So Much More: Scripture Meditation (Lectio Divina)

Good Friday is the darkest and most solemn day on the Christian calendar. Yet, because of Jesus’s sacrifice—a sacrifice that changes everything—it truly becomes good. In this Scripture meditation, we step into the scene at the cross, where Jesus is crucified between two criminals. We witness the reactions of those around Him—the mocking soldiers, the mourning crowd, the two criminals beside Him. And in the midst of it all, we hear Jesus’s powerful words of grace and forgiveness: "Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing." Even in His suffering, Jesus extends mercy. Through this Good Friday meditation, you’ll be invited to: Enter the scene and observe those around the cross. Reflect on the words and actions of Jesus. Sit at the foot of the cross and thank Him for what He endured for you. Take a moment to pause, reflect, and let the weight of this day settle in. As you listen, may you encounter Jesus’s love, grace, and mercy in a deeper way. Get your free Lent Journal here. Here are some additional helpful links: Download your free LENT guide here. 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 Guided 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: Luke 23:32-43, NLT Two others, both criminals, were led out to be executed with (Jesus). When they came to a place called The Skull, they nailed him to the cross. And the criminals were also crucified—one on his right and one on his left. Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” And the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice. The crowd watched and the leaders scoffed. “He saved others,” they said, “let him save himself if he is really God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.” The soldiers mocked him, too, by offering him a drink of sour wine. They called out to him, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” A sign was fastened above him with these words: “This is the King of the Jews.” One of the criminals hanging beside him scoffed, “So you’re the Messiah, are you? Prove it by saving yourself—and us, too, while you’re at it!” But the other criminal protested, “Don’t you fear God even when you have been sentenced to die? We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.” And Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.” Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Today is Maundy Thursday—the night before Jesus went to the cross. This Lent Meditation will guide you to reflect on Jesus’s unconditional love. On this night, Jesus knelt to wash His disciples’ feet, shared the Passover meal, and redefined the meaning of the bread and cup. Then, He walked with His disciples to the Mount of Olives, where He spoke words they didn’t fully understand—words about their coming failure and His unwavering love. In today’s meditation, we’ll step into this moment through Peter’s eyes, listening as Jesus tells him that he will deny Him. But even in this painful prediction, there is hope—because Jesus’s love was never dependent on Peter’s strength. And His love for us is the same—unconditional, unwavering, and faithful. As you slow down and enter this sacred moment, may you remember: Everything Jesus does is because of His extravagant love for you. Listen now to enter into the story of Maundy Thursday. Get your free Lent Journal here. Here are some additional helpful links: Download your free LENT guide here. 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 Guided 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: Matthew 26:30-35, NIV 30 When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. 31 Then Jesus told them, “This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written: “ ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ 32 But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.” 33 Peter replied, “Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.” 34 “Truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” 35 But Peter declared, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” And all the other disciples said the same. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

