“This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe 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 (NKJV)

In the Book of Joshua, in this first chapter, Joshua is being appointed as the leader of God’s people. God gave him specific directives concerning his role as leader and if those instructions were followed, Joshua would be a success! If we study out the book of Joshua, we come to realize that it is a book of obedience. Joshua was assured that obedience would bring success. He exhorted the people in the importance of obeying God at His Word!

When we read Joshua 1:8, we see in the New King James Version that six times “you” or “your” is used in this scripture. This tells us that God is exhorting us that we need to do our part in order to see success. Yes, God was speaking to Joshua, but we also know that this is also for us today! It is one thing for us to hear the Word and read it, but we must also be doers of the Word. The application of the Word in our everyday lives will cause us to see God show Himself strong in every area of our lives. Applying the WORD to our lives will result in what Romans 12:2 describes as being, “transformed by the renewing of our minds”!

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT
This is one of my favorite verses. It has become foundational for me from the time I was very young and had an understanding of what this verse meant. Thanks again to my mother who repeated this verse to us many times. When I read Joshua 1:8, I clearly believe God is telling me this, “Desaree, when you meditate on the WORD and allow it to become like second-nature to you, you will win every time.” Family, this is another way we FLOURISH!! Success and a prosperous life are a flourishing life…and not just financial prosperity, but prosperity in body, soul (mind, will, emotions), spirit, relationships and in every other area of our lives!!!

To meditate on the WORD is to think of it, to roll over in your thoughts again and again, to ponder the WORD, to consider the WORD and what it says, to think of it when we wake up in the morning, when we go to bed at night and throughout the day. I have to deliberately choose, whether I feel like it or not, to make an effort every day to remind myself of the WORD. I have scriptures throughout my house, I have them at my desk, posted around for me to see them. The WORD should be like second nature for all of us and because of time spent meditating on it and time in our “secret place,” it becomes so much of who we are. We are by no means perfect but always endeavoring to go after HIS heart!

In a relationship, if someone truly is invaluable to you, you spend time with them. It is much the same way with the WORD of God…because it is invaluable to us, we spend time in it, reading the WORD, meditating on the WORD, as it says in Joshua 1:8. This will cause us to DO the WORD and so we will make our way prosperous and have good success!! Thank you, Lord! (Desaree Kurihara)

TODAY’S DECLARATION
“Today I will choose to meditate on the WORD so that I become a DOER of the WORD and I will see HIS success in my life!”

TODAY’S BIBLE READING

• Old Testament: Isaiah 24-26; Proverbs 22:17-29
• New Testament: Luke 22:31-38; Hebrews 6:1-12