Week 1-Abiding - Day 2 - Tuesday

“Christians feed on Scripture. Holy Scripture nurtures the holy community as food nurtures the human body. Christians don’t simply learn or study or use Scripture; we assimilate it, take it into our lives in such a way that it gets metabolized into acts of love, cups of cold water, missions into all the world, healing and evangelism and justice in Jesus’ name, hands raised in adoration of the Father, feet washed in the company with the Son.”
-Eugene Peterson (Eat this Book)

One way in which we abide in Christ, is to meditate on Scripture. Meditation is a method of reading the Bible in a devotional way (as opposed to literal, moral, or allegorical) believing that, because it is God’s inspired Word, it’s a living and active text that has something to say to each individual believer. Meditation assumes that, by entering deeply into the text of God’s holy Word, God will be made known to us, speak to us, and shape our lives. It is reading the Bible with no agenda, no presuppositions.

Scripture:
• Spend some time slowly reading and meditating on 2 Timothy 3:16-17 and Psalm 119:97-104.

Reflection:
• What is your gut reaction to the word meditate?
• Do you tend to rush through things and, if so, what effect do you think that might have on your ability to meditate on Scripture?

Practice:
• There are many ways to meditate on scripture. One way is to just begin to memorize verses and even passages. You may find it helpful to memorize John 15:1-8 over the next 6 weeks. As you memorize it, recite the passage often. Listen for specific words or phrases and ask God to reveal Himself through Scripture. This allows you to begin digesting and living out the words you read and hear.