Ruminate…Learn to “Chew On” His Word

Ruminating literally means to “chew on” partly digested food.  Cows have four stomachs or chambers in their abdomen.  Initially, grass is chewed and swallowed into the first stomach then this partly digested food called “cud” is burped up to be chewed again by the cow.  The cow chews the grass once and the cud three times.  “Chewing the cud” means that it continues to chew and swallow until it moves into the cow’s system fully digested.  I believe as Christ-followers, we need to emulate “chewing the cud” by “chewing on” the same passage of scripture until we can “digest” it into our soul.  The Bible calls ruminating… meditating.

Jesus tells us in John 17:17, “Sanctify them in accordance with the truth; your word is truth.”  At salvation we are “sanctified”…set apart as holy.  Now as believers, we are to work sanctification out in our lives.  Work out what God has “worked in.” The key to healing is learning and enabling Truth from God’s Word in your life.  How do you do that?  Meditation…continue to chew on His Word until it is fully “digested” and truth integrated and applied in your life and lifestyle.

God expressed this to Joshua very clearly, “Keep this Book of the Law (the Bible) always on your lips; 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…Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”  Chew on His Word night and day.  If you do, you will be “strong and courageous”…made whole.

Meditate on the following scripture:

• Psalm 1:2, “Delight in the law of the Lord, and meditate on his law day and night.”
• Psalm 48:9, “Within your temple, O God, we meditate on your unfailing love.”
• Psalm 119:99, “I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on your statutes.”

Chew on the Word meditating on it, the taste is good giving you a sweetness and joy:

• “Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him” (Psalm 34:8).
• “How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth” (Psalm 119:103)

Don’t rush through God’s Word.  Take your time…slow down and “chew on” enjoying each tasty morsel until it can be fully digested producing wholeness and courageousness in your soul.

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