So Much More: Scripture Meditation (Lectio Divina)

Psalm 91 reminds us that God is our ultimate protector. No matter what challenges we face or circumstances we find ourselves in, we can rest assured that God is with us, guiding and leading us toward life.
If you need a shot of hope for your day or week, listen in to this guided Lectio Divina meditation to be reminded that God is with you, and you can find refuge in him.

You can find Jodie at http://www.jodieniznik.com/
Instagram @jodieniznik
Facebook @JodieGNiznik
Download free sample chapters from my Bible studies here.
Download your free Lectio Divina / Scripture Meditation Journal here.

The full meditation text is:
Psalm 91:1-4, NIV
1 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”
3 Surely he will save you
from the fowler’s snare
and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

Learn more about Every Woman’s Bible today by visiting:
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In this episode, Jodie Niznik, host of So Much More, leads you in a guided meditation to help you find renewed strength and hope using Isaiah 40:28-31. The passage was originally meant to encourage God’s people who were weary and wayward, and it also offers timeless truths and promises for us today.

Here are 3 takeaways from this Meditation:
Remember God's Everlasting Presence: Isaiah 40 reminds us that the Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. These timeless truths remind us of God's unceasing care and understanding, strengthening our hope in Him.
Renew Your Strength: We all encounter times in our lives when we feel weary and weak. Isaiah 40 teaches us that God gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Through our hope in Him, our strength is renewed, allowing us to “soar on wings like eagles.”
Rest in God's Understanding: God understands our weariness, weakness, and exhaustion even better than we do. In times of struggle, we can find solace in His knowing and loving presence, allowing His understanding to comfort and guide us.

You can find Jodie at http://www.jodieniznik.com/
Instagram @jodieniznik
Facebook @JodieGNiznik
Download free sample chapters from my Bible studies here.
Download your free Lectio Divina Scripture Meditation Journal here.

The full meditation text is as follows:
Isaiah 40:28-31, NIV
28 Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.
29 He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
30 Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
31 but those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.
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This is a guided meditation and reflection on all of Psalm 32.
Psalm 32 starts with the reminder of the joy we should know because of the fresh start and a clean slate we’ve been given through Jesus. Have we forgotten how amazing and miraculous his work is in our lives?
This Psalm also reminds us that hiding sin in secret places will eat us up from the inside out. The amazing news is – when we bring anything hiden into the light, God renews and receives us. Did you catch that? Every single time you turn back to God, he receives you. Every. Single. Time. He does not tire of our returns, he celebrates them.
In this meditation, we will listen to Psalm 32 from the Message Translation and I will give you prompts to reflect on with the Lord. Each reflection space in 1 minute long. Feel free to pause or rewind if you need more time.
May the Lord guide you to what he has for you through his Word today.
Here are the reflection prompts:
Consider, what would your life be like without Jesus? Thank God that through Jesus he has given you a clean slate.
Recall a time when you were hiding from God and others and how it felt. When you returned to God and stopped hiding from others, how did that feel? Thank him for his mercy.
Bring it forward to today… is there any place in your life that you feel you are hiding from God or others? If so, what’s holding you back from bringing it to the light?
Ask God if there is any place in your life where you’re being ornery like a horse or a mule and resisting him. If he reveals anything, Ask him for his help. If nothing comes to mind, ask him to help you stay tender and responsive to his leading.
Praise God for the truth that you are loved every time you turn around. If there’s a place that God has shown you where you need to turn around, ask God for his help. And remember you will be received with love.

