Blessed is the man…[whose] delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.
Psalm 1:1-2Deu 4:6-9 Keep them and do them, for that will be your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’ For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as the LORD our God is to us, whenever we call upon him? And what great nation is there, that has statutes and rules so righteous as all this law that I set before you today? “Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your children and your children’s children—
An American seminary professor spent a summer studying Hebrew in Jerusalem. On one occasion, he followed along in his Hebrew text as a Jewish rabbi recited from memory, word for word, the entire book of Psalms in Hebrew. That commitment reflects the priority in the Old Testament of storing up the Word of God—of continually meditating on it and integrating it into one’s life (Deuteronomy 6:4-9).
The longest psalm in the book of Psalms—all 176 verses of Psalm 119—is given over to extolling the value and importance of God’s Word. For example, verse 11 says, “Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.” Psalm 1 says the man is blessed who meditates on God’s Word “day and night”—a figure of speech that means “all the time.” Not every second of every hour, but as a way of life—not just for fifteen minutes in the morning or an hour on Sunday but as a continual source of reflection, memorization, and meditation.
Consider committing portions of Scripture to memory so they become food for thought throughout your day. (Jeremiah)