Christian Meditation

A few years ago, I read a book called “Deep Work” by Cal Newport. It was written for those in the business world, writers, artists, and, as I later learned, preachers. The book advocates setting aside daily time for focused, deep thinking and working on the task at hand. Newport argues that in today’s world, we are too distracted by the internet, media, social media, and other sources to be truly productive, and that we need dedicated time alone to concentrate and increase our effectiveness. I started to think about how to apply these ideas within the context of the Church. How do I, as a pastor back then and now as a corporate chaplain, find time for the deep work of ministry and study? As I pondered this, I was reminded of the art of Christian meditation—a lost art that many of our ancestors not only encouraged but regarded as essential to daily piety. I know that when I say 'meditation,' many people automatically think of someone sitting cross-legged, reciting a mantra with eyes closed, palms up, trying to clear their minds and bodies of stress. Or they imagine monks and mystics of earlier times seeking some “higher Place” through periods of silence, Gregorian chants, and an austere lifestyle. Neither of these, as we will see, truly describes Christian meditation. While Eastern meditation and mysticism aim to empty ourselves of something, Christian meditation strives to fill our lives with a deeper, richer faith.

I want us to see that we can deepen our faith by learning the art of Christian meditation by addressing two questions: What is Biblical Meditation? Why should Christians practice the Art of Meditation?

Consider Joshua 1:8. This familiar verse will give us our starting place as we begin our look at Christian meditation.

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 have good success.

This passage shows that the Lord gave Joshua two imperatives, a reason for the imperatives, and then a promise if he fulfills the imperatives. Before we get started, a little background might be useful. Moses had led the people to the edge of the Jordan but was not allowed to enter Canaan because of his rash sin in striking the rock. Joshua was chosen as his successor and was tasked with leading the Israelites into the Promised Land. The Lord begins this book by speaking to Joshua and giving him instructions on how to lead the people into the Promised Land. Three times in Chapter 1, Joshua is told “be strong and courageous,” because God is with him. After decades of wandering in the wilderness, everyone needed a reminder that they were not alone; God was with them. Joshua 1:8 is nestled between two of the “be strong and courageous” commands. This isn’t just a motivational pep talk from a Holy Cheerleader trying to energize Joshua. The Lord was giving Joshua a lasting pattern for life to keep his strength and courage alive.

The passage starts with the often-misunderstood phrase, “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth.” First, we need to remember that, up to this point, only the Torah—the first five books of the Bible—had been compiled by Moses. Among these five, three focus on “the law” or how the people of Israel were to live to honor God. Now, let me clarify what this phrase is not teaching to help us understand what it is saying. It is not suggesting that Joshua was never to talk about God's Law, never to share what God is doing or has done. This was not a “Thou shalt not” in the traditional sense. Instead, this phrase sets the stage for how to properly proclaim and teach the Word of God—a lesson we should heed. Notice the six uses of the personal pronoun “you” in this verse alone. We see that what applies to Joshua also applies to each of us. The word “but” links the first phrase to the next, “you shall meditate on it day and night,” essentially saying that you cannot do one without the other. The first imperative here is against rashness and ignorance, against speaking without honest knowledge or understanding. We are not meant to proclaim the Word of God without some reflection and thought on it.

This raises an important question: What is meditation as described by God in Scripture? If you look up the words “meditate” or “meditation” in the ESV Bible, you will find 16 direct references to meditate and six to meditation. When you search for synonyms, some of the common ones include: “meditate” used 16 times, “meditation” used six times, “think” used 54 times, “ponder” eight times, “consider” in 62 verses, and “remember” in 161 verses. Remember, these are just the most common synonyms in Scripture. In Hebrew, there are two words for meditate; the one here is “hagah,” from which we get the word heard at Passover, “Haggadah,” meaning “the retelling” or “Story,” referring to the remembrance of Passover and the Exodus story. The word means “to moan, growl, utter, speak, muse, or meditate.” It involves mentally repeating a thought or passage, either aloud or quietly, and dwelling on it to examine all angles. An easy analogy is a cow chewing the cud: Bessie chews the grass, swallows it, then brings it back up to chew some more before swallowing again. 

The Puritans, falsely known as cold, unfeeling, hardworking prudes, spent a lot of time thinking, writing, and teaching God’s people about meditation, and their teaching is helpful to us in our exploration. Thomas Hooker said, “Meditation is a serious intention of the Mind whereby we come to search out the truth and settle it on the heart.”[1] Thomas Watson said, “Meditation is the soul’s retiring of itself, that by a serious and solemn thinking upon God, the heart may be raised up to heavenly affections.”[2] So, from Scripture and our Puritan friends, we learn that meditation is setting our hearts and minds to focus on the Word of God. It is taking the time to spend in the “Deep Work” of thinking about and mulling over the things of God and Christ. “Chewing the cud “of Scripture. Watson writes, “Meditation is a duty imposed—it is not arbitrary. The same God who has bid us believe, has bid us meditate, Josh. 1:8. "This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth—but you shall meditate therein day and night."[3] 

In our busy, instant gratification world, meditation is a foreign concept. Take ten minutes to think about the Scripture; you won’t regret it. Take time this week to chew over a passage you find challenging. My next article will share some practical applications of meditation.

David Zavadil and his wife Cathy live in Knoxville, TN, where he works as a chaplain for the employees of Architectural Graphics Inc. He has previously served as a pastor at churches in Alabama, Louisiana, Tennessee, and Virginia Beach, VA.

[1]As quoted in Edmund Calamay, C. Matthew McMahon, and Therese B. McMahon, The Art of Divine Meditation (by Puritan Publications and A Puritan’s Mind, 2019). P 17

[2] Thomas Watson, A Christian on the Mount: A Treatise Concerning Meditation, https://www.gracegems.org/Watson/christian_on_the_mount.htm

[3] Edmund Calamay, C. Matthew McMahon, and Therese B. McMahon, The Art of Divine Meditation (by Puritan Publications and A Puritan’s Mind, 2019). P 46