Discernment from Scripture

Discernment is important and valuable whether that is in work or just generally in life. Some people may find that certain aspects of discernment come more naturally for them. Some may be able to more easily apply it in different situations, but all of us need discernment and need to use it in our lives.

One great source of discernment that we have been given is the Bible. It is filled with words that guide and direct us if we will listen and apply them. The book of Proverbs has a great passage about the connection between God’s Word and discernment. Let’s take a look:

“My son, if you will receive my words
And treasure my commandments within you,
Make your ear attentive to wisdom,
Incline your heart to understanding;
For if you cry for discernment,
Lift your voice for understanding;
If you seek her as silver
And search for her as for hidden treasures;
Then you will discern the fear of the Lord
And discover the knowledge of God.
For the Lord gives wisdom;
From His mouth come knowledge and understanding.
He stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
He is a shield to those who walk in integrity,
Guarding the paths of justice
And He preserves the way of His godly ones.
Then you will discern righteousness and justice
And equity and every good course.” (Proverbs 2:1-9)

Listening to, seeking to understand, and fully embracing God’s commands allows us to discern “the fear of the Lord” and grow in knowledge, wisdom, and understanding. God will be our shield and guard our way. This also helps us grow in our discernment.

So how do we do this? Scripture itself gives us a way to seek this kind of discernment. Over 20 times in the Bible we are called to meditate on God’s Word. Some Christians have a tendency to almost read right over that word because we associate meditation as a new age thing or something from some eastern religion. Meditation can’t be a Christian thing can it?

I would say the answer to that question is yes and maybe no. It’s definitely yes because we see numerous references in the Bible to the importance of meditating on God’s Word. In fact in Joshua 1:8 the Israelites were commanded to meditate:

“This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.”

So clearly, yes, meditation is something Christians should do, but I also said that there was maybe a no. If your only understanding of meditation comes from eastern religions and philosophies, then you might think it means trying to empty yourself of all thoughts possibly by focusing on an object, sound or feel, or possibly even focusing on different aspects of yourself. If this is your idea of meditation, then I would say no this is not what the Bible is calling Christians to do.

Instead, we are called to meditate on God’s Word. That means we are to be spending time focusing on His Word. This might be done by reading a verse and spending time really thinking about it, meditating on it to understand what God is saying, what He is telling us about Himself, and what He is saying to us.

It might also involve Scripture memory. Committing verses to memory, even though it might seem challenging, gives us the opportunity to meditate on His Words without having our Bibles or phones with us. We can meditate on His Word while standing in line, sitting in a waiting room, or driving through the car wash if we have verses memorized. Scripture memory also has the added benefit of having verses pop into our minds at moments when we most need them. While the Holy Spirit can bring any verse to mind to guide and direct us, verses we have memorized become a lot more accessible.

So, my challenge to you and me today is to find some time to meditate on God’s Word. That might mean extra time with our Bible, posting a verse in some places where we’ll frequently see it and be drawn back to it, or working to commit a verse to memory. However you choose to meditate on His Word, I pray that you will commit to it and as a result find yourself growing in discernment and wonder!