Ruminate on God’s Word for Optimal Spiritual Health | April 5th, 2021
I finally reached a goal I’ve had for a very long time…to read through the entire Bible. I took it one or two chapters a day, beginning in the New Testament and then finishing with the Old Testament. I was not in a hurry and spent time slowly meditating on what I read, underlining verses that spoke directly to my heart. I learned so much about who God is and our relationship was strengthened. My biblical knowledge increased and I have a much greater understanding of how His wise instruction for living aligns beautifully with His deep love and purpose for me. I have really grown to love God’s Word!
Another word for meditate is ruminate which means “to chew something over.” This Old English word is derived from the Latin ruminari which comes from rumen, the Latin name for the first of four stomach compartments inside most even-toed hoofed, plant-eating mammals (like the cow) that lack the enzyme cellulase to break down the tough cellulose in the walls of plant cells.
A cow will chew their cud, swallow it, bring the partially digested food back up, and chew it some more. When it arrives back in their mouth, they push it against the palate with their tongue to remove the excess liquid which they swallow and then chew on what’s left so they can extract more minerals in the cud before swallowing it again.
When we “chew” on God’s Word by pondering, studying, and perhaps even memorizing what we’ve read, we are gleaning more spiritual nutrition from it for our mind and spirit. Every time we read Scripture, even if we’ve read the same passage many times before, we get a little more out of it. God will always show us something new that is perfectly applicable to our life.
Cows spend about a third of their day ruminating. Most of us don’t have that much time to meditate on the Bible each day, but what I find so amazing is that any Scripture I have taken time to read and contemplate in the past has a way of coming back to my mind through the help of the Holy Spirit whenever I need it. He also helps us follow what is written in it which provides incredible blessing!
Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. Joshua 1:8
Slowly ruminate on God’s Word each day so you can extract all of the life-giving nutrients available to you for optimal spiritual health. Like the digestive system of the cow, it’s the way God designed it!
Kimberly Moore is a blogger, speaker, and author of Beauty in a Life Repurposed and Kingdom Sparkle. To learn more, visit her website at kingdomsparkle.com.
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