Here’s some links I discussed in the podcast:
The guided retreat to help you move into this new year with intention is here.
You can find Jodie at http://www.jodieniznik.com/
Instagram @jodieniznik
Facebook @JodieGNiznik
Learn more about Lectio Divina and download your free Lectio Divina Journal here.
And if you’re ready to make Scripture Meditation a part of your new year, I encourage you to join my Monday email newsletter here. I’ll send out link to the newest meditation every Monday morning.
Download free sample chapters from my Bible studies here.
The passages we meditated on is as follows:
Psalm 32, The Message
Count yourself lucky, how happy you must be—
you get a fresh start,
your slate’s wiped clean.
2 Count yourself lucky—
God holds nothing against you
and you’re holding nothing back from him.
3 When I kept it all inside,
my bones turned to powder,
my words became daylong groans.
4 The pressure never let up;
all the juices of my life dried up.
5 Then I let it all out;
I said, “I’ll make a clean breast of my failures to God.”
Suddenly the pressure was gone—
my guilt dissolved,
my sin disappeared.
6 These things add up. Every one of us needs to pray;
when all hell breaks loose and the dam bursts
we’ll be on high ground, untouched.
7 God’s my island hideaway,
keeps danger far from the shore,
throws garlands of hosannas around my neck.
8 Let me give you some good advice;
I’m looking you in the eye
and giving it to you straight:
9 “Don’t be ornery like a horse or mule
that needs bit and bridle
to stay on track.”
10 God-defiers are always in trouble;
God-affirmers find themselves loved
every time they turn around.
11 Celebrate God.
Sing together—everyone!
All you honest hearts, raise the roof!
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This guided Scripture meditation in Isaiah 55 uses Lectio Divina.
God is doing work that we can’t even begin to imagine. In Isaiah God declares,
“my thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not my ways.”
I have to confess… from my limited perspective it can be hard to understand what God is doing. This passage reminds me that God is doing things beyond our knowing. (see Job 36:26)
As I refocus on the truth that God is God and I am not.
And that God is good – always good.
Then I start to rest in him and his work.
Listen in to this guided meditation and allow the Holy Spirit to remind you that God is working. And that he uses his good Word to accomplish his good purposes.

Here’s some helpful links I discussed in the podcast:
The guided retreat to help you move into this new year with intention is here.
You can find Jodie at http://www.jodieniznik.com/
Instagram @jodienzinik
Facebook @JodieGNiznik
Learn more about Lectio Divina and download your free Lectio Divina Journal here.
And if you’re ready to make Scripture Meditation a part of your new year, I encourage you to join my Monday email newsletter here. I’ll send out link to the newest meditation every Monday morning.
Download free sample chapters from my Bible studies here.

The passages we meditated on is as follows:
Isaiah 55:8-11, CSB
For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
and your ways are not my ways.”
This is the Lord’s declaration.
9 “For as heaven is higher than earth,
so my ways are higher than your ways,
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
10 For just as rain and snow fall from heaven
and do not return there
without saturating the earth
and making it germinate and sprout,
and providing seed to sow
and food to eat,
11 so my word that comes from my mouth
will not return to me empty,
but it will accomplish what I please
and will prosper in what I send it to do.”
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A Scripture Meditation on Psalm 27 using Lectio Divina.
Do not be afraid.
Easier said than done. Fear is a common emotion when we feel scared, concerned, or even ashamed.
In this Psalm, David was being pursued by his very real enemies who wanted to do very real hard to him. In the face of this uncertainty, David chose courageous trust when he declared that God was greater than his enemies and therefore, he would not be afraid.
David placed his confidence in the Lord. May we do the same.
Listen in to this guided meditation and allow the Holy Spirit to direct you to what he has for you.

Here’s some helpful links I discussed in the podcast:
The guided retreat to help you move into this new year with intention is here.
You can find Jodie at http://www.jodieniznik.com/
Instagram @jodieniznik
Facebook @JodieGNiznik
Learn more about Lectio Divina and download your free Lectio Divina Journal here.
And if you’re ready to make Scripture Meditation a part of your new year, I encourage you to join my Monday email newsletter here. I’ll send out link to the newest meditation every Monday morning.
Download free sample chapters from my Bible studies here.

The passages we meditated on is as follows:
Psalm 27:1-3, 13-14, NIV
The Lord is my light and my salvation—
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life—
of whom shall I be afraid?
2 When the wicked advance against me
to devour me,
it is my enemies and my foes
who will stumble and fall.
3 Though an army besiege me,
my heart will not fear;
though war break out against me,
even then I will be confident.
13 I remain confident of this:
I will see the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living.
14 Wait for the Lord;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the Lord.
Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.