My Meditation Tiles

Big Idea: Diane uses the YouVersion online Bible to make meditation tiles as a tool to reflect on the Scriptures.



I am a visual learner. I like having a poster, card or even a post-it note to remember a Biblical concept.

Learning to meditate is something our society does not seem to value. Or it may be tied up in relaxation techniques or New Age rituals.

The Bible mentions meditation quite a few times.

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 NLT

Like a dog with a bone

I grew up with a family dog. When the Sunday roast had a juicy bone, that went to the dog.  We all knew better than to try to take it way from him. He’d spend hours licking and gnawing on it.

The word for “meditate” in Hebrew in the Old Testament is the word “Hagah.” The word is sometimes used in ancient Israel for the way a lion relishes and gnaws on a bone.

The idea transferred to meditation on God’s word is to gnaw on it and relish it. Go over and over it trying to get all you can from it. It is a process of appreciation.

 

I highly recommend a book by Eugene Peterson on the concept of devouring the Word of God and meditating on it.  It is called "Eat this book."  He explains in the first chapter of the book the concept of "Hagah."

How I made verses for meditation 

I discovered I could use the app associated with YouVersion of the Bible to create my own image to use for mediation.

1. Keep the background simple.

2. Don’t feel you need to copy the entire verse. Use a phrase or section that strikes you.

3. Use a version you really like. I use New Living Translation for my meditation time.

4. Make the font large and simple.

5. Have a good contrast between the background and letters. Either light with dark or dark with light.

6. Keep it with your phone photos. Pull it out when on a walk or stuck waiting somewhere like the doctor’s office.

Do it Yourself

Here is how you can make this yourself.

1. Go to YouVersion and click on the verse you want to make. It will have a dotted underline.

 

2. At the bottom of the page is a menu. Find “Image.”

 

3. It will offer you background images they already have. Choose something simple. Or you can use your own photo. Also, sometimes it is helpful to blur the background.

4. It will center it. You can take out part of the verse. You can also adjust size, borders, change font, etc.

5. I often take a screenshot of the finished tile, frame it and keep it with my photos.

 

6. Meditate on it as you go.

 

Here is an example of a bunch of tiles I made for our class when we studied Deuteronomy.

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Reflect:



Is there a topic you tend to obsess over? Is there a way to train yourself to meditate on the Bible instead? Make a tile and try it out today.