Wednesday, April 13th
Joshua 1:6-8
6 ``Be strong and courageous, for you shall give this people possession of the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.
7 ``Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go.
8 ``This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.
Psalm 1:2-3
2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night.
3 He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers.
God told Joshua how the Israelites would take possession of the Promised Land. He included a vital instruction: to meditate on His law day and night and to obey everything it said.
The psalmist teaches us the importance of meditating on Scripture (Psalms 1:2-3). We should dwell on it daily, focusing our attention on God’s character and ways. This involves prayerfully reading His Word, being silent before Him so we can hear His voice, and applying biblical truth.
Of course, these things don’t just happen. Distractions take away from our ability to focus, so it is necessary to set aside a time when we can be still and listen. Consider the benefits of doing so. Meditation ...
Quiets our spirit and provides space for God to purify us.
Improves our discernment about direction for our life.
Sharpens our awareness of God’s presence.
Develops our hunger for the Word so we can gain deeper understanding of Jesus and greater sense of His power.
Meditation may require you to get up earlier or surrender some free time during the day. But living a Christ-centered life filled with peace and joy depends upon our commitment to focus our mind and heart on Him regularly.
Dear Lord please help me to be strong and courageous, so that I can proclaim your word wherever I go. Please also help me to meditate on your word amen.