How to Meditate on Scripture
How to meditate on Scripture? Christian meditation is the practice of reflecting on God’s Word for the purpose deeper understanding and intimacy with God. Learn simple ways to meditate on Scripture. In the Bible, there are three definitions for meditation. Though there are slight variations to each word, the idea of meditation is to ponder, reflect on, practice, and mutter the Scripture so that it takes root in our hearts.
Letting God’s Word seep into the depths of our heart and the nitty-gritty of our moments brings life and wholeness we long for. God’s Word changes lives when it transforms our hearts and minds. Yet the distance between the head and the heart, between knowing and inhabiting truth can be a long road. Learning to read Scripture with the heart rather than the head empowers us to receive revelation rather than simply learn information. The truth is many of us struggle to understand what biblical meditation is and how to do it effectively.
How do you meditate on Scripture? I’ve been asked this question many times as it can be confusing. The word meditation can mean a lot of different things to folks. For instance, in Eastern religions meditation involves emptying your mind, but biblical meditation is filling your mind with God’s truth.
However, one of the most effective ways to travel from knowledge to core-belief is to meditate thoughtfully on God’s Word. Christian meditation brings together prayer, listening, worship, and understanding of God’s Word as the Holy Spirit joins us in the process. Meditation is worship that ponders giving time for truth to penetrate. Other meanings of the word include the actions to attend to, to practice, be diligent in, to ponder or imagine. Meditating on God’s Word develops a listening heart, alert and open to God.
Why Should I Meditate on Scripture?
Maybe you’ve asked yourself this question. There is a lot of confusion about what it means to meditate on the Bible. The Bible has much to say about the importance of meditating on the Word of God. One of my favorite passages is found in Moses’ instruction to Joshua:
This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will achieve success.–Joshua 1:8 NASB
From this instruction, we can see that meditating on Scripture is linked to obedience and blessing. Now this isn’t a mantra of prosperity gospel, but a solid truth about the benefit of following God’s Word with heart, mind, and soul. In the book Life With God, Richard Foster writes the following (affiliate link at no cost to you):
“The best guard against any handling of Scripture that leaves our souls untouched—and ourselves unchanged—is surrender to the cleansing, forming flow of the Holy Spirit. Simply this means opening our whole selves—mind, body, spirit; thoughts, behavior, will—to the open page before us. We seek far more than familiarity with the text alone; instead we are focusing our attention through and beyond the text to the God whose reality fills its depths” (p. 62).
Foster explains a compelling case for the importance of understanding how to engage with God’s Word through meditation.
What are the benefits of meditating on God’s Word?
There are many benefits to meditating on God’s Word. The following verses show both the benefits and some how-to’s of meditation: “Give attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart; for they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh” (Proverbs 4:20-22 NIV).
Four actions of meditation in Proverbs 4:20-22:
Paying attention involves focus and slowing down to read thoughtfully and prayerfully.
To incline your ear is the idea of leaning in to listen closely. It is an action, a posture, and an attitude.
Do not let them depart–this has to do with keeping our attention, making the passage a focal point as well as making the effort to remember.
To keep them in our hearts is a deeper engagement as we value God’s Word letting it impact the core of our being.
Benefits of meditation in Proverbs 4:20-22:
Meditation on God’s Word enhances life, including the ideas of flowing, fresh water, green vegetation, lively living, and the reviving power of spring. (See definition for the word life.)
“Health, healing, cure, profit, and sound mind” are aspects of the word health.
In the book, Switch on Your Brain, Dr. Caroline Leaf explains that Christian meditation can actually “rewire healthy new circuits in the brain” (p. 72-73). According to Dr. Leaf, “the brain is more active, growing more branches and integrating and linking thoughts, which translates as increased intelligence and wisdom and that wonderful feeling of peace. God also throws in some additional benefits such as increased immune and cardiovascular health. When we pray, when we catch our thoughts, when we memorize and quote Scripture, we move into this deep meditative state” (p. 84). That’s pretty incredible, isn’t it? Proverbs 4:20-22 is only one of the many portions of the Bible that demonstrate how to meditate, giving good reasons to make meditation a regular spiritual practice.
