I was tired from a long day of meetings and travel, but I was almost home. As I neared Chattanooga on Interstate 75, road construction brought the traffic to a crawl and finally to a halt. Radiators steamed and drivers' tempers boiled.

At last, the vehicles ahead of me began to move. I eased my car ahead, but traffic quickly stopped again.

Glancing in my rear-view mirror, I saw the auto behind mine rapidly narrowing the gap between our bumpers. Its driver was in rapt conversation with a passenger and apparently unaware my car was standing still. Collision was imminent. Instinctively, my right hand jammed into the car horn. The approaching car screeched to a halt, missing mine by inches.

Slowly my anxiety subsided and my heartbeat returned to normal. No damage done, I thought. Then my right thumb started to throb with pain. In my panic to sound the horn, I had bent my thumb back toward my wrist. During the crisis, with my adrenalin level surging, the injury had gone unnoticed. But within moments after the emergency, my injured thumb began crying out for attention.

The thumb was sprained, and I was ill-prepared for the inconvenience the injury would cause. Over the next several weeks I discovered how much I relied on my right thumb: It enabled me to turn doorknobs, complete the firm grip on handshakes, grasp a pen (and a fork), and even tap the space bar on my word processor. With each article I wrote, my thumb pointedly reminded me of how many times I put spaces between words.

THE MERITS OF MEDITATION

With the woes of my physical thumb dominating my thoughts, I recalled something I had learned about a "spiritual" thumb. During the final course of The Navigator s' 2:7 Series, I had been introduced to the "hand illustration." The drawing of a hand holding a book is used to depict the five methods for learning the Bible: hearing, reading, studying, memorizing, and meditating. The thumb of the hand represents meditation.

Frankly, I had regarded meditation as a discipline for loose-limbed individuals who sit cross-legged while repeating monotonal chants and inhaling incense. I had appreciated the many sermons I had heard, enjoyed reading the Bible, benefited from several Bible studies I had participated in, and even recognized the merits of "hiding God's Word in my heart" through memorization. But meditation? I failed to see its merits.

As I associated my thumb injury with the hand illustration, I reconsidered how meditation fits into the spiritual growth process. Could it be, I wondered, that just as my thumb permits the tight hold needed to perform the simple task of twisting a doorknob, meditation would enable me to gain a stronger grasp on God's truth?

My suspicions were confirmed when I looked up several passages on the subject. Joshua 1:8, one of the verses I had memorized during the 2:7 Series, was clear: "Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful" (emphasis added).

The psalms often underscore the merits of meditation. For instance, Ps. 1:2 says, "But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night" (emphasis added). And the psalmist views meditation with eagerness in Ps. 119:148: "My eyes anticipate the night watches, that I may meditate on Thy word" (NASB ).

After looking up several other passages that echoed those sentiments, I concluded that God did not intend for meditation to be the private domain of Middle-Eastern mystics. Looking up the word meditate in a dictionary, I discovered that it was defined as, "to ponder; reflect." I decided that was exactly what I would do—ponder and reflect about some of the verses I had learned.

HOW TO PONDER A PROVERB

Proverbs 3:5–6 seemed like a good place to start, since these verses have meant so much to me over the years. "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." After reading the verses several times, I paused and asked myself some questions about them. What does it mean to "trust" in the Lord? And what about trusting in Him "with all my heart"? Am I doing that now? How often do I trust in Him to that extent?

I then thought about "lean not on your own understanding." Again, I wondered how successful I have been in practicing that exhortation. How many times have I questioned God when my hopes were not realized and my plans were frustrated?

"In all your ways acknowledge him." I was amazed at how convicting these six words became as I thought them through. If only the verse had said, "In some of your ways," or "It's not a bad idea to acknowledge the Lord once in a while." Failure to explain away that phrase led me to ask, "How can I acknowledge Him in all my ways?" I discover new answers to that question every day.

Finally, after meditating on the conditions of trusting and acknowledging, I reflected on the promise, "And he will make your paths straight." Looking back on my life, I was overwhelmed with thankfulness over how God had straightened my paths, not only when I was obedient, but even when I neglected to follow the prerequisites established in Prov. 3:5–6. I also thought of many grievous mistakes and the detours my life had taken because I did not trust or acknowledge Him.

My meditation led me to pray, confessing to God my need to trust Him and acknowledge Him more, asking Him to make Prov. 3:5–6 a reality in my life. And slowly, patiently—one day at a time—He is.

I've meditated in a similar way on other passages, such as 1 Cor. 10:13, Phil. 3:10, and Mt. 28:19–20. I have found much more in each passage than I could glean by simply reading the verses. I heartily agree with a statement in Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary: "Meditation is a lost art for many Christians, but the practice needs to be cultivated again."

Every once in a while, as if to ask, "How are your meditations going?" an unexpected twist of my thumb will produce a brief but familiar twinge. At such times, the prayer of Ps. 19:14 seems so appropriate: "May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer."

Robert J. Tamasy, national director of publications for the Christian Business Men’s Committee of the U.S.A in Chattanooga, TN and was discipled through the Navigators' 2:7 Series. He is coauthor, with Ken Johnson, of Reflections from the Flock.

An Exercise in Meditation

1. Review the author's process of meditation on pages 13–14. Select one passage to meditate on: Prov. 3:5–6, 1 Cor. 10:13, Phil. 3:10, or Mt. 28:19–20.

2. For several minutes, read and prayerfully consider the verses you chose, focusing on the meaning and implications of each word or phrase as the author did with Prov. 3:5–6. Ask the Lord to teach you from the scripture you will meditate on. If you find them helpful, use the questions below to guide you:

What main thought does the passage express? Is there a key word or phrase that sums up what the writer is trying to communicate?

What do you see in the passage that convicts you?

What comforts or encourages you?

What challenges you?

3. Take some time to think about the holiness and majesty of God. Praise Him in "holy admiration" as John Owen suggests below. Thank Him for guiding you through His Word.

4. How could you make this process of meditation a regular part of your fellowship with God?