Fundamentally, think of meditation as “focus.” I say fundamentally because there is much more to meditation than the basic ability to focus on something. You will understand this later.

Think of focus like the focus of your camera. Each time your camera lens fixes itself on its subject, it blurs everything else. In that moment, we can say that the camera has a “steadfast” gaze upon its subject.

Steadfastness speaks of something that is firm and is not easily moved. It speaks of something that does not easily leave its position. Metaphorically speaking, we can associate the word “steadfastness” with focus, and we can associate the word focus with meditation.

Meditation is “Focus”. Focus is steadfastness. Do you see the connection? If God’s love is steadfast and unwavering, we can also say that God’s love is focused. If God’s love is focused, we can also say that God’s love is meditative.

A bee’s life is devoted to the service of its hive and its queen. It rises daily to acquire nectar to store food for the survival of its colony. It stays on this path day and night and does not waver for any reason. It never shifts from its purpose. It does not wake up one day and decide to be a cow. It is a bee. It focuses on being a bee, and it is steadfast in being a bee.

If a bee is focused and steadfast in its purpose, and if focus and steadfastness are related to meditation, metaphorically speaking, we can say a bee is meditative. An example of this is when the prophet Joel spoke of the sons of God, saying:

'They run like mighty men; they climb the wall like men of war; everyone marches in formation; and they do not break ranks.' Joel 2:7

"They do not break ranks." Each one understands its purpose, ministry, and calling and does not try to compete with or usurp another’s. We can also say that your kidney meditates on being a kidney and does not try to be a heart.

Listen to me; you would have to loosen your mind a little to see these relationships I am now pointing out to you; you would have to loosen your mind to understand me. Meditation, focus, steadfastness, and even faith are all related. They are like cousins in a family. They stem from the same family tree and can be used interchangeably. A man of faith in God does not waver from God’s commandments.

A person who does not waver from God’s commandments “meditates on God”.

The subject of meditation is much deeper than this, but this is a simple and fundamental way of understanding it. As for the scripture in Joshua, the Hebrew word “Hagah” speaks of a “type” or “form” of meditation, something we are going to discuss in one of our classes in Module 1.

I have no doubts it will be a thrilling and exciting class for many of us, as it will give us great context regarding some things. As I said, the word “meditation” is just a label. What is most important is understanding the reality that is being pointed out. Different words in the Bible are translated as meditation; “Hagah” is but one of them. “Hagah” is a form of meditation that utilises the utterance and repetition of words. We can also call it “mantra meditation.”

This utterance could be the repetition of a singular word or phrase, a passage in scripture, or even a song. The utterance is not the meditation but rather the engagement of one’s heart with the spirit behind the words they are uttering.

In that moment, the words are not mere words but portals into the spirit. This is why, for example, a lot of prophetic ministries utilise the book of Psalms in place of prayer.