MORNING MANNA            2-13-21

As a new Christian I started a Bible reading plan that takes you through the Bible in a year. While that’s a good thing to do, I soon found myself wanting to read through it twice a year and was racing through the scriptures as fast as I could without giving much thought to what I was reading. While that’s better than not reading at all there is something much better. We should honor God’s Word by reading it slowly and thoughtfully.

Stop worrying about how much you are reading and spend more time thinking about what you’re reading. Our text tells us that we need to meditate on the Word of God. I understand that, due to the Eastern religions and the new age philosophy, many people misunderstand when we talk about meditating. They especially despise the term “Christian meditation”. The Bible, however, makes it clear that meditation is necessary and demanded. The word “meditate” means “ponder, muse, think, or study” and that’s essential to an understanding of God’s Word. Take your concordance and look up all the references to it.

One person described meditation as “the focused contemplation of the renewed mind upon the treasury of divine truth”. Another said, “meditation is to the soul as marination is to a fine cut of meat or as soil assimilation is for healthy crops”. Whatever you call it, as you read God’s word you need to slow down, pray, and give serious consideration to the words.

Now notice the first words to our text – “I will“. That speaks of a definite commitment and that’s what it takes. A mere half-hearted resolution won’t get the job done. Our intentions might be good, but it takes a sincere commitment for us to carry through with it. There’s always something or someone trying to distract us and if we aren’t careful we will put it off, neglect what we need, and miss the benefits of the Bible.