A pastor's daughter, who was a high school senior preparing for college, grew in faith and began to read the Bible diligently. When a friend asked to see what she was reading, she agreed on the condition that the friend read the entire Book of Acts (chapters 1–28) in one sitting without giving up. Surprisingly, the friend finished it all at once and summarized the Book of Acts in a very graceful way: "That’s awesome" and "It brings everything back to life". Indeed, the Book of Acts is a history of restoration and bringing things to life.

It is wonderful to receive such inspiration and grace through the Word. If someone reading the Bible for the first time can experience this, those of us who read it often should receive even greater inspiration. What we must strive to know in our lives is the Word of God, and through it, we must strive to know the Lord.

Last week, I distributed a guide for reading through the Bible. I hope you use it to draw closer to the Word. While everyone’s level of motivation and passion differs—with some doing well and others struggling—reading the Word should not just be a special goal but a part of our daily lives. A Christian life cannot truly exist apart from the Word.

Today’s Psalm reveals a believer's love for the Word: "Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long" (119:97). To enjoy grace more deeply, we must live a life of daily meditation. To achieve this, we will practice Word meditation in three stages: Stopping, Staying, and Moving Forward.

1. Word meditation is stopping for a moment in a busy life.

When we read the Word, we must first stop. Stopping means setting aside our busy daily routines for a moment. It is about calming our hearts to adopt an attitude ready to hear the Lord's Word. Our minds are often filled with countless thoughts; we must step away from that mental noise and prepare for a conversation with the Word.

If you try to have a serious conversation with someone who says, "Go ahead, I'm listening," while they continue doing something else, it is difficult to communicate. That is not a good attitude toward the other person. To hear the Lord's Word, we must first stop. Making time to read the Word within our 24 hours is an act of pausing in the middle of a busy life to prepare a listening heart. Worship is the same; it is not something to be done in a rushed or distracted state of mind.

2. Word meditation is abiding.

The purpose of stopping is to abide. Abiding means remaining within God and within His Word. Meditating on or reading the Word is different from doing homework. It is not something to be "checked off" or rushed through just to finish a daily quota. Reading the Word is a time for meeting and communing with God, and that fellowship requires time to stay.

Some people always have busy minds. We go to places like the Post Office or the DMV to get what we need and leave as quickly as possible. However, Word meditation is different; staying is essential. To stay means to reflect on the Word so that it can enter deeply into our hearts.

In Matthew chapter 3, the Lord was baptized by John. As He came up out of the water, heaven opened, the Spirit descended like a dove, and a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased". The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit were not separate but were together, staying in the same space and time. This fellowship is beautiful, and the Lord desired for His disciples to have it as well. In John 17, Jesus prayed for them: "that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me". Word meditation is staying within the Lord's Word and within fellowship with Him.

3. Word meditation is moving forward into daily life.

Word meditation involves stages of stopping and staying, but it does not end there. Meditation is not over when you leave your seat; it is about carrying the grace and the Word you received back into your daily life. On the Mount of Transfiguration, Peter witnessed a glorious sight and suggested staying there forever. However, forgetting the mission of the cross to remain only in peace was not the Lord’s will. We must move back into the world.

If there is grace you realized while meditating, you must now move forward with that Word into your everyday life. It means the Word should not just remain in your heart or head but deepen within the reality of your actual life. It becomes a Word that connects to your life and works through it. Worship also has this crucial stage of moving forward. It doesn't end when you go home; we must become worshippers of life in the places God has sent us.

Conclusion

Today’s Psalmist came to know the joy and pleasure that the Word brings: "How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!" (119:103). Because the Word is sweet like honey and gives joy, we cannot help but love it more. We also desire to enjoy blessed and beautiful grace through the Word. Let us remember the principles of Word meditation: Stopping, Abiding, and Going. May we be believers who live a fruitful life of faith through Word meditation.