“Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things…” –
Philippians 4:8
Do you ever find your mind wandering when you read? How many of you have picked up a book (think light fiction, nothing requiring a ton of brain power), read three pages, and then realized you have no idea what you just read? I do this all the time, and that’s when I’m trying to read for fun! Sometimes I just have too much on my mind to focus on the words on the page.
When I’m reading fiction, it doesn’t really matter how much I retain from each page as long as I get the gist of the plot line. But what about reading for retention or reading that requires some intentionality? What about when I’m trying to devote myself to the Word of God, when I’m trying to meditate on what is true, honorable, just, pure, and lovely? If I’m being honest, sometimes that is hard! I try to focus, I try to retain, I try to learn and grown…but sometimes the words on the page get jumbled up with the rest of the chaos in my mind and I come away from my “devotion time” not always sure of what I’ve just read.
So how do I truly meditate on the Word of God? How do I still my mind enough for His Word to sink in?
First, I make sure I’m in it consistently. The more I read, the more I absorb. The Bible isn’t a book to be read once and then checked off “the list of things to read in my life.” It’s the living and active Word of God that has something new for me each time I pick it up!
Second, I take the pressure off myself by realizing that God’s living and active Word is at work in my life by the power of His Spirit every time I read it, regardless of how focused my mind is. If my mind wanders, that’s OK. His Word is still at work in ways that are beyond my ability to comprehend.
Finally, I take advantage of a practice called “Bible Journaling” to help me still my heart and mind while I meditate on His Word. Bible journaling is the prayerful practice of pausing to reflect on a verse or section of Scripture, a devotion, or even notes taken from a sermon or a retreat.
Rather than just opening my Bible and reading for the sake of reading, I limit myself to a portion of Scripture and do three things:
- I ask, “what does this passage say?” and try to summarize it in a few sentences.
- I ask, “what might God be telling me in this passage?” and look for practical applications. Is He teaching me to trust His timing? Demonstrating His sovereignty? Convicting me and calling me to repentance? Comforting me in my sorrows?
- I pray over what I’ve read and what God might be telling me.
Bible journaling looks different for everyone. There’s no one right way to do it, but this is the process that works for me. As I do those three things, sometimes I draw and doodle in the margins of my Bible. Sometimes I write out my prayers in my Bible or in a separate journal. Sometimes I add in my sermon notes or notes I took on a retreat that relate to a particular passage. Sometimes I color in pre-drawn Bible images or bookmarks that I’ve found online that relate to that section of Scripture. It just depends on the day.The most important thing to remember is this: “don’t stress!” Don’t stress about whether or not your journaling yields a pretty, pinterest-worthy page in your Bible. Don’t stress about the length of time you have to devote to journaling. Don’t even stress about the materials—whether or not you have the fancy pens or pretty journal or even the Bible designed for Bible journaling—because all you really need is the Word of God and a place to write your thoughts and prayers. Don’t stress! Just open your Bible, start reading, and then pause. Rather than trying to figure out what you’re supposed to get out of your reading time, pause and watch God reveal Himself in His Word.
