The BIBLE & Our Perspective

  

Meditation - Thinking About the Bible


 

If you aren't serious about being a follower of Jesus, you will not be interested in most of what is found in this section. Meditating on the Word of God - not to be confused with the "mind-emptying meditation" of eastern religions - involves actively thinking about what God says - learning it, understanding it, and applying it to one's life.

You cannot be lazy or merely "religious," if you want to meditate on God's Word. It requires effort - and a willingness to change - to go beyond mere "religion," to the point of being a genuine disciple (follower) of Jesus.

Remember that Jesus (as well as the rest of the Bible) warns us that merely hearing or knowing the Word does not cause a person to belong to God. Rather, it is the one who hears God's Word and does what it says, who belongs to God. Everyone else is still dead in sin - even the "religious church-goers" who do not do what the Bible says.

On the "Bible-Introduction" page, these issues are summarized in:


Thinking About "Meditation"

This is a very comprehensive group of articles about the whole topic of meditation. It looks at what "meditation" is all about, and considers every Old Testament verse that uses this word. (The New Testament uses other words, such as "thinking" about God's Word, or "paying attention" to it.) Also included are helps, study questions, articles and comments related to the issue of meditating on God's Word. [Some of these articles will make reference to other articles outside this series of studies.]

NOTE THAT CERTAIN FORMS OF "MEDITATION," PRACTICED BY VARIOUS EASTERN RELIGIONS, HAVE BEEN "CHRISTIANIZED" BY A NUMBER OF PEOPLE, IN AN ATTEMPT TO INTRODUCE THEM INTO THE CHURCH. (THEY HAVE BEEN "REDESIGNED," SO THAT THEY DON'T LOOK OBVIOUSLY "EASTERN," AND ARE OFTEN COUCHED IN "SCIENTIFIC-SOUNDING" TERMINOLOGY.) THESE PRACTICES ARE NOT PROMOTED IN THESE ARTICLES, BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT THE TYPE OF "MEDITATION" THAT THE BIBLE PROMOTES.

Start HERE! (The Foundation for These Studies)

This is the starting point; it sets the framework for this study. It contains introductory comments, suggestions for studying and thinking about the Bible, the list of verses used in this series, and how we arrived with this list.

Meditation - The Word Study

Includes a more in-depth look at the definition of "meditation," as well as a comprehensive Bible study of that topic.

Extended Passage Studies

Three passages are examined extensively: Joshua 1:8; Psalm 1 and Psalm 119 (selected verses). They are grouped together here, although they are also referred to in other sections of this study.

Some Related Articles

We are in a war over the control of our minds. This fact must impact everything we do. We cannot win this war if we are going to be lazy or passive in the battle.

A Response to Those Who Get Upset about This Study on "Meditation"

This is a response to a typical e-mail that someone might send, opposing the focus of this study about "Meditation." We live in an age in which even "church-goers" do not accept what the Bible says, or the way it defines issues.


Other Articles

The Student, the Fish, and Agassiz

This is a very good story that illustrates the value of meditation (carefully studying and thinking about something). This story is based on a real-life event, and several versions of it were published more than a hundred years ago. Being public domain, it can be found at numerous places on the internet - many of which are emphasizing the value of studying (or meditating on) the Bible! [It also illustrates the value of studying the Bible itself, rather than basing your views on what other people say about the Bible!]


The Bible reminds us (about the person who loves God)...

His delight is in the law of the LORD,
And in His law he meditates day and night. (Psalm 1:2)


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