Discover the Beauty of Slow Scripture Meditation
June 10th, 2023 • by Katherine Pittman
"One verse a day," the elderly preacher answered.
We sat across the table from Stephen Kaung, a seasoned preacher of more than 80 years (now with the Lord). My husband had just asked him to describe his morning devotional routine.
I was shocked.
One verse? How is one verse enough?
Aren’t we supposed to read through the Bible each year?
Don’t we need a plan to “check off all the boxes?”
And what if we land on some boring verse that seems completely irrelevant?
The preacher’s gentle eyes discerned our unasked questions. He read through the Bible regularly, but he was introducing us to a new concept: Scripture meditation.
These days, the word "meditation" may evoke thoughts of yoga mats, self-reflection, and questionable New-Age origins. But true meditation lifts our eyes from ourselves and fixes them on the Lord.
It’s true that we need all of Scripture. We should of course strive to familiarize ourselves with the entire Bible. But to grow spiritually—to gain answers to difficult questions and find comfort through hard seasons—we must also have slow, unhurried moments before the Lord. Moments that cause our spirit to say, "the nearness of God is my good" and "whom have I in the heavens but thee?"
“—they can read a very great deal, because they do not read anything. The eye glances but the mind never rests. The soul does not light upon the truth and stay there. It flits over the landscape as a bird might do, but it builds no nest there, and finds no rest for the sole of its foot. Such reading is not reading.”
The Lord Can Speak Clearly Through Meditation
As we begin to study and make discoveries in Scripture, we often want to know everything—immediately. The idea of pondering just one verse at a time seems frustratingly slow.
But spiritual maturity and scriptural understanding most often come not through giant leaps and marathon study sessions but by steady faithfulness, day after day. Scriptural meditation helps us to slow down, to zoom in, and to hear the Lord’s gentle voice whispering through his Word.
David meditated often (Psalm 119:97). So did Joshua (Josh. 1:8). And Isaac (Gen. 24:63). We find Paul instructing Timothy to do it (1 Tim. 4:15). We find it connected with phrases like, “often” and “day and night.” But what does this look like? And why is this spiritual discipline worth discovering and practicing for yourself?
In Psalm 77, we find an example of Biblical meditation. Asaph is troubled and restless. But he "remembers his song in the night" and he begins to meditate. "Then my spirit made a diligent search," he says (vs. 12). As he recalls the Lord's great help in times past, he begins to understand God's heart. "Your way was through the sea," he testifies, "even when we couldn't see your footprints, you were there" (vs. 19, paraphrased). You can almost feel Asaph's relief as he brings his trouble before the Lord and recounts time after time where the Lord proved himself faithful.
How to Implement Scripture Meditation
Not long ago, as I navigated a particularly crushing season, the Lord brought to mind a memorized verse from Isaiah 53: "but it pleased the Lord to crush him." I couldn't escape the thought. As I continued pondering this one verse, the Lord reminded me that he also walked this crushing way.
Additional Scriptures flooded my spirit as I remembered how we're called to fellowship with Christ in our sufferings (Phil. 3:10), how the buried seed brings forth new life (John 12:24), how the crushing of grapes and olives produces precious oil and wine. I remembered snatches of Scripture, such as "death works in us" so that life can flow (2 Cor. 4:12) and "is a servant above his master?" (Luke 6:40). As the Lord navigated my spirit through verse after verse, great comfort came and worship rose in my heart.
“Oh Lord, you know this crushing way,” I prayed. “If this is to bring forth increased fruit for you, let it be.”
“How do we know our Lord lives? How do we know his Word is true? Because we spent the morning, noontime, and evening beholding him and meditating on his Word. ”
Meditation as a Daily Routine
Over the years, I've known several who have plodded through entire books of the Bible in this way—little by little, faithfully pondering one verse a day. They begin with 1:1 in whatever book they’re studying and continue with the next verse each day. They may spend just a few moments thinking through the verse that morning. But they return to it “day and night” and inquire, “Lord, what does this mean?” By the end of the day, they've not only memorized the verse, but they’ve also likely caught something they never saw before.
Let’s take a look at one of those seemingly “irrelevant” verses. So often we skim through Paul’s greetings (and many verses) without even a thought. But take a moment to consider Romans 1:1—"Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ."
As we slowly meditate, we realize even Paul's simple introduction holds deep meaning. We consider the words before us, and the Lord brings the verse to life in our hearts: "Wow, Paul, who was formerly a Pharisee of Pharisees, calls himself a servant." He reminds us of the bondslave in Exodus, who freely offered his life back to his master. (21:1-6). Suddenly, we see and appreciate that this educated apostle—so skilled and used so powerfully by the Lord—is content to call himself a servant, to take the lowest place so that Christ may gain all the glory.
The Beauty of Pondering God’s Word
Friends, this is the beauty of Scripture meditation. This is the place where Christ begins to "dwell in our hearts through faith" (Eph. 3:17). It's where we begin to comprehend "the breadth and length and height and depth...to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge" (Eph 3:18-19). It's where we stand in awe of Christ as we behold him, where Scripture comes alive, and where we gain strength to withstand the onslaught of the enemy.
How do we know our Lord lives? How do we know his Word is true? Because we spent the morning, noontime, and evening beholding him and meditating on his Word.
Abiding with Jesus
If we're going to stand boldly to face a world increasingly hesitant to the gospel, we need to have the testimony of the early apostles, like those who have "been with Jesus" (Acts 4:13). As we begin to meditate on his Word—not quickly skimming passages to check a box but quietly lifting our hearts before him in stillness—we learn to abide with him. We take our questions to him and commune with the living Word and we realize: this is our God, and he is beautiful. And it doesn't matter what the world says. It doesn't matter if we're crushed, hurt, or disappointed. Christ dwells in our hearts, we experience his love afresh, and we fellowship with him. In "his light, we see light" (Psalm 36:9).
We meditate and we remember: It is enough to be with him.
Katherine Pittman is wife to Geoffrey, and homeschooling mom of three. She is the creator of Write the Word on my Heart, a Bible Memory curriculum for little ones, and occasional host of the Books and Parchments podcast. She serves alongside her husband in youth and college ministry, burdened to see another generation fall in love with the Lord and his church. Connect with Katherine on Instagram, or find more of her writing at chroniclesofmomia.com
MORE FROM JOURNEYWOMEN
IMPORTANT NOTE
Journeywomen articles are intended to serve as a springboard for continued study in the context of your local church. While we carefully select writers each week, articles shared on the Journeywomen website do not imply Journeywomen's endorsement of all writings and positions of the authors or any other resources mentioned.
