After Moses died in the wilderness, the Lord spoke to Joshua, his predecessor, and told him:
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
At that time there were not 66 books of scripture. There was only the law which God had given to Moses for the children of Israel to follow. However, the same principle applies to all of us today. We must continue to meditate upon God’s Word if we are to grow and prosper in every way.
Centuries later, the psalmist wrote by divine inspiration:
1) 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. Psalms 1:1-3
This passage echoes the same blessings and results God promised Joshua when He commanded him to meditate upon His law.
Many centuries later, we are still admonished to follow this sacred practice of meditating upon God’s Word and keeping it in our hearts.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. Colossians 3:16
Knowing the Word is critical for our spiritual growth, but most of all it gives us a revelation of God, renews our minds to His ways, and transforms our lives as we consistently apply it.
Through the Word of God we can grow in our knowledge of the Father, Jesus, and the work of the Holy Spirit. By meditating on the Word of God we can grow in our understanding of spiritual truths.
Even in the natural world, we must pursue various fields of learning to grow intellectually and accomplish certain goals. We do not come into the world knowing how to read, write, or do math computations. These must be learned. So it is with things concerning the Kingdom of Heaven and the ways of God. We study, we learn, we do, and we grow.
Just a few minutes of daily undistracted meditation in the written Word, and fellowship with the Living Word, Christ, can begin to significantly change your life and give you a deeper and more intimate relationship with the Father, the Lord Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.
Don’t wait! Start today! It can prove to be one of the best investments you make... if you fellowship with the Author as you read and meditate on His Word.
We’ll continue our study next time. Until then, may God our Heavenly Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, richly bless and keep you.
James Brown
CST 05/23/2024