Meditating on the Word - by Laura Duke

Personal, intentional and meditative bible reading and study has become irregular and very unstructured for me lately due to changing routines and a generally busy life. God and I are working through this at the moment and as I came to writing this devotion, I felt to write about it. Perhaps some of you are struggling with similar issues, have in the past, or will in the future. Either way, I pray that each of you will be encouraged to delve deeply into scripture for yourselves!

I have started working through a short study series called 'Reclaiming the Lost Art of Biblical Meditation' (available on the 'youversion' bible app), and want to share some of what I've read there!

Firstly, we have been saved through Christ's death on the cross, and nothing else. The process of reading and meditating upon scripture isn't about earning salvation, but rather about the ongoing 'repairing of the mind' that God works in us after our salvation, and should be continuing for our whole life! (see Romans 12:1-2)

By meditating on God's Word in scripture, our minds are transformed and our thought patterns are adjusted, aligning more and more with God's thoughts. This process supports our ability to see the world through God's eyes, allowing us to soak up his greatness and process our griefs and sorrows.

I want to encourage you to be intentional with your bible reading. Work through a book of the bible. Write down your questions, pray that God will reveal the answers or lead you to a person you can talk to about it. Get a routine that works for you - everyone is different. Try something for a few weeks, if it's not working, tweak your plan and try again. Don't give up if it doesn't work straight away, habits take a long time to form! Pray that God will guide you.

I pray that you each experience a continual deepening of your relationship with God through intentionally meditating and pondering of His Word!