A verse to pray when you meditate on God’s Word:
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, Lord, my rock and my Redeemer. Psalm 19:14 This is one of the many prayers of David that can help us go deeper with God as we meditate.
The Value of Holy Expectancy in Christian Meditation
Holy expectancy brings us to God with a heart ready to receive right in this very moment. For “there is a difference between simply being in the same room with others versus truly being present to them” (Richard Foster, Life With God, p.23). Meditation teaches us to read with the heart being fully present with God. It is one simple way to let God’s Word seep into the fiber of our souls. As our thinking is transformed by God’s word, truth becomes life as we choose to live God’s way. Through meditation we learn that the words Christ speaks to us “are full of the Spirit and life” (John 6:63).
Meditating on Scripture Is Not Hard
Truly, you don’t have to be a spiritual guru or and religious expert to dig deeper into God’s Word. How do we get hold of this idea of meditation? Will it involve convoluted body positions or ummm…. strange sounds? If you know how to worry, you know how to meditate on God’s Word. Many theological books have been written on the subject, but for today, let’s keep it simple. Let’s stop for a moment and define the word meditate. It simply means to attend to, to practice, be diligent in, to ponder or imagine. Meditation is worship that ponders giving time for truth to penetrate. In the book Prayer, Timothy Keller defines meditation as simply “thinking in the presence of God.” Now that’s not too hard is it? (affiliate link at no cost to you)
Learn simple ways to meditate on Scripture
How do we get hold of this idea of meditation? Will it involve convoluted body positions or ummm…. strange sounds? Many theological books have been written on the subject, but for today, let’s keep it simple. Sometimes a picture is more helpful that lot’s of explanation. Consider the following illustrations to help you learn a variety of ways to meditate on God’s Word.
Meditating on Scripture can be a lot like worry.
Meditation dwells on truth, a bit like worry dwells on problems. Thoughts of worry can spin like a merry-go-round. Around and around they fly, faster and faster, gaining momentum. If you know how to worry, you know how to meditate–replace your concern with God’s truth and hang on until your mind stops spinning. Hang on to truth and get more of God.
Meditation works God’s Word into our heart.
Meditation works like pulling taffy. Mentally stretch and pull the meaning of the verse back and forth, until the candy (understanding) is the desired consistency. It is also similar to the process of kneading bread dough to work the yeast fully into the dough. It takes a little spiritual muscle to work truth fully into our hearts.
Meditating on Scripture is like relaxing in a rocking chair.
Meditation rocks in a chair by the fire. Sink into a verse like a comfortable chair and let the meaning of the words rock back and forth in the rhythm of holy listening. Prayerfully read the verse several times, emphasizing different words or phrases each time.
Meditation follows the leading of the Holy Spirit.
Meditation ponders truth like following a garden path, stepping over stones one by one. The path curves deeper into the delights of the garden. Meditating on the paths of truth, follow the Holy Spirit who leads the way to discovery and freedom. Line by line, thought by thought, concept by concept, let the Holy Spirit work through your thinking as you explore the depth of a passage.
Meditation treasures God’s Word.
Meditation treasures truth like a scrapbook stores cherished memories: take time to collect truths and experiences that God has worked in your life. Paste them in your heart or even in the pages of a book, set aside as special and significant, pictures of God’s truth and grace in your life.
Meditation lights our hearts like a candle.
Meditation creates space for the Spirit to shine the light of understanding as he illuminates what is in our heart. We make our hearts ready for the light of understanding to transform dark corners of unbelief, resistance, or confusion. The Holy Spirit creates light in every place we make ourselves available to receive. Revelation brings clarity of inspiration, power to move and believe and grow and change.
Meditation empowers us to absorb the truth into our hearts.
Meditation soaks truth like a sponge, absorbing living water for the soul. Saturated and full, we are soaked through with God’s words. A quick reading of a bible verse does not give us time to fully absorb meaning and reflect on application. It’s important to take time for the Spirit to take a thought deeper into our thoughts as we reflect and pray.
Meditation writes truth on the tablet of our lives.
