Day 5 – Translate and Meditate

Tom Marxen Authority of God's Word 18 October 2023 Hits: 40

As you read and study the Word of God you will invariably come across words and situations that you do not understand. Sometimes scriptures will seem to be contradictory and confusing. Here is a sound method you can use to sort out these things and grow in knowledge and faith.

Translate and Meditate

When you come to a word or passage that is fascinating or confusing to you, it is a good idea to investigate that scripture and begin to study out that subject. One of the first things to do is to place the scripture in its context. Is it Old or New Testament, Is it a prophecy, letter, historical account, etc.? You can do specific word searches with bible dictionaries and/or a Strong’s Concordance which catalogues every word written in the Bible and defines it for you. The point is that you should stay with the subject until you get the revelation of Truth before you move on. It is not always required that you do an in depth scholarly study, but keep the word in your heart and receive it as a treasure even if seems difficult at first.

Translate, Study, and Meditate. Your study of the bible should not be confined to a single session of reading once a day (which in itself is a good idea), rather you can keep His Word with you as you go through your day.

Also, do not hesitate to ask the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is our Teacher, when we ask of Him, He will answer. This may not happen immediately, but it will surely come. If you don’t know what to ask about, simply ask the Lord what He would like to lead you into. God is overwhelmingly in love with you and He desperately wants to teach you his ways. Enjoy the journey; God is the rewarder of those who seek Him.

Psalm 1:1-3

Blessed is the man, who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,

Nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers;

But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.

He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither.

In all that he does, he prospers. ESV

Psalm 145:4-7

One generation shall praise your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts.

I will meditate on the glorious splendor of your majesty, And on Your wondrous works.

Men shall speak of the might of your awesome acts, and I will declare your greatness.

They shall utter the memory of your great goodness, and shall sing of your righteousness. NKJV

The quote below is from : http://www.biblestudytools.com/blogs/founders-ministries-blog/meditating-on-god-s-word.html

The Puritans thought of meditation this way as they described it as “preaching to yourself.” We take the Word of God that we hear and read, and we mull it over in our minds and then bring it to bear upon our lives in personal exhortations.

It is a word that is found often in the Old Testament, especially in the psalms.

May my meditation be pleasing to him, for I rejoice in the LORD (Psalms 104:34).

I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways (Psalms 119:15).

Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day (Psalms 119:97).

When we meditate we think about God’s Word. We dwell on it and then as opportunities arise, we preach it to ourselves. We inject it into our thoughts as we make decisions, as we admonish and instruct our souls to choose right things and walk down right paths.

This is the essence of meditation. It is evoking the truth, embracing it and embedding it in our lives. It is intentionally focusing on recalling God’s truth that it might resound in our hearts and become that grid through which we sift and measure our thoughts and actions.

Meditation is a crucial Christian discipline and a vital means of grace that we must treasure and practice. But it is a discipline that takes time and effort. Accessibility can never beat intentionality. Don't assume that having God's Word close at hand means you have it close at heart. Carve out time in your day to remember, time to ponder, time to preach to yourself. The world around us can too easily choke out what is needful and good for our souls. Don’t allow God’s truth to slip away from you. Be intentional and diligent and your meditation.

(Emphasis are my own)

Discussion Questions:

Day 4 – How to Study the Bible