Ideas on Bible Meditation from Psalm 23
David has been under attack. He is a survivor. He not only survives but thrives because David knows how to think and where to focus his mind. He focuses on God his Shepherd
David teaches us massive lessons in Psalm 23. One of the greatest in my personal life is how to meditate. Consider with me what David is facing: the destruction of his life’s work, his kingdom, abuse from his own family, being abandoned by people who had previously chanted his name, and almost certain death.
David gives us Psalm 23 in the middle of all that. I love what I am learning as I meditate on this Psalm day and now for the last few weeks.
Notice that David doesn’t mention his needs or hurts anywhere in the psalm. There is no focus on himself but only on God, his Shepherd.
Reread the psalm and notice that David never asked for anything. In the first three verses, David simply states who God is to him and what God is doing from time past to time future.
David doesn’t address God, his Shepherd, until the fourth verse. David says, “You are with me; I will not fear no matter what. Your direction and protection comfort me.”
Somehow, in some of the darkest moments of David’s life, he feels transported to another reality. He sees his Shepherd feeding him a banquet, refreshing his head with oil and joy overflowing. David sees that goodness and mercy follow him all the days of his life.
David goes from desperation to delight, darkness to light, death to life, and all because he knows how to meditate on truth. We can learn a lot from this.
Here are some steps to meditation for the believer.
Select a truth, characteristic, verse, passage, or attribute of God.
Quiet your mind and get your thoughts under control. You cannot meditate without disciplining yourself to think.
Your focus will be on the truth, not your circumstances.
Read the truth, the text slowly and repeatedly, and let the words sink into your heart and mind.
Look up every word in a dictionary and even the original language lexicons if you have them.
Write the verse down on a card or in your journal, look at it, and think about it all day.
Personalize the truth, and put your name in the verse.
When you lie down to sleep or thoughts come assailing, you run to your meditation and quiet the voices.
See the truth in your mind’s eye.
Ask the Holy Spirit your teacher questions. What are you saying here? How does this apply to me? What are you showing me?
Listen quietly and pay attention.
Write down what God is teaching you. Share it with others.
Apply the truth to your life. Practice what the Holy Spirit is teaching you.
Pray through the verse.
Memorize so you can think about the verse even when doing other things.
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