This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
Joshua 1:8 KJV
The Context and Contention:
Joshua had just witnessed the death of Moses, and he was now the new leader of the people of Israel. He had seen the stubbornness of the people; saw the golden calf, the swallowing up of Korah, Dathan and Abiram, the leprosy of Miriam and Aaron, the rebellion of his own contemporaries sent out as spies to Canaan about 40 years before this account. It was as if God was using those experiences to prepare him for leadership. There is no wasted experience for a child of God who wants to do his father's will.
The words of today's extract are quite instructive and specific: the words delivered to Joshua are not a set of negotiated settlements, but statements of intent from God. It is the book of God's law, just one genuine one. It is to be taken as man's most prized possession. It holds the key to the mind of God and his desire for all of man. It is never to depart out of my mouth, because my mouth is key to the fulfilling of my destiny. It is from the heart the mouth speaks, confessing and possessing all that God intends. The heart also stores up that which is valuable as it encounters the book of the law, so that when a demand is placed on the heart, the mouth can speak that which lines up with the mind of God.
The Charge and Conclusion:
I am to meditate on the book at all times, day and night. It means there is no time that God's Word isn't my priority. The devil does not rest; I cannot afford to be careless. After reading and knowing the mind of God, I must be quick to obey. Reading, hearing, meditating and even speaking about the law of God is good; the reward of good success is actually tied to obeying. We all love a good sermon; it is in the practice that we need God to help us. There is good success as seen here, which means there is a bad kind. As long as what you hold on to is not prescribed by God, it will not be sustained by Him.
When I obey, God makes me a spectacle to the world. He makes my way prosperous. I become a beacon of light and an example of God's grace and favour. It is in my hands; God does not demand from me something He will not supply grace for. If He commands it, it is possible for me. The secret lies in total, prompt and active obedience to God's Word. If I have struggled in the past with obedience, I must go to God again and ask for fresh supply of grace. Because he wants to be known in the earth as the God who keeps His Word, He will supply. His supply and my surrender, leads to success. God's time of favour is here.
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