Journal connections and observations as you reflect on a passage. Pressing pen to page, ask questions and stop to think and listen. Journaling meditation stands on the watchtower, ready and waiting to see what God will say. Writing thoughts and impressions helps us to focus and listen to the Holy Spirit working through our thoughts. There can be holy connection between God’s Word and the pen in our hand.
Meditation opens the door to deeper understanding.
Meditation walks through the doorway to enter deeper into Christ. Meditation opens the door to understanding and obedience takes us all the way in. “Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me” (Revelation 3:20.) As we meditate, we give God our attention for Him to open our understanding or show us connections to apply to our lives. To enter into a truth is to embrace it with faith and a desire to live it out. As God’s presence soaks into our lives, holiness will move through the small things, the choices and responses we make in the moment. Added together, holy moments change lives and steer destinies in God’s direction. But it all comes down letting God’s Word seep into our soul as we learn to live present with God. Which one of these ideas is most helpful to you? What helps you meditate on Scripture? If you have found this post helpful, won’t you please share these simple ways to meditate on God’s word on your favorite social platform today?
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5 Things You Should Not Say if You Want to be Humble
[tweetthis]”If I only had a little humility, I would be perfect.” ~ Ted Turner[/tweetthis]
The Bible is full of all kinds of interesting truths that can turn your life upside down–or at least bounce you on your head a little. Humility is one of those subtle topics that’s easy to trip over. Here’s an example from 1 Peter 5:5:
… and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.
What are You Wearing?
Though at first glance this appears to be a bit of fashion advice, this is one of those Bible truths that will stop you up short. One thing’s for sure, you won’t see this style on display a Paris fashion show. You won’t ever hear Hollywood stars interviewed at the Oscars, “What are you wearing? Oscar de la Humility?
To some people, humility is kind of a bad word. A word that most of us are a little uncomfortable with. It’s one of those things that everybody knows they should do…but how many of us really want to be humble?
Got Humility?
When you were a kid, and somebody asked you what you wanted to be when you grow up, how many of you said, “humble?”
Anyway….as I’ve been thinking about humility, I’ve realized there are some things you should not say IF you want to be humble.
[tweetthis]5 Things You Should Not Say if You Want to be Humble[/tweetthis]
#1 “Look at Me! Look at Me!”
Don’t yell this out in a crowded room. My mamma always told me that calling undue attention to myself wasn’t humble, or ladylike. This kind of thing works fine if you are five years old, showing off your best cannon ball on the diving board. For adults, it just doesn’t work.
#2 “Wow! Did you see what I just did? Wasn’t it great!”
Here again, calling undue attention to yourself. Not to mention that there can be, and often is, somebody around who can do whatever it is that you just did, better than you can.
#3 “I can’t do that…I might break a nail.”
If you want people to see your humility, never let them think you’re more concerned about your manicure than you are with helping them. Nobody likes to play second fiddle to a fingernail! If somebody asks you to do something, be willing to help out.
#4 “What is wrong with you!”
Anti-humility translation: “I’ve got it together and you obviously don’t.” Nobody likes to hear that, but it sure is easy to say, especially when your mad! You might as well be upfront about it and just say what you mean. However, if I remember correctly, God has a lot to say about not judging others…
Remember that part about looking at the speck in your brother’s eye and not seeing at the log in your own eye.? Of course if you got a log in your eye, you probably can’t see much of anything…but that’s the whole point isn’t it?
#5 ”I’ll never forgive you!”
Warning, this is s a hard one. We like to hold tight to our rights, but humility remembers that we are all sinners and all quite capable of making a mess of things.
A Little Homework
So here’s your homework–yes there can be homework on a blog. I am the writer and that makes me queen in this little universe…oops, that wasn’t a very humble thing to say. Use this list to help you feel great about being humble.
Anybody Remember This?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCsNunGnqE0
Call to action: Send this post to anyone you think needs to work on humility. Just kidding, I hope you’ll pass this along just because it made you smile.
Actually, I”d love to add to my list of things not to say, so please leave a comment with your suggestions and let’s keep the fun rolling.
Road Map into the Presence of God
Sometimes we have a hard time finding our way. Chapter 4 of Hebrews reads like a road map straight to the heart of God.
