5 Ways To Get Closer To God In 2023 (Part 2)

Part 2
Written By: Tamika Mahomes

In the last blog we covered the importance of making devotion a daily habit. Whether for 5 minutes or 5 hours, showing up and connecting with the word of God is necessary for finding God's direction and insight for our lives. In paired with daily devotion, it is not simply enough to read the word and walk away, rather, we have a call to meditate on the word.

2. Meditate On The Word

"This book of instruction must not depart from your mouth;you are to meditate on it day and night so that you may carefully observe everything written in it. For then you will prosper and succeed in whatever you do." Joshua 1:8 (CSB)

To produce growth in our walk with God, we must learn to let the word lead us, keep us and guide us. This practice begins with meditating on the word. 

God's word helps to lead, guide, and become a compass for our life. God's word will never return void. God's word will never lead us in the wrong direction. In order to be lead by God's word, we must know God's word. 

Meditating on the word helps us understand and apply it to our lives.

How Do I Meditate On The Word Of God?

Meditating on Gods word requires that we
1. Learn what it means
2. Apply it to our lives

How To Make Meditating A Daily Practice:

1. Pause and Reflect
​When reading a passage, pause and reflect on what the word is saying. Reading God's word is where God is speaking to us. God's word is not to be rushed through, it is meant to be understood. Taking a few minutes after reading to reflect helps to undestand what the text means and how it applies to you. Take these moments to reflect and let the Lord speak to you.

2. Find a Good Commentary
Commentary helps us to provide a deeper context for the word we are reading. It is important to understand who the text is speaking to in that time and how it applies to us. 

• If you are looking for an easy-to-understand commentary, I love David Guzik's Bible Commentary on Enduring Word. 
• If you are audio learning, the Through the Word app is one that truly breaks down even the hardest-to-understand books of the Bible. 

3. Pick one focus scripture from your study
When reading your passage during your devotional time, find one verse that speaks to you. Write that verse out, and keep it somewhere you can see if throughout the day. You can have a notecard on your desk at work, set a verse image as a background on your phone, or even highlight it in the Bible app. 

3. Memorize and apply

"Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee." Psalm 119:21

It is necessary to learn the word for ourselves. We can commit scripture to memory by reading it over and over again. And each time you read it, unpack what it means and how it applies. When you begin to understand the why behind the scripture, it helps you to understand the how (how it applies to you).

The more we meditate on God's word, and the more we hide his word in us, the more we become like him.
Meditating on God's word is not in vain or a useless venture. Instead, it helps us as believers turn our daily devotion into daily practice.

Join us back here next week for part 3!