This Lectio Divina meditation for Lent invites us to slow down and reflect on how it feels to be misunderstood. When have you felt misunderstood? Maybe your motives were misjudged or your actions criticized? I know that feeling well. And I wonder if that’s how the woman in Mark 14 felt as she poured out her costly perfume for Jesus—only to be met with harsh words and judgment. But Jesus saw her differently. He defended her. He honored her. And He spoke these powerful words: She did what she could. This week, in our Lectio Divina meditation, we’ll enter this moment with Jesus, slow down, and reflect on: Where am I tempted to judge someone else’s actions? Where am I holding back out of fear of how others might perceive me? What is one small thing I can do for God today? Through this passage, may we gain a fresh perspective—not just our own, but Jesus’s perspective. Join me as we slow down, listen, and receive what God has for us through His Word. Get your free Lent Journal here. Here are some additional helpful links: Download your free LENT guide here. 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 Guided 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: Mark 14:3-9, NET Now while Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, reclining at the table, a woman came with an alabaster jar of costly aromatic oil from pure nard. After breaking open the jar, she poured it on his head. But some who were present indignantly said to one another, “Why this waste of expensive ointment? It could have been sold for more than three hundred silver coins and the money given to the poor!” So they spoke angrily to her. But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why are you bothering her? She has done a good service for me. For you will always have the poor with you, and you can do good for them whenever you want. But you will not always have me! She did what she could. She anointed my body beforehand for burial. I tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.” Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Jesus’s anger may not be something we often reflect on, but in today’s guided Lent meditation, we witness a moment when He expresses righteous anger. During the final week before His crucifixion, Jesus enters the temple, overturns the tables of the money changers, and drives out those exploiting worshipers. His anger isn’t reckless—it’s intentional, purposeful, and deeply rooted in love for God’s people. This passage from Mark 11:15–18 invites us to consider what stirs the heart of Jesus and how He responds when worship is corrupted. As you meditate on this scene, you’ll be invited to step into the story—as a disciple watching in awe, a religious leader resisting His authority, a pilgrim seeking to worship, or someone in need of healing. Through reflection, we’ll explore what stands out and how this passage speaks into our lives today. Then, you’ll be invited to respond to Jesus in a personal way, opening your heart to what He is revealing. Take a few moments to slow down, listen, and receive what God has for you today. I pray this meditation helps you encounter Jesus in a fresh way. Get your free Lent Journal here. Here are some additional helpful links: Download your free LENT guide here. 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 Guided 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: Mark 11:15–18, NLT 15 When (Jesus and his disciples) arrived back in Jerusalem, Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out the people buying and selling animals for sacrifices. He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves, 16 and he stopped everyone from using the Temple as a marketplace. 17 He said to them, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves.” 18 When the leading priests and teachers of religious law heard what Jesus had done, they began planning how to kill him. But they were afraid of him because the people were so amazed at his teaching. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Where do you need Jesus’s mercy today? In this guided Lectio Divina meditation, we step into John 8:2-11, where Jesus responds to a woman caught in adultery—not with condemnation, but with grace. The Pharisees and religious leaders try to trap Him, but Jesus, full of wisdom and compassion, turns everything upside down. He silences the accusers, extends mercy, and invites the woman into a new way of life. As you move through this Scripture meditation, you’ll hear the passage multiple times—first as an observer, then as someone in the temple, and finally, as the woman herself. As you reflect, consider:✨ Where do you need Jesus’s mercy in your life?✨ How is God inviting you to walk forward in righteousness? Take a deep breath, settle in, and allow Jesus’s mercy to meet you right where you are. Get your free Lent Journal here. Here are some additional helpful links: Download your free LENT guide here. 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 Guided 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: John 8:2-11, NET Early in the morning Jesus came to the temple courts again. All the people came to him, and he sat down and began to teach them. The experts in the law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught committing adultery. They made her stand in front of them and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of adultery. In the law Moses commanded us to stone to death such women. What then do you say?” (Now they were asking this in an attempt to trap him, so that they could bring charges against him.) Jesus bent down and wrote on the ground with his finger. When they persisted in asking him, he stood up straight and replied, “Whoever among you is guiltless may be the first to throw a stone at her.” Then he bent over again and wrote on the ground. Now when they heard this, they began to drift away one at a time, starting with the older ones, until Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. Jesus stood up straight and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?” She replied, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “I do not condemn you either. Go, and from now on do not sin any more. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

In this Lent Scripture meditation, we’ll engage in Lectio Divina, a slow, reflective way of reading Scripture, to experience a moment when Jesus challenges our assumptions about power and greatness. NOTE: I’ve created a free Lent Journal to help you reflect and pray through each meditation. It includes the Scripture passages, reflection prompts, and space to process your time with the Lord. You can download it here. At this point in Jesus’s ministry, the disciples have seen His miracles, heard His teachings, and are beginning to understand that He is the Messiah. But as we see in Matthew 18:1-5, they still assume He’s bringing an earthly kingdom—and they’re eager to know what positions of power they’ll hold. Instead of rebuking them, Jesus responds with a living illustration. He calls a child to stand among them and teaches that true greatness isn’t about status or control—it’s about humility, dependence, and trust. Through this guided Scripture meditation, you’ll have space to: Identify where you’re tempted to seek status, control, or recognition. Notice what God is highlighting in this passage for you today. Consider what’s holding you back from trusting Him fully. Rest in the truth that God’s way—even when it feels upside down—is always best. Take a moment to pause, reflect, and open your heart to Jesus’s invitation to live with childlike faith. Here are some additional helpful links: Download your free LENT guide here. 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 Guided 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: Matthew 18:1-5, NET The disciples came to Jesus saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He called a child, had him stand among them, and said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn around and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven! Whoever then humbles himself like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes a child like this in my name welcomes me. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

