... we need to see the difference between Eastern meditation, which emphasizes the emptying of the mind, and Christian meditation, which focuses on filling the mind with God’s Word. We participate in Christian meditation to give the Holy Spirit time and space to speak to our hearts.
I love how a story can transport you to a different time and place. Through an author’s skillful words, I can feel the chilly breeze blowing off the ocean. I can taste a prize-winning blueberry pie or hear the hoot of an owl in the woods. I might even hold my breath along with the main character in the tension-filled spots of the story and breathe a sigh of relief when everything turns out okay.
The Bible is filled with wonderful stories. Real-life dramas that amaze and astonish. True tales that can fill you with joy or bring you to tears. But these stories do more than transport you to a different time and place. Bible stories teach us about the character of God. This is especially true of Gospel stories. When we read the accounts in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, we see how Jesus interacted with people in His day. We witness His power, His compassion, His love.
But because I’ve known these stories since I sat in Sunday School classes as a young child, I may gloss over the beautiful Gospel accounts. Yes, I’ve heard that before. Yes, I know how that ends. So I tend to skim. I hurry through. But when I slow down and take time to think more deeply about the plot, the setting, and the characters of the story, I can once again appreciate its richness. The Holy Spirit opens my eyes to see something new.
This process of meditating on Bible stories can transform our hearts. Meditation can sound like something only monks would do. But to meditate is to simply “focus one's thoughts on: reflect on or ponder over.” When we meditate, we take the time to contemplate and reflect. We might also shy away from meditation because it sounds too zen. But we need to see the difference between Eastern meditation, which emphasizes the emptying of the mind, and Christian meditation, which focuses on filling the mind with God’s Word. We participate in Christian meditation to give the Holy Spirit time and space to speak to our hearts. Psalm 1 blesses the man who puts “his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night” (v. 2 ESV emphasis added).
How to Practice Meditating on Bible Stories
So how do we meditate on Scripture? How can we use this spiritual practice to know God better?
Here’s a process I’ve found helpful:
1. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide your meditation. Pray that He will use this time to reveal more of God’s character and draw you closer to Him.
2. Read the text. Choose a story from Scripture. Take time to read it slowly. If possible, read it out loud. This will help you slow down and notice words you might ordinarily skim over. You might choose to read it several times or read it in different translations.
3. Close your eyes and use your five senses to imagine yourself in the story. If you had been there, what might have you seen? smelled? felt? heard? tasted? Look carefully in the text for clues about these things. Does the story tell you the location of the event? Does it tell you the time of day? Use these details to imagine the setting.
4. Picture yourself as one of the characters of the story. How would you have responded to what is happening? What thoughts would have gone through your mind? What emotions would have bubbled up? If time allows, go through this process more than once, imagining yourself as several different characters. This may reveal some emotions and questions about your own relationship with Jesus.
5. Apply the story to your life in the present. What is the story teaching you about Jesus? How does God want you to respond? What is the Holy Spirit revealing about your faith? How does God’s gracious forgiveness in Christ strengthen your trust in Him?
Meditating on the Stories of Christ’s Passion
During Lent, we read often about Jesus’ suffering, death, and resurrection. We want to remember His excruciating anguish because He did it for us. Meditating on these Gospel accounts can bring us a fresh appreciation of His mercy and a renewed sense of His relentless love.
So, in the weeks leading up to Easter, I want to slow down my Bible reading. I want to put myself in the crowd waving palm branches on Sunday. I’ll take time to imagine myself as one of the disciples when Jesus grabbed a towel and basin and washed their feet. I want to place myself in the Garden of Gethsemane and, in my mind, see Jesus’ great sorrow there. Although difficult, I want to picture myself at the foot of the cross and witness Jesus’ great cry of triumph, “It is finished!”. I want to run to the tomb with Peter and John and see the empty grave clothes.
During Lent, I invite you to join me in meditating on stories of Christ’s passion. Use the steps above to reflect on Christ’s suffering, death, and resurrection. Here are some references to get you started:
Matthew 21:1-11 The Triumphal Entry
John 13:1-11 Jesus washes the disciples’ feet.
Mark 14:32-42 Garden of Gethsemane
Luke 23:26-49 The Crucifixion
John 24:1-12 The Resurrection
As you read these accounts, keep your eyes on Jesus, the Giver of grace. Picture yourself receiving whatever Christ gave to the people of the day. Ask the Holy Spirit to grow your faith in the One who sacrificed all for you.
Meditation Aids
If you want to take your meditation time even further, you might consider using one or more of these ideas:
Listen to the story. Use an audio Bible to hear the words of Scripture. Try a Bible app like YouVersion or an online Bible like BibleStudyTools.com. Hearing the words instead of reading them may give you a fresh perspective.
“Visit” biblical places and sites. A trip to Israel a few years ago continues to help me visualize the settings of Bible accounts. But even if you can’t physically go there, you can do an internet search for “Garden of Gethsemane” or “The Garden Tomb” to get an idea of what these places looked like.
View Christian art. Go to your city’s art museum to view depictions of Christ’s suffering or search online for Christian paintings. Take time to look at how the artist portrayed each character in the story. Does this bring any new emotions or questions? If so, take them to God.
Try Bible journaling. Use paper and pen to record what the Holy Spirit teaches you as you meditate on Bible stories. Consider recording the lessons in the margins of your Bible. Try making your own artistic rendering of a meaningful verse or draw a picture of how you imagined the biblical event.
God’s Word is much more powerful than a well-written novel that gives us a taste of a different time and place. Meditating on Bible stories can renew our faith, give us greater knowledge of God’s character, and transform our hearts. Take time during this Lenten season to contemplate the accounts of Jesus' sacrifice for you.
Sharla Fritz is a Christian author and speaker who weaves honest and humorous stories into life-changing Bible study. Author of Soul Spa: 40 Days of Spiritual Renewal (), Sharla writes about God’s transforming grace. You can find out more about Scripture meditation and other spiritual disciplines in her free resource: Soul Spa Kit: 59 Ways to Care For Your Soul (http://www.sharlafritz.com/
Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/gabrielabertolini
Sharla Fritz is a Christian author and speaker who weaves honest and humorous stories into life-changing Bible study. Author of the new book Measured by Grace: How God Defines Success, Sharla writes about God’s transforming grace and unfailing love. Sharla lives in the Chicago suburbs with her amusing pastor husband. Get her FREE ebook 21 Five-Minute Soul-Rest Practices or connect with Sharla at www.sharlafritz.com and Facebook.
