Capitol Bible Study: "Memorization & Meditation: The Means of Treasuring God's Word"

From this week's Capitol Bible Study:

I will meditate on Your precepts and regard Your ways. (Psalm 119:15)

Eight times in Psalm 119 the writer speaks of meditating on God’s Word. When we speak of meditation, perhaps we picture one sitting with legs crossed chanting a mantra while in some sort of mind-emptying trance. This is not the biblical view of meditation. Rather than emptying one’s mind, biblical meditation refers to the process of filling one’s mind and heart with the truths of the Word of God. The word "meditation" in Hebrew means basically to speak or to mutter. When this is done in the heart it is called musing or meditation. So meditating on the Word of God means speaking to yourself the Word of God. We think about it, mull it over, and contemplate it. We saturate our mind and our heart with the scriptures. We consider carefully how it applies to the situations of our daily lives. This is how Thomas Manton described biblical mediation:

"Meditation is applying our minds and hearts to serious consideration of the
scriptural truths we understand and believe for practical uses and purposes."

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This Week's Capitol Bible Study: "Obedience: The True Test of Treasuring God's Word"

From this week's Capitol Bible study:

By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked. I John 2:3-6

"There is an integral connection between knowing Christ and obeying His commandments. Knowing Christ will necessarily produce obedience. We gain assurance of our salvation by obeying His Word. Anyone who says he knows Christ ought to “walk as He walked” or else assurance is lost and in the end they prove they never knew Christ."

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The Importance of God's Word for Leaders - Thomas Manton

"...Unless we have continual light and direction from God, and He lead us by the hand through all our affairs, passion or unbelief, or some carnal affection, will make us stumble and dash against one divine precept or another. This concerns all Christians, much more those in public station, whose good or evil is of a more universal influence. Men of place and power and interest have need of this often in their mouths and hearts." Thomas Manton