“Let us then fearlessly and confidently and boldly draw near to the throne of grace (the throne of God’s unmerited favor to us sinners), that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find grace to help in good time for every need [appropriate help and well-timed help, coming just when we need it]” (Hebrews 4:16 AMP).
This pivotal chapter begins with concern for missing out on the richness and intimacy of God’s rest.
Have you ever experienced that uncomfortable disconnect between what you have heard (what you know) and what you believe at that gut-level of your life? Have you ever struggled to trust God in the nitty-gritty uncertainties, even though you know that God is faithful?
The Roadmap into the Presence of God
In this chapter of Hebrews, we discover a progression of ways in which God invites us into intimate relationship.
- The first part of the chapter highlights the importance of hearing, believing, and, entering God’s rest through faith. (4:1-11).
- Next step: God’s word is living and active. It has a Spirit-empowered ability to get into the deepest places in our inner heart (4:12). God’s Word reaches to the real stuff we are made of.
- Next stop: Jesus understands our weaknesses for he has been tempted in all the ways that we have. He has experienced temptation yet did not sin (4:15).
- Therefore, because of all of this, we are invited to draw near to the throne of God, the inner sanctuary that was once inaccessible to all but the high priest once a year. Invited to enter with confidence, we will receive grace and mercy, the spiritual heavyweights for every need. (4:16).
Enter Confidently into the Presence of God
Listen to the desire of God for relationship in this verse that I have rephrased in first person: “Approach Me with confidence so that you may receive mercy and find grace to help in the time of your need.”–Hebrews 4:16 rephrased.
This come-as-you-are invitation relieves us of the feeling that we must somehow get ourselves clean and polished before coming to God. AW Tozer writes about this intimate mix of God’s word and His desire. This can be our experience when we meditate thoughtfully and enter confidently:
[tweetthis]To come with confidence means to trust that you will be lovingly received.[/tweetthis]
Worship with eyes that see that coming to God boldly is to come freely, without fear. Enter into the throne room as one of the family rather than a stranger who knocks hesitantly.
Come close enough to whisper your secrets and receive God’s helping rest. In this place of reverence, let your heart melt, pliable and soft with worship. This is the Father love of God longing to comfort and help…if we will but seek and receive…if we will enter confidently into His love.
[tweetthis]Entering in is finding our way home.[/tweetthis]
What passages have been road maps bringing you closer to God? Let’s share the paths of scripture that can draw us all closer.
Time for Winter to be Done!
Although I have enjoyed playing with my iPhone and taking pictures this snowy winter, I am ready for spring. The last few days the weather has warmed up and my daffodils are peeking their little green spikes out of the ground. I am ready to feel...
Help! My Refrigerator is Radioactive.
I have developed a new talent. Well, actually talent isn’t quite the right word. Just to be clear, this is a trait that I seem to have honed to quite a skill.
Let me show you a peek at my new artwork.
This lovely picture is not paint…can we just leave it at that?
Well, maybe I should back up a bit. Step out with me to the garage, home of the…
EXTRA FRIDGE…or icebox as I used to call it until my husband finally broke me of the inherited, outdated term. (Just in case you’re wondering, I still use the word pocketbook…)
I would have put this in my Kitchen Battle series, but this is clearly a garage issue.
Yes, today, I decided to tackle a job I have been putting off…
For a long time.
Apparently a very long time.
So now you you’re getting a clearer picture, so to speak, of said art. Whatever it was, it is a piece of work. Not sure exactly what this used to be…yes it is that far gone. I think this may have, at one time, been the last of a chicken dish that no one really liked. Or possibly it could be part of last year’s science fair project. You know how kids are bad about leaving stuff laying around…
So anyway, I opened this container. Oh mercy.
I decided I needed a little gear, as I nearly passed out from the smell.
Just so you know, the Hubb’s sleep machine is a multi-purpose piece of gear. You can put that on Pinterest if you like–just the sort of Go-To Tips that make life worth living in the Pin-o-sphere.
Armed and ready, I returned to the disaster zone, or scene of the crime (depending on what kind of house-keeper you are), and got to work.
Once the first specimen was taken care of with hot water and a mighty whirl of the disposal, I decided I might as well do all of them. Really, procrastination is one thing, but even I have a limit.
