So Much More: Scripture Meditation (Lectio Divina)

Get your FREE Unhurried Advent Guide here.

This 25-day guide is filled with Scripture meditations, devotional readings with reflective questions, and contemplative imagery—all designed to help you slow down and savor the Advent season. Created in collaboration with Unhurried Living, a ministry I’m confident you’ll love.

What is love?
The world often says love is a feeling—but feelings change.

God tells us that love is so much more. God is love.

And his love is eternal, unchanging, and steadfast.

He demonstrated this love by sending his Son, Jesus, to take away our sins.

There is no greater love than the love of God.

But God’s love isn’t something we receive for ourselves alone. Part of knowing God’s love is the call to give it away—to love one another as he has loved us.

Yet, this can feel especially hard during the holidays, when we might face the challenge of loving difficult people in our families and communities.

This meditation will guide you to contemplate love: God’s love for you and his invitation to love others.

May you know and experience real love this Advent season.

Get your FREE Unhurried Advent Guide here.

Here are some additional helpful links:

Did you love today’s calming music by Simon Wester? If so, head here to find links to his music. I have his Spotify playlist on repeat.

You can find out more about me, Jodie, at http://www.jodieniznik.com/

Follow me on Instagram @jodieniznik

Follow me on Facebook @JodieGNiznik

Learn more about Scripture meditation and download a FREE Lectio Divina Scripture Meditation Journal here.

Join my Monday email newsletter here, where I send links to the newest meditation every Monday morning.

Find out more about my partner, Life Audio, at lifeaudio.com.

Download FREE sample chapters from my Bible studies here.

The entire meditation text is as follows:

1 John 4:7-10, NLT

7 Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. 8 But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

9 God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. 10 This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Get your FREE Unhurried Advent Guide here.
This 25-day guide is filled with Scripture meditations, devotional readings with reflective questions, and contemplative imagery—all designed to help you slow down and savor the Advent season. Created in collaboration with Unhurried Living, a ministry I’m confident you’ll love.

Jesus brought peace. Peace in our relationship with God, peace into our lives, and peace into the world.

The peace He offers isn’t a distant, someday-when-life-is-perfect kind of peace. It’s a peace we can experience right now—in the middle of the mess.

I love how Alan Fadling, from Unhurried Living and one of the contributors to the Unhurried Advent Guide, puts it:
“Anything we can do in anxiety, we can do better in peace.”

This doesn’t ignore the fact that real life is often messy and difficult. But imagine if there were an undercurrent of peace flowing through your life instead of anxiety. How would that change the way you live, love, and respond to your circumstances?

Today, we’re meditating on the announcement of Jesus’s birth to the shepherds. In this extraordinary moment, God gives them (and us) the profound gift of peace.

As you listen to this meditation, I invite you to step into the shepherds’ shoes and wonder: What would it have been like to witness this moment?

More importantly, how might Jesus be inviting you to embrace His peace this Advent season?

I’m praying that this meditation helps you pause, reflect, and receive the peace Jesus offers.

Get your FREE Unhurried Advent Guide here.

Here are some additional helpful links:

Did you love today’s calming music by Simon Wester? If so, head here to find links to his music. I have his Spotify playlist on repeat.

You can find out more about me, Jodie, at http://www.jodieniznik.com/

Follow me on Instagram @jodieniznik

Follow me on Facebook @JodieGNiznik

Learn more about Scripture meditation and download a FREE Lectio Divina Scripture Meditation Journal here.

Join my Monday email newsletter here, where I send links to the newest meditation every Monday morning.

Find out more about my partner, Life Audio, at lifeaudio.com.

Download FREE sample chapters from my Bible studies here.

The entire meditation text is as follows:

Luke 2:8–14, NLT

8 That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. 9 Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, 10 but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. 11 The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! 12 And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”

13 Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Get your FREE Unhurried Advent Guide here.

This 25-day guide is full of Scripture meditations, devotional readings with reflective questions, and contemplative imagery—all designed to help you slow down and savor the Advent season. Created in collaboration with Unhurried Living, an amazing ministry I’m confident you’ll love.

Why do we have hope?

As believers, our hope isn’t anchored in fleeting desires or wishful thinking. Instead, it is rooted in God’s faithfulness.

Did you know Jesus fulfilled more than 300 prophecies with His first coming—prophecies that were written centuries before His birth?

These fulfilled prophecies assure us that God faithfully keeps his promises. And that means, just as Jesus came once, He will come again. This is our sure hope.

This week’s meditation is one of the prophecies that Jesus fulfilled. It is from the book of Isaiah and was written hundreds of years before Jesus’s birth. It speaks clearly of Jesus as the Light who shines in our darkness.

Just like us, the people in Isaiah’s times struggled. While our struggles may differ, we know the weight of darkness in our lives and world. We, too, need the light of hope to break through. And Jesus is that light.

