by Donald S. Whitney (adapted from article on LifeWay.com)
Surely no one reading this article needs to be convinced of the importance of feeding upon the Word of God. As Jesus said, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God" (Matthew 4:4). It is through the regular, personal intake of the Bible that we come to know God better, understand His will for our lives, experience God's transforming presence, and much more. But have you considered the significance of the daily saturation in Scripture for developing a more gospel-centered, Christ-focused life?
Preach the gospel to yourself every day
Martin Luther encouraged Christians: "preach the gospel to yourself every day." So there are times in every day when we need the reminder that what we are doing, saying, or thinking is sinful and needs to be taken by repentance to the cross of Jesus for forgiveness. Also, there are moments each day when we require a fresh awareness that a Christian lives in the freedom of God's forgiveness and the righteousness of Christ because of the person and work of Jesus. We need to transform our daily Bible reading time into a stimulus to this kind of biblical thinking. Regardless of how much or how little Scripture you read on a given day, close by going back to something from your reading and ask: "How does this relate to the gospel and to Jesus?"
Meditation - the absorption of Scripture
Choosing a few words from your reading and asking such questions is one way to meditate on Scripture. Some of the most remarkable promises in the Bible are associated with the practice of meditation on Scripture (e.g., Joshua 1:8; Psalm 1:3; James 1:25). Despite these, I am convinced that the greatest devotional need for most believers - even those committed to daily Bible reading - is to meditate on Scripture. Reading the Bible was never intended to be the primary means of absorbing the Bible. Reading is the exposure to Scripture - and that's the starting place. Meditation is the absorption of Scripture. And it is this that leads to the experiences with God and the changes in our lives we seek when we come to the Bible.
Biblical meditation - simple and doable
Biblical meditation has to be simple if it is to be doable, for God has children around the world with incredible diversity. Accordingly, there are many ways to meditate on the text of Scripture, such as repeating the verse or phrase with emphasis on a different word each time, rewriting the verse or phrase in your own words, looking for applications of the text, formulating a principle from it, asking what question is answered or problem is solved by it, and praying through the text. Another simple method is what I have suggested here - to select something from your reading and ask: "How does this relate to the gospel and to Jesus?"
If you spend just sixty seconds meditating on a verse of Scripture, do you realize that may be ten to twenty times as long as you would normally consider that verse? Reserve at least a minute in your Bible reading time today, choose a verse and ask: "How does this relate to the gospel and to Jesus?"
THINGS YOU MAY BE INTERESTED IN ......
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The Gospel Project webcast: Get an inside look at the new Bible study curriculum coming this fall from editors Ed Stetzer and Trevin Wax, March 14 at 3:00 (eastern) - http://www.gospelproject.com/webcast/
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FOR WOMEN: “Every Life is Beautiful” :The October Baby movie Bible Study, releasing in April - http://www.lifeway.com/Product/every-life-is-beautiful-the-october-baby-bible-study-leader-kit-P005508071
