If Deuteronomy 6:7 commands us to teach God’s law to our children “when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise,” how much more should we ponder His precepts within our own heart as we do those things?
We last observed that those who are blessed by God do not merely avoid the corrupting influence of the wicked; instead, they are enraptured by a delight in God’s law, His holy Word. Their greatest joy is hearing the voice of the Blessed One. This brings us to the second half of verse 2:
…and on his law he meditates day and night.
Psalm 1:2 ESV
Since meditation is a popular practice today, we must take particular care to explain what the biblical notion of meditation is. You see, the popular form of meditation that many often think of whenever they hear the word is inspired by Buddhism and other Eastern religions, and it is commonly practiced by clearing the mind and focusing upon breathing deeply. Biblical meditation, however, is not about clearing the mind but about focusing it upon God’s law. Thomas Watson was right to say that “meditation is chewing on the truths we have heard.” It is thinking deeply over a biblical text or biblical truth, and it is precisely how we taste and savor the goodness of God’s Word.