Meditating Day and Night

Here is one of the cards I've been meditating on lately.

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. (Joshua 1:8)

A few years ago I drove down a side street and saw a friend of mine who was out for one of his routine walks. He didn’t see me, mostly because he was flipping through index cards as he walked.

He was in the habit of writing Bible verses on those cards and carrying them with him so he could refer to them throughout the day.

Seeing him with his index cards in action prompted me to do the same. During my morning devotions I began writing down verses that either encouraged or challenged me. And then, like my friend, I began meditating on them day and night.

Here are a few places I use them:

1. Walking. I walk a mile several times a week, often listening to music on my iPod. But before I hit play, I work my way through five or ten index cards – usually containing the most recent verses I’ve written down.


2. Drive-throughs. Whether I’m banking, picking up a prescription or waiting for food, I always have a few minutes to kill while sitting in a drive-through. It’s the perfect time to read and think about the verses on my index cards.


3. Waiting rooms. When I’m getting my car fixed or waiting for my doctor, I work my way through my index cards several times with plenty of time to spare to read the book I brought with me.


4. Lunch. I don’t always do it, but I try to work my way through my index cards before I go back to work after lunch.


5. Meetings. As a sportswriter, I often have time to kill in the press box or before I interview a player or coach. What better time to pull out my index cards to reorient my mind?

You probably have several stretches during your day in which you have several minutes of downtime. Use it to meditate on God’s Word.