So the secret to being happy begins with what we should not do (Psalm 1:1); but it cannot stop there. That is where it starts but that is not the answer. What you hate is important; but that will not make you happy by itself. Happiness begins with a biblical disdain that turns us away from the ungodly counsel of the world; but it finds its source in what we delight. It finds its source in what we turn to, not what we turn from.

But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.

Psalm 1:2

The blessed man (the happy man) is one who delights in the word of God. It says, “The law of the Lord” which is helpful because we know the psalmist is talking about the written word of God – the bible. That is where we must get our counsel. The wisdom of God must replace the wisdom of the world.

But in what way does the happy man delight in God’s word? that brings us to our next step.

3. Happiness Meditates on the Bible.

Verse 3 says that meditating on Gods’s word is like a tree that is planted by a river of water. You have to allow your roots to grow deep into God’s word if you want it to produced the happy blessed fruit.

If you want the fruits, you must focus on the roots.

So how do we meditates on God’s word? How do we grow the roots of our life deep into the word of God? I want to give you 7 ways that you can start today.

7 Ways to Meditate on the Word

1. Listen to it – you can listen to the Bible through audio bibles or through the preaching and teaching of your local church. (Rom 10:17)
2. Read it – there is no substitute for reading the Bible. It is the best way to saturate your mind and heart (1Tim 4:13). It does not matter how much you read in one sitting. What is important is that you read it consistently. Allow the water of his word to continually flow through you.
3. Study it – this is how you get the roots deep into the word, by digging down to discovers its wisdom (2Tim 2:15; Prov 2:4-5). This is how your meditation intensifies because it forces you to really think about it.
4. Talk about it – take what you have studied and think out loud. The word “meditate” literally means to murmur; to ponder. You can think out loud by talking to yourself (Psalm 42:5; Psalm 77:6). But you can also think out loud by discussing it with others (Luke 24:13-14). This how you ponder things so you can work it out.
5. Pray it back to God – this is a very active meditation, invoking the power of the scripture by praying his will and his own word back to him (1John5:14-15). This will saturate your heart with his words and it will teach you to pray. (Psalm 119:48).
6. Memorise it – this is a deep form of meditation that seeks to hide God’s words, not in your head, but deep in your heart (Psalm 119:11; Luke 2:19; 9:44). [More about this later]
7. Teach it to someone else – you will never truly understand something until you teach it to someone else. This forces you to think hard about his word and to crystallise your thoughts. This forces you to draw conclusions and begin to develop convictions. This brings a kind of completeness to our meditation (Psalm 34:11).

These are 7 ways you can begin to meditate on God’s word today. This is how you grow your roots down deep into the Bible; and how his word becomes your source for godly counsel and wisdom. In time your word-soaked roots will begin to produce the fruits of a biblical kind of happiness.

Next time I will provide you with a practical tip to help you with this. Until then, God bless.