Morning

April 16

Joshua 1:7-8 ⁷Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. ⁸Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.

The Law was to guide the new nation in the ways of God. Joshua, as their commander, was told to be careful to obey it all. If leaders do not follow God, they lead the people astray. But if they follow hard after God through obedience to His Word, many will be challenged to do the same. Joshua was encouraged to meditate on the words of the Law. He was supposed to talk about it all the time. Most of all, he was told to be careful to live it. We can talk about it and study it, but if that does not translate into living it then our words are misunderstood by the message our actions preach.

If Joshua would do these things, he was twice promised that he would be successful, and even prosperous. I don't think the principle has changed. If we will do the same thing, we will have the same results.

Meditation upon the Word is a holy habit that is not much employed today. Most mature Christians will spend time reading the Word, speaking the Word, and applying it to their lives, but few meditate upon the passages they read. This often involves memorization. Take time to let the Word speak to you. Ask the Holy Spirit to make it come alive and apply it to your daily situations. The quantity of Scripture read is not as important as seeing the application to our lives. Look for God's eternal truth in each passage you read.

Meditate on the Scripture for today. What is God saying to you?