Over and over in God’s Word, we’re told that studying and applying the Bible leads to blessing.

For example, the Bible says, “Blessed is the one . . . whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers”  (Psalm 1:1-3 NIV).

What does it mean to meditate? Some people think it means to put your mind in neutral and contemplate the lint on your navel as you say, “Ommmmmm.”

But that’s not what meditation is!

Meditation is seriously thinking about something. You meditate on God’s Word when you read a verse, think about what it means, and ask yourself how you could apply it to your life.

Doing this, Psalm 1:1-3 says, is like planting deep roots into the ground. It means you won’t get blown over when troubles come.

God won’t bless you if you’re not digging in and studying the Bible.

I want whatever you do to prosper. I want your life to be filled with meaning and purpose. But for God’s blessing, the Bible says you must not only read God’s Word but also study it.

I want whatever you do to prosper in the years ahead. But God makes the condition clear. If you want his blessing, you must study his Word.

James 1:25 tells us how: “But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.” (NIV).

If you want God to bless you, commit to looking intently at the Word, continuing to examine Scripture, remembering what you’ve read, and obeying what it teaches you to do.

It’s not complicated.

But it’ll change your life.