Text: Joshua 1:1-9
“This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” —Joshua 1:8
George Shinn grew up on welfare checks and hand-me-down clothes. He struggled in school and was the last person anyone thought would find success in this life. In fact, he finished dead last in his graduating class in high school. But early in life he made one wise decision that changed everything and set his life on a whole new path. It’s a decision that he credits as the foundation for all his later business success and even in his eventual career as a professional sports franchise owner.
“Personally, the wisest decision, I ever made, was to put God first, in my life,” said Shinn. “And, I just want to urge you, that, if you partner with God you better think big.”
In Joshua 1, Israel was facing a huge transition. Moses had just passed away, they were still in a wilderness place, and now Joshua had taken over as the new commander-in-chief. Their Promised Land still stood off in the distance. There were still many giants to face, battles to win, and conquests to point to God’s glory. It would’ve been nothing to God to simply eliminate their enemies with a mere thought, but He calls Israel into partnership with Himself to see His will brought to fruition. Because they partner with God, they are to think BIG and aim BIG.
The Lord says to Joshua:
“Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun shall be your territory. No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you. Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
God’s recipe for Israel’s success was found in the Holy Scriptures—the Word of God. It was not to depart from their mouth. It was to be the object of their meditation both day and night. The Hebrew word in this passage for “meditation” implies more than just pondering, musing, or rehearsing in the mind; it implies a muttering with audible and verbal declarations. The word is translated elsewhere “to roar, or growl,” like in Isaiah 31:4 when it says “For thus hath the LORD spoken unto me, Like as the lion and the young lion roaring on his prey.”
I love that picture—when we open our mouths, is God’s word roaring off of our lips? Are God’s faithful promises growling from within us? Victory and success were assured to Israel not because Joshua was a great leader, or because Israel was a great nation, but because God IS a great God. Our continued meditation of His greatness will cause us to roar and growl in a whole new way. It will give us boldness. Think about that as you seek to abide in Him this week.
PRAYER
God, thank you for your words of life… words of promise… words of truth that roar over the lies that the enemy wants to penetrate into our lives. Your truth sets us free to live as children of promise and people of destiny. Holy Spirit, teach us to meditate on these sacred Scriptures day and night. We pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Questions for personal reflection, small group discussion, or dinner table conversations:
- When have you experienced a major change in your life?
- What prepared Joshua to lead the nation of Israel into the Promised Land? (Joshua 1:1) What promise did the Lord give to Joshua? (v5)
- What specific steps did the Lord instruct Joshua to take in order to be successful? (v7) What did God say meditation on the Book of the Law would accomplish? (v8)
- What does this passage teach you about how to deal with negative emotions, such as fear, self-doubt, and discouragement?
- What rhythms can you put into practice to meditate on God’s Word more consistently day and night?
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