and prayer. It may also include talking with others about the passage you've been meditating on, as well as some experimental attempts to act upon the Word.

The Bible also speaks of meditating on God's creation, on God's people, and on God's interaction with His world and His people. As you spend your days meditating on the world around you, the scriptures you've been meditating on will naturally become incorporated into your thoughts. Then, when you return to meditate on the Book itself, your meditations on your world will naturally intertwine with your thoughts about the scriptures.

Meditation will include gathering Information, will move on to exploring Application, and have as its chief goal Transformation. Meditation will change you.

Instead of resolving just to read through the Bible over the coming year, how about resolving to meditate on the Word?