Muse Upon the Things of God

I had the privilege yesterday to preach to a church from Romans 12:1-2. It is a magnificent set of verses with very straightforward points. One of those key points is that we are not to be conformed to this world, but instead transformed by the renewing of our minds. At this time of the new year it is my hope and prayer that Christians will seek to read and study the Bible throughout the next year. However, as Spurgeon points out, reading is not enough, we must also internalize what we have read through meditation and memorization. It is excellent to discipline ourselves to read Scripture through each year, but we must also let it sink deep into our being through continual meditation throughout the day. May we consider practical ways (listening to it on the commute, putting it on our friends, using Scripture in our conversations, memorizing, etc.) to meditate on God’s Word and let it shape our lives.

There are times when solitude is better than society, and silence is wiser than speech. We should be better Christians if we were more alone, waiting upon God, and gathering through meditation on His Word spiritual strength for labour in his service. We ought to muse upon the things of God, because we thus get the real nutriment out of them. . . . Why is it that some Christians, although they hear many sermons, make but slow advances in the divine life? Because they neglect their closets, and do not thoughtfully meditate on God’s Word. They love the wheat, but they do not grind it; they would have the corn, but they will not go forth into the fields to gather it; the fruit hangs upon the tree, but they will not pluck it; the water flows at their feet, but they will not stoop to drink it. From such folly deliver us, O Lord.

Jeremy Kimble (PhD, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary) is Assistant Professor of Theological Studies at Cedarville University. He is an editor for Credo Magazine as well as the author of That His Spirit May Be Saved: Church Discipline as a Means to Repentance and Perseverance and numerous book reviews. He is married to Rachel and has two children, Hannah and Jonathan.