God’s Word overflows with imagery that enriches our understanding and our engagement with who God is and what he is communicating to us as his children. As sons and daughters of our abundantly creative God, he has given us the unique ability of imagining and picturing scenes and interactions that are not physically present before our eyes. Connecting this God-created ability with the rich imagery of God’s Word can yield significant fruit as we dwell on and ponder passages of Scripture.
Both an encouragement and some direction are needed as we engage with God’s Word in this way. Some believers feel very cautious or apprehensive at the idea of using their imaginations with God’s Word. This may be because there are two different ways we can use our imagination. The first is in the sense of dreaming up and creating that which is not real. While this is very helpful when wanting to invent or to create art, this is not what we mean when we think of using our imagination with God’s Word. Our goal is not to create anything or dream up anything. Our goal is to listen deeply. This brings us to the second way of using our imaginations, and the way that the Bible clearly invites. Passages like Psalm 23 beckon us to not merely analyze the relationship of sheep and shepherd. Rather, the psalm brings before our mind’s eye various pictures of sheep, shepherds, meadows, streams, and dark valleys. To imagine Psalm 23 is not to create anything, but to listen with all the fullness of how God has created us.
As we picture and imagine what God is saying in his Word, stay close to the text. Picture what is being described, and try not to conjecture or infer what God is not saying. God’s Word brings life and transformation, and we want to fully see the pictures he is painting. Dwell deeply on the words and imagery God is using, and hold very lightly the imaginings or inferences that are not actually in or clearly implied by the text. In this way, we can humbly and joyfully embrace all God is saying and drink richly from his abundant Word.
Instructions:
This activity is essentially a modification of our basic meditation activities (Sitting with a Text, Walking with a Text, or Time with a Text). For your time of Scripture meditation, choose a passage that has intentional imagery or metaphor – this might include the Psalms, the parables of Jesus, portions from the prophets, or other verses that are teaching through making analogies with our everyday life experiences. This activity of picturing the text can also work well for many narrative passages. Make sure you also understand the immediate context of the passage you choose, as this can significantly impact your ability to accurately picture the scene or imagery being described.
Based on the passage that you choose, decide which basic meditation activity will work well. If the passage lends itself to slowly working through the text line by line, you may consider using Walking with a Text. However, if it would be better to meditate on the passage as a whole, choose between Sitting with a Text and Time with a Text.
Follow the steps as described in your chosen basic meditation activity, with the following additions:
- As you are reading the text, seek to picture the scene being described or the metaphor being used. What strikes you from that imagery?
- Pictures and imagery in the Bible often connect to one or more of our five senses. As you picture what the text is saying, what do you see, smell, taste, feel, or hear? (Again, we are not trying to imagine what the text is not saying, but fully engage with all that it is saying.)
- As you imagine and picture what God’s Word is saying, it may even be helpful to put yourself into that story or scene, as appropriate (*see note below).
- As you meditate on the text, dwell on and ponder that picture, talking to God about how his Word and the imagery that it uses impact your mind and heart.
After you are done, spend a few minutes journaling about your time of Scripture meditation. Alternatively, consider the possibility of sketching, drawing, or painting your response to God’s Word, or writing poetry or song.
Possible Scriptures:
- Psalm 42 – why are you cast down, O my soul?
- Psalm 91:1-4 – dwelling in God as refuge
- Isaiah 6:1-5 – the Lord sitting upon his throne
- Isaiah 46:1-4 – God will carry and will save
- Jeremiah 17:5-8 – he is like a tree planted by water
- Jeremiah 31:10-14 – God’s abundant redemption of his people
- Ezekiel 1:26-28 – Ezekiel’s vision of the glory of God
- Micah 7:18-20 – He will cast all your sins into the depths of the sea
- Mark 4:35-41 – Jesus calms the storm
- Mark 10:46-52 – Jesus heals a blind man
- Matthew 14:22-33 – Jesus and Peter walking on water
- Luke 15: 1-7 – parable of the lost sheep
- Luke 15:11-32 – parable of the lost son
- John 10:1-5 or 10:7-15 – Jesus is the good Shepherd
- 1 Peter 5:6-11 – cast all your cares on him, be watchful against Satan
- Revelation 21:1-4 – the new Jerusalem
- Revelation 22:1-5 – the river of life
*Note:
As you consider the possibility of imagining yourself in a particular story, it’s important to briefly consider to what degree this fits and is helpful. Let’s consider a couple examples:
– In the story of the prodigal son, it may be very appropriate for you to put yourself in the shoes of either the younger or older brother. As you come to your heavenly Father with a heart of repentance, he receives you exactly as the father received the prodigal son, so putting ourselves in the story and picturing it from his perspective might be very helpful. Or, If you are struggling with pride or lack of mercy towards others, it may be very appropriate to put yourself in the shoes of the older son in the story.
– Conversely, if you are meditating on a narrative passage in either the Old or New Testament, you may not be able to fully put yourself in the shoes of one of the characters. For example, if you are meditating on the story of Hezekiah’s illness and miraculous healing, it would not be appropriate to take the promise to him that “I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Behold, I will heal you” as a direct promise to you personally. Much can be gained from imagining ourselves in the place of various biblical characters, picturing and meditating on how God interacted with them. We just need to keep within the bounds of what God intends to communicate to his children from those stories.Get up, move around, move to a new spot to sit