Staring procrastination in the face.
Eventually even us reluctant house divas must say enough’s enough! Let’s just say this was not exactly a Proverbs 31 Woman moment.
If you have an out-of-the-way fridge, you can save this task as a rainy-day activity when the kids are good and bored. Just take away all electronics for a few hours and your children will be so stir crazy that they will do anything for a little entertainment.
In fact, when I was growing up, my brother and I sometimes played a little game called, Find the Oldest Date in the Freezer. My mom, having a full size extra freezer in the basement, had taken this skill to a much higher level. Our biggest find was pork chops from 1974.
Quite possibly, this talent could be genetic.
When it comes to things our mother’s do, have you ever said, “I’ll NEVER do that?” Well, let me tell you, it is just best not to say that…
Here’s a look at another treasure I found.
Can I just say this…not proud.
A gentle reminder here, this is not a petrie dish. Not sure, but this just might be radioactive. But at least I can identify what this was before the unfortunate attack of the mold–cranberry relish made last Thanksgiving.
The recipe stated that the relish would keep for a long time in the fridge, but I guess that 3-4 months is pushing it. Better make a note on the recipe–use by Christmas.
And then there was the chilli.
The last dish that I did away with was far more recent. Just a few weeks old. In fact it still looked quite tasty…until I lifted the lid of the tupperware. Unfortunately, I cannot show you this, because digital technology has not yet developed a scratch and sniff app.
Let’s just say that white bean chill, as good as it is when it is fresh, smells MUCH worse that petrified cranberries.
Really.
And that’s all I’m going to say about that.
So what’s your refrigerator look like?
What My Eyes See This Winter
Winter days slip by cold and quiet. There is a beauty that covers the mundane when air is crisp cold and ice crystals reflect light.
Trees stripped of the majesty of fall color, medicine show off the bare-boned, stark splendor of twig and branch.
For the one who looks closely, the wonder of winter is magnified in the intricacy of a single snowflake–one in millions, no two are alike.
Stopping time at my fingertips, it is a joy to live the art of capturing glory. It is time to hold in my hand the miracle of a day, the splendor of light and glimpse of God that is all around.
To stop and look. To appreciate these moments in time, releases the art within and around. Seeing becomes worship and creativity is the joyous expression of God within. Asking God for eyes to see, really see, the wonder of this day…
Pour out the beauty God has placed within you. Can we open our lives in praise to the One who creates beauty all around, inside and out?
“In Him was life and the life was the light of men.”–John 1:4
Rejoice that God is good. His creative artistry rings all around. All creation sings His glory, just as sunlight splinters in ice.
“A man can receive nothing unless it is given him from heaven.”–John 3:27
An excerpt from a book that has meant a lot to me:
“Release your art into the world, for the glory of God and the benefit of others.
Because you were also made to live art.
It’s time to rescue our beautiful design from the dark grip of doubt and discouragement. It’s time to remember the Spirit of power and love and a sound mind who lives within us. It’s time to live as though we believe we have something to offer.
It’s time to release our authentic selves to the world.”
Emily Freeman, A Million Little Ways, p. 17
How to Make the Most of Each Day: When Waiting is Hard
We often struggle when waiting is hard. Difficult circumstances, discouragement, impatience, and doubt are a few of the challenges of waiting. Learn to make the most of your wait by resting in the Lord, tips on waiting with faith from Psalm 37.
Today the pressure of the wait flattens me against the floor, feeling like it is going to push the heart right out of me.
Wait patiently for Him.
This waiting word, chuwl, is not a pretty word. It doesn’t sit easy. The Hebrew essence of this word can make your hair wild and your eyes run like rivers with tears that come from deep places. To wait patiently holds in its meaning the angst of a woman in labor: twist, whirl, dance, writhe, fear, tremble, travail, be in anguish, be pained.
No, this is not a word for wimps or cowards.
I fight against the discouragement of a seemingly long season of waiting for lots of things. Questions for the future, life transitions, and work that seems to fly into the abyss of the internet. Heart pressing through the rhythm of fingers on a keyboard. I feel stuck…like a teacher with no class, a preacher with no congregation, a loner with no sidekick. Yet still this passion stirs and grows and I cannot stop.
