“This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth; but you shall meditate therein day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall have good success.” (v.8)
After the death of Moses, the LORD spoke to Joshua saying, "Arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them; the children of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses. No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you" (vv.2-5).
After God's commission of and promise to Joshua (vv.2-5), came the conditions of the promise of victory, "Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. 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" (vv.6-9).
What an incredible task for Joshua here. And yet, not once does he question God, he just obeys. He's told to study the "Book of Instruction" continuously, meditate on it day and night so that he knows it and can live by it, and he does just that. Without following God’s instructions, Joshua would have failed at leading the Israelites into the Promised Land.
God’s “recipe for success” given to Joshua here can work for us too, but His idea of success has little to do with money or popularity, as the world defines success. Just as God called Joshua to walk in His ways, He wants us to “walk circumspectly, not as fools” in His Word as well (Eph. 5:15). And we can take comfort in that no matter how difficult that walk seems to be, just as God was with Joshua so too shall He be with us, never leaving us nor forsaking us. Then as we take courage in the Lord, feast on His Word, and obey Him, we have our recipe for godly success that’s better than anything we could cook up on our own.
Armor up!
The Truth: “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.” (Psalm 1:1-4)
