Imagine: A Biblical Word Study from Imaginative Bible Meditations
Peanut
butter and jelly go together. So do milk and cookies, and peas and carrots.
What you may not realize is how our imaginations can complement Bible
study. Allow me to convince you.
Are
you familiar with biblical word studies? If not, they’re most enlightening and
can be done with tools like Blue Letter Bible. This is an online Bible
dictionary that allows you to look up Bible words in their original
language.
We’re
going to use Blue Letter Bible to study Psalm 1:2 (NKJV), which says: “But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And in His law he meditates day and night.”
Specifically,
we’re going to focus on the word meditate. My previous understanding of this
verse was that I should delight in the Scriptures and rehearse them over and
over in my mind. Merriam-Webster's dictionary agrees. Their definitions
include: “to engage in contemplation or
reflection; to focus one’s thoughts on: reflect on or ponder over; or to plan
or project in the mind: intend, purpose.”
These
definitions are great, but what does Blue Letter Bible say?
The
KJV translates Strong’s H1897 (meditate) in the following manner: meditate
(6x), mourn (4x), speak (4x), imagine (2x), study (2x), mutter (2x), utter
(2x), roaring (1x), sore (1x), talk (1x).
The
most striking word in this list is the word imagine. Spiritually speaking, we
can imagine many things. We might imagine heaven, meeting saints of old, or the
salvation of our loved ones. We might picture Bible stories in our minds. But
beyond these kinds of imaginings, have you or your family ever imagined a Bible
verse?
If
you're wondering what that would look like, let me offer some suggestions. You
could write a song or poem about what you've read. Thus, imagining how Bible
verses or concepts fit into a chorus or stanza. After all, you’re thinking about
the Word as you do these things. Let me give you concrete examples.
I
wrote a book of poems based on the Bible. A sample haiku from that book is
below. The biblical references are 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NKJV) and Galatians 3:13
(NKJV).
God’s
Great Mercy
Jesus
took God’s wrath…
upon
Himself on the tree.
He
chose not to flee.
Similarly,
my husband writes original Christian music that’s intended to teach Bible
principles. Check out his YouTube channel: CurtisAlexandermusic
You can also draw Scripture. I'd never heard
of this, but my husband used this method to teach children at church. Go ahead
and peek at the last two chapters if you want examples.
Scripture
drawing is a great way to learn, especially for children. I don't know the age
of yours, but kids often like to draw and colour. Teaching your family to draw
and colour Bible verses can add an extra dimension to your devotional times.
This
method of study could even help you memorize Scripture. When you describe
something in your own words or when you draw a picture to represent what you’ve
read, you remember it better. In other words, you’ve translated what you read
into something easily understand understandable.
Drawing
Scripture and writing poetry or music lyrics are just a few ways to mediate on
or imagine the Word. I'll share other ways in the following chapters.
Reflection Questions
1.
What do you think about drawing Scripture? Is this a new concept for you and
your family?
2.
What was your understanding of the word meditate? How would you and your family
define it?
3.
Would you add other examples of creative Bible meditation besides writing
lyrics or poetry?
4.
Have you and your family ever done a biblical word study?
5.
How do you and your family usually study Scripture?
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