The Power of Meditating on God’s Word

Most of you have probably heard parts of Joshua 1:5-6 (NIV), which says: As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them.

This is God speaking to Joshua, which makes it a powerful moment. The sentiment that God will never leave your or forsake you, and His encouragement to be strong and courageous - these phrases are often repeated and may appear on walls or coffee mugs.

But the rest of Joshua 1 is very important as well. Beginning in verse 7, God continues: Be strong and courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or the left, that you may be successful where you go. Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; 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. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.

We often take bits and pieces of scripture. We’ll pluck a verse out that lifts us up without considering the rest of that chapter. And there are many, very encouraging verses that inspire us, bring us comfort, and remind us of God’s truth. The Bible is full of them!

But sometimes it’s helpful to read an entire chapter to ensure we really understand what God is saying. Here, there is an important instruction that God gives to Joshua. If we fail to read that part, we might miss this directive from God that is related to His promises. The instruction is that Joshua must obey the law. God says that he will be prosperous and successful if he meditates on God’s commands day and night.

Now none of us are going to follow God’s commands in the Bible perfectly. Jesus was the only perfect person. But it’s important that we are seeking to grow in our knowledge of God’s Word and that we desire to follow it. Over a lifetime of following God, we should see our knowledge of the Bible increase, and our ability to follow it improve.

Have you ever heard the story of the man who was stuck on his roof as his neighborhood flooded, and he kept praying to God to rescue him? When he gets to Heaven, he asks God why he wasn’t saved. God said,” I sent you a rowboat, a motorboat, and a helicopter. Why didn’t you take any of them?”

In our lives, we may be praying for things and not understand why God hasn’t answered us. Meanwhile, the answers are likely in the Bible, and God is wondering why we’re ignoring the resource He’s already given us.

Let’s pray together

Lord, please help us. We want to see our knowledge of the Bible increase, and our ability to follow it improve. Thank you, Jesus. Amen.