Meditation: Chewing the Cud
by Gary Johnson
When I was a little child, I remember going to visit my uncle, who was a dairy farmer. Uncle Herman would take my brothers and I out to the milking barn to teach us how to milk cows. Though I don’t remember ever getting any milk in the bucket, I do remember learning that a cow has four stomachs. Uncle Herm taught us that as a cow eats grass or hay, the cow swallows that mouthful into the first stomach. Then, later in the day, the cow “burps up” the digesting grass and chews the cud. After chewing it, the cow swallows it into another stomach. That process continues throughout the day; swallowing, burping, chewing, swallowing, etc., and eventually, out comes milk!
When I hear the word “meditate,” I immediately think of a cow chewing its cud. A vital spiritual discipline is meditation, and it is just like chewing the cud. Case in point, my favorite way to begin each day is by reading the Bible and praying. It is common for me to zero in on a verse, a phrase, or a brief passage and spend time thinking about that portion of Scripture. Like a cow, I “swallow it” into my mind and then, throughout the day, I “burp up” that passage of Scripture and I think about it again, and again, and again. Hence, I chew the scriptural cud of God’s Word.
Throughout 2024, we are exploring the twelve spiritual disciplines in BEncouraged – one each month, and throughout May, we will focus on the inward discipline of meditation; a discipline that we do individually as Christians. When we want to investigate or understand something, we typically ask the interrogatives of speech: who, what, when, where, why and how; and we will do just that to better grasp and practice this spiritual discipline.
WHAT is meditation?
Meditation is our deliberate, intentional, repeated thinking about God and His Word. Hence, meditation requires the use of our minds. Paul commands us to “set our minds on things above and not on earthly things” (Col 3:2). And to the church in Philippi, Paul gave them this command: “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable; if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think on such things” (4:8).
WHO should be the focus of our meditation?
Meditating requires that we focus on God. Psalm 42:1-2 reminds us that “as the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?” In this volatile election year, it’s “all eyes on Jesus,” not on a candidate. Our living hope is Jesus, and meditation anchors our thoughts, our minds on Jesus (Heb 12:1-3).
WHEN should we meditate?
We should meditate throughout the day and even in the night! Think with me. Many of us long for a vacation. We need a break in the rigors of routine. A vacation is a timed plan of escape. Similarly, meditation offers that – and more – to us! Throughout the day, we can take a much-needed break from the demands of life and anchor our thoughts on the Lord. When David struggled in the Judean wilderness, he wrote, “On my bed I remember you, I think of you through the watches of the night” (Ps. 63:6). Can’t sleep? Meditate on God! Practice His presence with you! After all, He never leaves you, forsakes or forgets you! He is inside of you – the Holy Spirit “moved in” when we surrendered to Jesus and were immersed (Acts 2:38). The Comforter could not be closer to us for He is God in our skin! Hence, we can and should meditate anytime in our “24/7/365” schedule.
WHERE should we meditate?
We can meditate anywhere we wish, while mowing the yard, driving the car, washing the dishes, etc. However, trying to focus on God in those moments makes us distracted. If we want to “draw near to God,” we need to make HIM the focus of the moment. Consider having a place that is set apart for meeting with the Lord. For example, when God met with Moses in the wilderness, the ground was holy because of God’s presence. Where we meditate, that place is holy because we are practicing the presence of the Lord with and in us. I practice my early morning routine of reading the Word and praying in a specific place in our home, and I have marked that spot with a cross as a reminder that I’m in the presence of the Lord. When I sit in that spot and I look at that cross, it’s as if I’m sitting at and enjoying a table that the Lord has prepared for me in His presence (Ps 23:5).
HOW can we meditate?
One of the most important ways to meditate is to use the Word of God. The written Word is God revealed to us. We can see evidence of God when we look at the world around us. The expanse of the ocean, the majesty of the mountains and the wonder of the celestial skies point to the indescribable greatness of our Creator, Sustainer and Savior. Yet, when we read the Word of God, we increasingly come to know our God. The person who “meditates on the Word of God day and night” (Ps 1:2) is blessed by the Lord. Moreover, when we “hide God’s Word in our hearts” (Ps 119:11), the Word strengthens us to resist temptation and sin. The more of the Word we consume, the more like Jesus we become – and “…out of the abundance of our hearts, our mouths speak” (Mt 12:36). Feeding from Scripture is essential to effectively "set our minds on things above and not on earthly things.”
WHY must we meditate?
Speaking for myself, I need God. James commands us: “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Wash your hands you sinners. Purify your hearts, you double-minded” (4:8). My mind is filled with places to go, people to see and things to do. I have a difficult time “shutting down my mind” even in the evening at the end of the workday. In many ways, I’m double-minded and I want a singular mind that is anchored on the Lord. I want to sense His conspicuous presence in my life. That compels me to deliberately draw near to him. It’s natural for us “stop, look and listen” when we come to railroad tracks. It must be natural for us to “stop, look and listen” for God as He crosses our path throughout the day.
Chewing the right cud is incredible – and it’s not just for cows!
