July 20 - Meditating on the Word

Read Psalm 119: 97-104

m Mem
97 Oh, how I love your law!
I meditate on it all day long.
98 Your commands make me wiser than my enemies,
for they are ever with me.
99 I have more insight than all my teachers,
for I meditate on your statutes.
100 I have more understanding than the elders,
for I obey your precepts.
101 I have kept my feet from every evil path
so that I might obey your word.
102 I have not departed from your laws,
for you yourself have taught me.
103 How sweet are your words to my taste,
sweeter than honey to my mouth!
104 I gain understanding from your precepts;
therefore I hate every wrong path. (NIV)

taken from www.biblegateway.com

Have you ever meditated on God's word all day long, like the author did in verse 97? I'm not sure that I have meditated on any verse for more than 10 minutes.

By meditating, they don't mean sitting with your legs crossed, holding your arms out at your sides and humming 'ummmm' for a period of time. This is the Hebrew word 'siychach' also means 'reflection, prayer, musing, or studying' (Strong's). The author meditated on scripture that he had memorized, because there weren't copies available outside of the temple. They were on such delicate paper that they weren't opened or used often.

When is the last time you memorized a passage of scripture? I probably haven't consciously memorized anything since I taught 2nd grade Sunday School. I know several scriptures, but I couldn't tell you the exact location (on many I'd be lucky to know what book they came from). So the challenge this week is to memorize at least one verse of scripture.

Ask me on Sunday and I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours!!!