Day 40 – Joshua: Theme

“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

God gave Joshua the keys to success, which also apply to us today. Joshua received grace from God to be courageous and prosperous; however, his responsibility was to be faithful and obedient. If having faith was essential for Joshua, then it is equally true for you today. In Matthew 17:20, Jesus said that if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to a mountain, “Move from here to there,” and it will move.

God instructed Joshua to keep His Word in his mouth and on his mind. Joshua was trained to know the Word of God, and he had firsthand experience of it, as God spoke directly to him. This principle applies to us today because the Bible is not just a storybook but a life guide. What we learn from the Word must become living, and our meditation must translate into application. God’s formula for Joshua’s success was simple: be courageous, keep the Word of God in your mind and mouth, and act on what you meditate upon. Joshua exemplified living his life according to the Word of God, and we should follow his example.

This perspective changed the way I read my Bible and revealed that my previous approach was lacking. While there isn’t strictly a right or wrong way to read the Bible, there is a chronological way that enhances understanding. For instance, if you were to start a Netflix series at Season 5, the storyline wouldn’t make sense. The same principle applies to reading the Bible. If the book of Joshua is like Season 6, and Genesis to Deuteronomy represents Seasons 1 to 5, missing those initial parts means we overlook the stories of Abraham and Moses, and we won’t fully grasp the journey from Egypt to the Promised Land.  The Bible is a text to study and meditate on. Take the time to research names, places, and contexts. Doing so will make the Bible come alive, transforming it into an engaging and exciting exploration each day.

Prayer: God of Moses and Joshua help us to study the Bible in a more exploratory way and put a seed in our hearts to learn more about Your word. Give us courage to explore and make our memory clear to remember every word of the Bible and to live a life that is meaningful and purposeful. Help us to be leaders who lead a group of people to understand Your word and to be the example we should be to other people. In Jesus Name, Amen