I hope it is a holy passion, but I question myself.
The day I wrote these words in my journal, I wanted to throw in the towel and quit. Perspective blurred by discouragement, the work of years seemed pointless. None of this is true, but emotions can be a powerful force. Too often I feel like I am marooned at my computer and there is little encouragement of response or community that I can see.
Nevertheless, I know in my soul that quitting is not an option.
God reminds me that in all of our struggle to wait patiently, He is bringing forth something of value–the gritty, beautiful strong stuff of life– character, dreams, plans, callings, healing, growth, victory… At times, this wait-word is translated as to bring forth or to hope–and this points us in the right direction. In the waiting we can choose to believe that He is faithful.
Friend, are you discouraged in a waiting time? Does the distance of the wait tempt you to forget that God is for you?
We have to learn this hard thing called spiritual perseverance.
It is in seasons of waiting that faith grows strong as we continue to dwell and trust and cultivate and do and rest. Every step for making the most of each day is intended to fill up those waiting times.
Discouragement may pound on us at times, but waiting can be filled with many good blessings.
Trusting God in the wait means letting go of the what if’s. Believing God enables us to rest and grow while we wait rather than pacing the floor with restless frustration. How many times have we mistaken not now for not ever?
Strength for the wait:
Truly, if we wait without resting and trusting, the waiting closes in like iron bars of a prison. When God writes wait on the calendar of our plans, He is always working. He never wastes a good wait.
Maybe it is time to remember that I am waiting with God.
When emotions get us down, we have to be intentional with our soul talk.
“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
“Therefore I have hope in Him.”
The Lord is good to those who wait for Him… Lamentations 3:20-25
So, where does the spiritual meet the practical in all this?
Today I choose to wait with God as I make the most of this day…
Let go of fretting
Trust God and do good
Dwell in the land
Cultivate faithfulness
Delight myself in God
Trust Him for the desires of my heart
Commit my way to Him
Believe He will do it
Rest in the Lord
As I wait patiently for Him.
How can we encourage one another in the waiting times?
I would be so honored know what you think by leaving a comment below.
Resources to Build Your Faith When Waiting in Hard
When waiting is hard and you struggle to rest in the Lord, deepen your faith with practical resources and spiritual encouragement from Ginger. You will find inspiration to increase your faith in Ginger’s newsletter, as well as The Deeper Life Collection for subscribers. Check out Holy in the Moment, for a book packed with tips and truths to deepen your faith (affiliate link).
How to Make the Most of Every Day: When we Hate to Wait, Part 6
Dressed for summer heat, I shivered in a cold office as I waited for the doctor to come in. I waited. And waited. My stomach growled, reminding me it was lunchtime. Finally giving up, I peeked my head out the door and went to find someone–only to find out that the staff had left for lunch. Who does that?
This brings me to a couple of my least favorite words–especially when they show up together: wait. patiently.
Aghhhh….waiting is hard, and it seems we spend half our days waiting on something or someone. Waiting is uncomfortable, often filled with unanswered questions, frustrations, and uncertainties.
Waiting is what we do in the gap between now and not yet.
Waiting for things to change.
Too often, I have equated waiting with a powerlessness and inactivity–we can do nothing now but wait kind of thinking. There is a lack of control in waiting that can drive us nuts if we are make-it-happen kind of people.
Then there are the dark days of discouragement in which waiting looks and feels a lot like failure. Sometimes we interpret waiting as failure on God’s part to answer our prayers, to give us what we needed. We do all kinds of crazy spiritual and mental gymnastics when we’re stuck in the waiting rooms of faith.
Waiting can seem like lost time. However, in God’s economy, waiting is never a wasted opportunity. <Tweet this.
He is using the wait for His purposes.
What are you waiting for?
The better question is WHO are we waiting for? Too often, I’m not waiting for God. I’m waiting for a situation to change, something to happen, a time to come. I’m all wrapped up in the moment, and I forget that God is in the waiting.
When waiting makes us feel forgotten.
Think about many characters in the bible–waiting was significant portion of their lives. Joseph and Paul spent many days in prison–it probably seemed like God was never going to answer. Without patience born of faith, it would have seemed that God had forgotten them.