No matter what you’re facing this season, let this passage remind you of your sure hope in Christ—the One who entered into our darkness to bring His glorious light. I’m praying this meditation helps you rest in His unshakable hope today.

Get your FREE Unhurried Advent Guide here.

Here are some additional helpful links:

Did you love today’s calming music by Simon Wester? If so, head here to find links to his music. I have his Spotify playlist on repeat.

You can find out more about me, Jodie, at http://www.jodieniznik.com/

Follow me on Instagram @jodieniznik

Follow me on Facebook @JodieGNiznik

Learn more about Scripture meditation and download a FREE Lectio Divina Scripture Meditation Journal here.

Join my Monday email newsletter here, where I send links to the newest meditation every Monday morning.

Find out more about my partner, Life Audio, at lifeaudio.com.

Download FREE sample chapters from my Bible studies here.

The entire meditation text is as follows:

Isaiah 9:2, 6, NIV

2 The people walking in darkness

have seen a great light;

on those living in the land of deep darkness

a light has dawned.

6 For to us a child is born,

to us a son is given,

and the government will be on his shoulders.

And he will be called

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Get your FREE Praying with The Psalms Journal here.

Psalm 103 is often called a “salvation-history” Psalm. It beautifully recounts God’s faithfulness through the ages, telling the story of how he saved and redeemed his people over and over. At its core, this Psalm reminds us: if God did it before, he will do it again. He is trustworthy, he is good, and he is worthy of our praise.

In this season of thanksgiving, take a few moments to be guided into gratitude.

You can follow along with a FREE printed guide for this meditation and the entire Praying with the Psalms series here.

Advent is coming. Get your free Advent guide here. This guide was made in partnership with Unhurried Living and contains weekly Scripture meditations, daily devotionals, reflection questions, and more. All to guide you through the Advent season at an unhurried and gracious pace.

Get your Advent guide here: https://www.unhurriedliving.com/advent2024

Here are some additional helpful links:

You can find out more about me, Jodie, at http://www.jodieniznik.com/

Follow me on Instagram @creatingspaceforgod

Follow me on Facebook @JodieGNiznik

Learn more about Scripture meditation and download a FREE Lectio Divina Scripture Meditation Journal here.

Join my Monday email newsletter here, where I send links to the newest meditation every Monday morning.

Find out more about my partner, Life Audio, at lifeaudio.com.

Download FREE sample chapters from my Bible studies here.

The entire meditation text is as follows:

Psalm 103:1-5, NIV

1 Praise the Lord, my soul;

all my inmost being, praise his holy name.

2 Praise the Lord, my soul,

and forget not all his benefits—

3 who forgives all your sins

and heals all your diseases,

4 who redeems your life from the pit

and crowns you with love and compassion,

5 who satisfies your desires with good things

so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Get your FREE Praying with The Psalms Journal here.

Psalm 86 is a heartfelt prayer from David, who cried out to God while facing unjust attacks from his enemies. Though David confronted ruthless foes who sought to take his life, this prayer serves as a reminder that we all have enemies—whether external challenges, difficult people, or internal struggles such as sin patterns or negative thought cycles.

The Psalm encourages us to remember that God is greater than any enemy we could face.

Whatever "enemy" you may be confronting today, be encouraged that God is bigger and stronger. As you meditate on Psalm 86, allow these truths to deepen your trust in Him and strengthen your heart to walk faithfully in His ways.

You can follow along with a FREE printed guide for this meditation and the entire Praying with the Psalms series here.

Advent is coming. Get your free Advent guide here. This guide was made in partnership with Unhurried Living and contains weekly Scripture meditations, daily devotionals, reflection questions, and more. All to guide you through the Advent season at an unhurried and gracious pace.

Get your Advent guide here: https://www.unhurriedliving.com/advent2024

Here are some additional helpful links:

You can find out more about me, Jodie, at http://www.jodieniznik.com/

Follow me on Instagram @jodieniznik

Follow me on Facebook @JodieGNiznik

Learn more about Scripture meditation and download a FREE Lectio Divina Scripture Meditation Journal here.

Join my Monday email newsletter here, where I send links to the newest meditation every Monday morning.

Find out more about my partner, Life Audio, at lifeaudio.com.

Download FREE sample chapters from my Bible studies here.

The entire meditation text is as follows:

Psalm 86:11-15, NIV

11 Teach me your way, Lord,

that I may rely on your faithfulness;

give me an undivided heart,

that I may fear your name.

12 I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart;

I will glorify your name forever.

13 For great is your love toward me;

you have delivered me from the depths,

from the realm of the dead.

14 Arrogant foes are attacking me, O God;

ruthless people are trying to kill me—

they have no regard for you.

15 But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God,

slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.