Meditation on Faith
Today we are going to meditate a bit differently. Often in this class we will meditate on the Bible but today we are going to focus more on our own interpretation of the Bible. In order to help you get more out of our times with Scripture, it’s first important for you to reflect on how you’re reading and interpreting the text. Reading the Bible is great; it’s a good book. However, reading the Bible doesn’t mean you are actually letting God speak to your heart. There are plenty of unbelievers who know the Bible.
Remember, meditation is simply the art of thinking deeply. So, when we meditate on our question today, we are going to reflect on, contemplate and think deeply about that question and what the Lord wants to say to us through it.
Directions
Use the passages below to think on and inspire reflection for the following questions. Journal your responses. Just like talking, sometimes forcing yourself to write out the answer actually helps to clarify your thinking on a subject. Often in a time of questioning like this, we will come face-to-face with our own inadequacy. The proper response is repentance and asking God to fix your heart—not self-pity or condemnation. Don’t shy away from something just because it’s painful. If the Lord brings something to mind that hurts, it’s because he desires to bring healing and wholeness to that area of your life.
Quotes:
“You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.” (John 5:39-40)
“To have faith in the Word, Scripture must not grasp us in our critical thought, but in the life of the soul” (Abraham Kuyper, The Work of the Holy Spirit p84).
“When our mind is fixed on God, our heart is fixed on him” (Graham Cooke, Beholding and Becoming p27).
Questions:
Remember, meditation is simply the art of thinking deeply. So, when we meditate on our question today, we are going to reflect on, contemplate and think deeply about that question and what the Lord wants to say to us through it.
Directions
Use the passages below to think on and inspire reflection for the following questions. Journal your responses. Just like talking, sometimes forcing yourself to write out the answer actually helps to clarify your thinking on a subject. Often in a time of questioning like this, we will come face-to-face with our own inadequacy. The proper response is repentance and asking God to fix your heart—not self-pity or condemnation. Don’t shy away from something just because it’s painful. If the Lord brings something to mind that hurts, it’s because he desires to bring healing and wholeness to that area of your life.
Quotes:
“You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.” (John 5:39-40)
“To have faith in the Word, Scripture must not grasp us in our critical thought, but in the life of the soul” (Abraham Kuyper, The Work of the Holy Spirit p84).
“When our mind is fixed on God, our heart is fixed on him” (Graham Cooke, Beholding and Becoming p27).
Questions:
- Are you reading the Bible in a way that allows the Holy Spirit to speak to you? If not, what needs to change?
- What needs to happen in your life in order for you to say “I have faith in the Word”?
- What would it look like in your life to have your mind ‘fixed on God’?
- Do you want this?