In this Lent Scripture Meditation, we step into a powerful moment in Mark 7:32-37 where Jesus heals a man who is deaf and can barely speak. But this healing is more than just a miracle—it’s deeply personal. Rather than healing from a distance, Jesus takes the man aside, touches him, sighs deeply, and speaks healing words. This moment reveals the loving and intimate heart of Jesus. He doesn’t just restore the man’s hearing and speech; He meets him with personal care, treating him with dignity and love. As you meditate on this passage, I invite you to consider:✨ Where do you long to experience Jesus’s personal care in your life?✨ How might He be inviting you to trust His love and presence today? Take a deep breath, slow down, and allow this meditation to help you experience the love and care of Jesus in a fresh way. I’ve created a free Lent Journal to help you reflect and pray through each meditation. It includes the Scripture passages, reflection prompts, and space to process your time with the Lord. You can download it here. Here are some additional helpful links: Download your free LENT guide here. 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 Guided 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: Mark 7:32-37, NLT 32 A deaf man with a speech impediment was brought to (Jesus), and the people begged Jesus to lay his hands on the man to heal him. 33 Jesus led him away from the crowd so they could be alone. He put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then, spitting on his own fingers, he touched the man’s tongue. 34 Looking up to heaven, he sighed and said, “Ephphatha,” which means, “Be opened!” 35 Instantly the man could hear perfectly, and his tongue was freed so he could speak plainly! 36 Jesus told the crowd not to tell anyone, but the more he told them not to, the more they spread the news. 37 They were completely amazed and said again and again, “Everything he does is wonderful. He even makes the deaf to hear and gives speech to those who cannot speak.” Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Lent is a season to slow down and prepare our hearts for Easter. In this week’s Lent meditation, we continue encountering Jesus through the eyes of those He met in Scripture. Today, we witness a powerful moment of Jesus’s compassion as He meets a man with leprosy—an outcast longing for healing and restoration. Leprosy in the ancient world was more than a physical ailment; it meant complete isolation from family, community, and worship. But this man boldly approaches Jesus, asking for healing. Jesus, moved with compassion, does something unexpected—He reaches out and touches him. Why does Jesus touch him when He could have simply spoken a word of healing? And why does Jesus then give him a strong warning afterward? Through this guided Scripture meditation, we’ll step into this scene, engaging our imagination and listening for what Jesus wants to reveal to us. As we reflect on Mark 1:40-45, we’ll consider what this moment teaches us about Jesus’s heart and how He invites us to come to Him today. Take a deep breath, quiet your heart, and join me in encountering the compassion of Christ. I’ve created a FREE Lent Journal to help you reflect and pray through each meditation. It includes the Scripture passages, reflection prompts, and space to process your time with the Lord. You can download it here. Here are some additional helpful links: Download your free LENT guide here. 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 Guided 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: Mark 1:40–45, NET Now a leper came to him and fell to his knees, asking for help. “If you are willing, you can make me clean,” he said. Moved with compassion, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing. Be clean!” The leprosy left him at once, and he was clean. Immediately Jesus sent the man away with a very strong warning. He told him, “See that you do not say anything to anyone, but go, show yourself to a priest, and bring the offering that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.” But as the man went out he began to announce it publicly and spread the story widely, so that Jesus was no longer able to enter any town openly but stayed outside in remote places. Still they kept coming to him from everywhere. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Lent is a season to slow down and prepare our hearts for Easter. In this meditation series, we’ll pause together to encounter Jesus—seeing Him through the eyes of those who met Him in Scripture. Each interaction reveals His heart of compassion, grace, and truth, inviting us to reflect on how He wants to meet us today. In this first meditation, we step into a moment early in Jesus’s ministry—when crowds were pressing in, desperate for His help. After a long night of healing, He arose before the sun was up and slipped away to be alone with His Father. Then, instead of returning to the needy crowds, He told the disciples it was time to move on. As we meditate on Mark 1:32-39, we’ll reflect on Jesus’s priorities and what He might want to show us about our own. I’ve also created a FREE Lent Journal to help you reflect and pray through each meditation. It includes the Scripture passages, reflection prompts, and space to process your time with the Lord. You can download it here. Here are some additional helpful links: Download your free LENT guide here. 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 Guided 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: Mark 1:32-39, NET When it was evening, after sunset, they brought to (Jesus) all who were sick and demon-possessed. The whole town gathered by the door. So he healed many who were sick with various diseases and drove out many demons. But he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him. Then Jesus got up early in the morning when it was still very dark, departed, and went out to a deserted place, and there he spent time in prayer. Simon and his companions searched for him. When they found him, they said, “Everyone is looking for you.” He replied, “Let us go elsewhere, into the surrounding villages, so that I can preach there too. For that is what I came out here to do.” So he went into all of Galilee preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

God isn’t just loving—He is love. Every characteristic we’ve explored in this meditation series stems from this profound truth: God is merciful because God is love. God is gracious because God is love. God is faithful because God is love. God is just because God is love. God is holy because God is love. God is compassionate because God is love. God is sovereign because God is love. It’s why we’re closing this series with the truth that God is love—the umbrella under which all His character and actions fall. This meditation is Ephesians 3:16-19, a beautiful prayer from Paul for the church in Ephesus that is also for us. In this prayer, Paul asks God to empower us with inner strength, to help us understand the limitless dimensions of Christ’s love, and to make us complete with the fullness of life and power that come from Him. As you meditate on these verses, I pray you’ll be reminded that you are deeply loved by our good and loving Father. May this meditation help you grow more rooted in His love and inspire you to live in the fullness of His love today. 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. Get a link to the Lent Guide by joining my Monday morning email list here. I send links to the newest meditation every Monday morning. 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: Scripture: Ephesians 3:16-19, NLT 16 I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. 17 Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. 18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. 19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.