Remember David? Knowing that he had been anointed as king of Israel, he spent years running and fighting for his life…waiting on God.
Just waiting…
All of these things–ourselves, other people, our situations, our hopes–they are all wrapped up in God. They are in His hands; He is sovereign and it is in Him that we live and move and have our being. He is the One who sets the boundaries and sustains all things.
When we learn to wait patiently for Him, we grow in faith. We begin to believe that He has a reason, a plan, a purpose. Patience is nourished by faith, and this makes all the difference as we learn to wait with purpose.
You can’t wait patiently if you’re not resting in Him. And you can’t rest if you’re not trusting in Him. The clear instructions in Psalm 37: 1-7 are all life strategies to make the most of every day, even in the waiting days.
Especially in the waiting days.
What are you waiting for?
I would be so honored to have you join our crew here. If you would like to have Where the Spiritual Meets the Practical delivered to your inbox, simply click here: Subscribe to Ginger’s Corner: Where the Spiritual Meets the Practical
Why You Need to Rest in the Lord
What kind of rest do you need? Feeling overwhelmed and exhausted? Learn why you need to rest in the Lord as you include various kinds of rest in your lifestyle. Trusting God brings a kind of rest that brings life and peace.
Rest in the Lord.
Now that is one of those statements that is easy to say…but so hard to do. You see, I like to be busy. When I am busy, I feel productive. And when I feel productive, I feel valuable, like my time on earth is being well spent.
Then there are times when there are just too many tasks left over at the end of the day. The day lasts too long and morning cracks open too early. Exhausted.
Ever feel this way?
We are busyness addicts, compulsively filling our lives with work and commitments, as well relationships and activities. Sometimes because we want to; sometimes because we have to. Others jump on board, adding even more weight to a schedule with no room to breathe. Then there’s the peeps we love and all that they need-can’t say no to that…
[tweetthis]We say yes and yes…and yes ourselves into a frenzy.[/tweetthis]
A worn-out whirl of a frenzy.
We need to rest.
A recent Gallup poll states that 40% of Americans don’t get enough sleep. And yet, sleep is only one form of rest. In reality, we have a variety of needs that call for rest, that sweet, sanctified time given by God for infusing energy back into tired lives.
Different kinds of rest we need.
- Rest from doing: physical and mental rest from too much activity and the problem of overcommitment. Even good things can become too much.
- Rest of body: commit to get enough sleep.
- Rest from work: misplaced priorities can get us stuck in the tyranny of the urgent.
- Rest from conflict: remember that God goes before us and is a mighty refuge.
- Rest from social interaction: take time to come away with God and pray.
- Rest from noise: turn off all the buzz of radio, TV, and iPods. Quiet is good for the soul.
- Rest in being: resting in our identify rather than striving to make ourselves who we already are.
- Rest in faith: believing God frees us from the work of worry.
What is this crazy-wonderful-strange thing called rest?
The word rest contains a variety of meanings including the following: to be silent, be still, and wait.
Here’s my favorite rest stop:
“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:28-29 NASB).
Take a weight off your shoulders as you read this same verse in The Message:
Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.
Rest in the Lord, those unforced rhythms of grace that come when we live light in the embrace of faith.
Sweet friend, don’t let life overwhelm you to the point that you are falling apart at the seams. In a tight, hard spot, exhausted by anxiety and overcome by uncertainty, I once heard God speak to my spirit in the deep of the night:
Child, lay it down before you fall down. Rest in me.
[tweetthis]Lay it down before you fall down. Rest matters.[/tweetthis]
What kinds of rest are you needing today?
Free Resource to Help You Build Habits to Rest in the Lord
Do you need more rest in your life? Discover the benefit of building small habits to decrease stress and empower you to rest body, soul, and spirit. After all, rest includes so much more than sleep. Don’t miss the free printable Habits of Rest to help you create rhythms of rest in your life. Make your personalized plan to get the rest you need.
More Help for Learning to Rest in the Lord
This is such an important topic that I included a chapter on Moments to Rest in my book, Holy in the Moment: Simple Ways to Love God and Enjoy Your Life. (affiliate link at no cost to you)
