According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, meditating means to engage in contemplation or
reflection. It means to engage in mental exercises, such as concentration on one’s breathing or
repetition of a mantra) to reach a heightened level of spiritual awareness. Meditation means to
focus one’s thoughts on and reflect on or ponder over as well as to plan or project in the mind.
“Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way
of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
and in his law doth he meditate day and night.” ~ Psalm 1: 1-2.
The first chapter of Psalms says that a blessed man or person delights in God by meditating on
His Word every day and every night. The process of thinking about contemplating and reflecting
upon His Word makes us strong enough to stand against unrighteousness and stand for the things
that are good and right. The strength we gain from concentrating on His Word makes us strong
enough to do the right thing when faced with the choice to walk in the counsel of the ungodly
who lives and works around us. According to the definition, meditation involves speaking,
repeatedly, a mantra. The word “mantra” used in the definition from Webster’s dictionary comes
from the Hindu and Buddhist languages. It is simply a statement or slogan repeated frequently.
The Word of God is the “mantra” of a servant of God. While meditating on His Word, we could
repeat verses from the scriptures to help strengthen us. When I first learned to meditate, I
repeated “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”, Philippians 4:13, because
I wanted to remind myself that I was not strong by myself, but I was strong because God
strengthens me; that my strength was not my own, but his. When times get tough and I am
experiencing challenging situations, I need to remind myself that “When the righteous cry for
help, the LORD hears and delivers them out of all their troubles” Psalm 34:17.

Practice meditation to lift your spirits, enhance healthy well-being, and create a mindset of peace
and bliss in your life.  When I feel bad because I am a source of discourse among people around
me because they talk about my business, and judge me, and I feel attacked because of it, I
use Psalms 5, specifically verse 8 as my mantra. “Lead me, O Lord, in thy righteousness
because of mine enemies; make thy way straight before my face.” When I need anything that
I can’t afford to purchase for myself, I repeat, Philippians 4:19 “But my God shall supply all
your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”  Meditation is a valuable life skill
that I am so glad I learned, and I am so relieved to practice. When things had gotten so bad I
couldn’t speak because of my tears and actual heartbreak, I literally took slow deep breaths in
and out and repeated, “Thank you Lord for your mercy endureth forever”, my version of
Psalms 106:1 while I cried. “O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy
endureth forever.” In an era where we are stressed by the troubles in this life, in addition to
prayers, meditation will move mountains we cannot move on our own. There is a peace that
comes over me after meditating on God’s Word that gives me the strength to hold on. Meditation
often brings me joy right in the middle of a serious problem.
It was difficult learning to meditate in the beginning. My attention span was too short, and my
troubles tried to take over my thinking. So, I had to believe it would help me since I couldn’t get
help from anyone else. I had to believe that God’s Word is true. I wanted to be a servant of God
and I wanted to serve him with delight. So I put my focus on Psalms one to help guide my
meditation. With practice, I learned to rule out my short attention span instead of allowing it to
rule over me. I learned, through practice and repetition, to let God’s Word capture my attention
and take over my affections so I could quiet my troubled soul. Meditation helped me to change
my challenging environment of clutter and noise and allow God to move through my life, move
through my house, and move through my spirit and fix the mess I cried so hard about. Meditation
is the deep pondering of the Word of God. It was me, preaching to my own inner soul and
allowing the Word of God to work in my life, personally. Meditation helped to improve my
circumstances. It helped me to separate myself from my problems. It helped me to surrender
completely to the Lord, allowing him to take me as his captive.
“I will remember the works of the Lord: surely I will remember thy wonders of old. I will
meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings,” Psalm 77:11-12.
When I meditate, I call to mind the great things God did for Israel and the strangers among us
both before, during, and after the wilderness as well as the situations he has fixed for me and my
children. When I learned to meditate, my life was riddled with trouble, and I was overwhelmed. I
am as forgetful of God’s blessings as the Israel of old and meditation helps me to remember and
ponder on his promises, his goodness his truth, and his mercy. Meditation was the best remedy
and helped to discipline me so I could let His truth work in my life as either a married woman, a
single mother taking care of four children on my own, or a woman waiting for her Boaz. We all
know the troubles of any life can be challenging.  Learning to meditate on the Word of God got
me through it all, and I am grateful. I highly recommend it!