If the first step of meditation is accurately grasping the context of the text, the second step is clear: find the Triune God within that text.
Too often, we begin our meditation with these questions:
- “What does this word say to me?”
- “How can I apply this to my current situation today?”
While application is vital, if we skip the order, meditation easily drifts into self-centeredness. The primary question of meditation must always be: “How does this passage reveal God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit?”
1. Seek God Before Projecting Yourself
Scripture is not a self-help book centered on human potential. It is a book of revelation, unveiling who God is. In every passage, we must look for the following:
- What is God observing, and what is He doing?
- What attitude and authority does Jesus display?
- How is the Holy Spirit moving or working?
- What pleases God, and what does He judge?
If we skip this and jump straight to “So, what about me?”, the Word is reduced to a mere tool for our convenience. However, when we gaze upon God first, our true selves are naturally revealed.
Knowing God is the path to knowing yourself.
- Beholding His holiness exposes our sinfulness.
- Beholding His long-suffering exposes our impatience.
- Beholding His justice exposes our compromise.
2. A Trinitarian Perspective
Even when reading the Old Testament, we read through a Trinitarian lens:
- God the Father: His sovereignty, judgment, justice, and redemptive plan.
- God the Son: The direction of redemption and His role as our Mediator.
- God the Holy Spirit: His protection, restraint, guidance, and awakening of our souls.
The specific work of each Person of the Trinity may not always be explicit in every verse, but within the flow of redemptive history, we can always discover the archetype of His character and work.
3. Case Study: Who is God in Genesis 19:1–11?
[Verses 1–3] The God who Visits As the angels enter Sodom and Lot receives them, we see a God who intervenes. He is not a distant judge; He enters the reality of human existence. He remembers and seeks out the righteous. This foreshadows the redemptive work of Jesus Christ, who came to us in the Incarnation.
[Verses 4–5] The God who Exposes Sin As the men of Sodom surround the house, God allows their hidden evil to be brought to light. God does not ignore sin; He creates circumstances where sin is revealed. Here, we encounter God’s justice.
[Verses 6–8] The God who Reveals Human Limitation Lot’s shocking offer to hand over his daughters reveals human moral confusion. Even Lot, called “righteous,” is imperfect. This scene forces us to confront our own fragility and the reality that without God, even our “best” choices can be distorted.
[Verses 9–11] The God who Protects and Intervenes The angels pull Lot inside and strike the mob with blindness. We see that salvation is an act of God’s initiative, not human ability. Even in the midst of judgment, the hand of protection moves first.
Conclusion: Re-align the Direction of Your Meditation
To summarize, the second step of meditation is:
- Seek God’s character within the text.
- Observe God’s actions.
- Read the redemptive direction of the Triune God.
When you follow this order, your meditation gains depth. Meditation is not a time to understand “me”; it is a time to know God. And when you see God accurately, you will finally see yourself accurately.
The center of meditation is never “I”—it is God. Seek the Triune God. Only then does the Word begin to breathe and move.