Spiritual Disciplines | Feasting on the Word

January 25, 2022 | Alexander Breytenbach

A few months ago, I sat down in my first seminary class and waited to hear what the first words from the lips of the professor would be. The professor opened the class in a word of prayer, and then informed us that his goal for us in the class that we form a habit of meditating on the word of God.

If that last sentence didn’t shock you, then maybe the context needs to be explained. Seminary is not for the average layperson in a church. Seminary is geared towards the person in your church who would rather parse Greek verbs on their Tuesday evening than watch TV. The kind of person who you could barely squeak a few words out of regarding sports, movies, or current happenings, but who will pivot into a three-hour-long discourse on the particulars of the council of Nicaea and various attempts at describing the trinity. So why on earth was this professor insisting that a group of students, who presumably are only in the room because they have a passion to study scripture, ought to learn from the class how to meditate on scripture?

The need for ministers today is the same as the need for every Christian, their food source is no different, and their growth requires the same sustenance

One of the sad realities of the church is the biblical illiteracy in our churches. We stand on the shoulders of theological titans, but we ourselves are inept and defenseless creatures. How then can we resolve this? Every person in the church ought to heed the words of that professor. Meditate on God’s word.

It might not shock you to know that that professor is Donald Whitney. He has committed his entire life towards getting Christians to feast on the word of God, and he is of the opinion that ministry students need to hear that message as well. He is right.

What I learned in that class is that most believers don’t even come close to feasting on God’s word. Perhaps we nibble on some snack-size portions, perhaps we consume large buffet-style meals and then abstain for several days, or perhaps not even statisticians could estimate the probability that a bible might be opened by us on any given day. The point remains- Christians are starving.

Individual Christians are simply substituting personal meditation on the word for close replicas. Reading the bible is one level of exposure to the text, study of the Bible is another level of exposure, but there is no deeper level of exposure than meditating on the words of God. This is a vital need for every church member.

In many cases, the reading of scripture is merely initial exposure to the plot line of the text. This kind of reading is necessary for new believers to form a foundational scaffold of scripture, but many of us who engage in this kind of reading exclusively would be better served with deeper meditation. The great news is that for many Christians, this requires very little augmentation of our regular time in the Word.

The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the LORD are true, and righteous altogether. Psalm 19:7-9

The reflection of the Psalmist here shows us how vital it is that we reflect and meditate on the words that we read. Something we have great difficulty with today as a church is explaining not just what scripture says, but why it is that that is good.

Members and pastors of churches like to reject the notion that it is good enough to settle for what scripture says and never arrive at an understanding of why that is good news for humanity. That kind of shallow thinking lens us into all the manner of chaos and our doctrine. This includes fear of discussions regarding hell, death, wrath, judgment, holiness, etc. as Christian’s we should jump at the opportunity to bring God’s word to light, but often we are ashamed of what it says. We can enrich our own understanding of his word, and our appreciation of that truth, through meditation.

In the future, we will discuss more about meditation. How do we meditate on scripture? What are some pragmatic tips for incorporating meditation? How does memorization impact our meditation of scripture? For now, I just want to encourage you to start at a basic level. I have forgotten where I first heard of these questions, but they are not my own. I share them here with you for your edification.

  1. What does this text tell me about God the father?
  2. What did this text tell me about God the son?
  3. What does this text tell me about God the Holy Spirit?
  4. In this passage is there a promise to believe?
  5. In this passage is there a command to obey?
  6. In this passage is there a sin to repent of?

If you want to start somewhere, you can begin asking these questions of whatever you’re reading next in your Bible. Perhaps that is a whole chapter, or a paragraph, or a single verse, but the point is to do something. May the Lord use your reflection and meditation to sanctify you in his truth.