Tuesday, April 5
Mastery
Scripture: Joshua 1, Proverbs 8, Romans 8
Joshua 1:8 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.
Observation
One of God’s instructions to Joshua as he prepared to lead the people into the Promised Land was to meditate of God’s word. The Hebrew word for meditate originally referred to a low sound—the cooing of a dove, the low growl of a lion over its prey, the moan of someone in grief, the low mutter of someone talking to himself half aloud. It came to mean “to meditate” for meditation was the process of deep thought, musing on God’s word, and it was done by “muttering,” by reciting Scripture and musing out loud (imagine talking to yourself half aloud). Hence, the Lord said to Joshua that His word “must not depart from your mouth.” Meditation happens in the mind but also in the mouth. We recite God’s word over and over until we master it, and we muse upon it out loud, muttering it, talking to ourselves.
When do we meditate? We are to meditate on God’s word day and night—all through our day. The Benedictines got this, and their habit of praying the hours gives us an example.
Why meditate? So we can carefully observe or obey what it says. The goal of mastering Scripture isn’t just gaining knowledge, but transformation, life change. It shapes us so that we do what God wants.
The result: “you will prosper and succeed in whatever you do.” Totally worth it!
Application
My friend Jerry Sittser has been talking with us lately about mastery when it comes to Scripture—having sections of God’s word that we’ve memorized and meditated upon so that we own them. We master them so they can master us! Mastery is the goal. Noel used to tell me, “Better to know one verse and obey it than know them all and do nothing.” Mastery.
Jerry recommends creating a list of key passages that you want to master and going to work memorizing and meditating. Start with one, then add another, and another.
I’m just finishing Nicholas Carr’s book, The Shallows: What the Internet is doing to Our Brains. He contends that our obsession with our screen technology is actually changing our brains (neuroplasticity) and we’re losing the ability to focus, to read and think deeply. We no longer memorize because information is at our fingertips in our devices. Consequently, we are skimming, not mastering. The book is worth reading.
Perhaps that’s why this verse spoke to me today. I recognize my own distractedness and shallowness. As a follower of Jesus, I want mastery, not shallowness.
Prayer: Lord, help me today to meditate on Your word—all through the day—and achieve the kind of mastery of Your word that masters me! Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, oh Lord my Rock and my Redeemer.
PS: If you’re not sure where to start memorizing and meditating, here are a few suggestions.
Matthew 6:9-15 The Lord’s prayer
Matthew 22:37-40 The great commandment
Matthew 28:18-20 The great commission
Psalm 19:14 A daily prayer