Meditate and So Suck Out the Sweetness of Truth!

Meditation is a holy exercise of the mind; whereby we 
bring the truths of God to remembrance—and seriously 
ponder upon them and apply them to ourselves. It is a 
work which cannot be done in a crowd. A Christian must 
retire from the world, to have serious thinking upon God. 
It is not a few transient thoughts that are quickly gone;
but a fixing and staying of the mind upon heavenly 
objects. 

As the bee sucks the honey from the flower—so by 
meditation we suck out the sweetness of a truth. 
It is not the receiving of food into the mouth, but the 
digesting of it, which makes it nutritious. Just so, it is 
not the receiving of the most excellent truths in the 
ear, which nourishes our souls—but the digesting of 
them by meditation. 

Satan does what he can to hinder this duty. He is an 
enemy of meditation. The devil does not care not how 
much we read—so long as we do not meditate on what 
we read. Reading begets knowledge—but meditation 
begets devotion. "Oh, how I love your law! I meditate 
on it all day long." Psalm 119:97

Holy meditation quickens the affections. The reason 
why our affections are so cold to heavenly things—is 
because we do not warm them at the fire of holy 
meditation. As the musing on worldly objects makes 
the fire of lust burn; and as the musing on injuries 
makes the fire of revenge burn; just so, meditating 
on the transcendent beauties of Christ, would make 
our love to Christ flame forth.

Meditation has a transforming power in it. The reading 
of the Word may affect us—but the meditating upon it 
transforms us. Meditation stamps the impression of divine 
truths upon our hearts. By meditating on God's holiness, 
we grow holy. While by meditation we look upon God's 
purity—we are changed into His likeness.

Meditation produces reformation. "I have considered 
my ways and have turned my steps to your statutes." 
Psalm 119:59. If we would spend but one quarter of 
an hour every day in contemplating heavenly objects, 
it would leave a mighty impression upon us! 
--From-- Thomas Watson, "The Christian Soldier" 1669)