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. – Joshua 1:8
Thomas Brooks was born in England in 1808 and educated at Emmanuel College, Cambridge. He served as a chaplain for a fleet of vessels at sea and, by 1840, he was a licensed preacher of the Gospel. He was a serious student of Scripture, writing many books on study and on prayer. He believed that the Bible not only informs its readers but transforms them, particularly if they take the time to meditate on what has been read.
Brooks stated, “Remember that it is not hasty reading but serious meditation on holy and heavenly truths, that makes them prove sweet and profitable to the soul. It is not the mere touching of the flower by the bee that gathers honey, but her abiding for a time on the flower that draws out the sweet. It is not he that reads most but he that meditates most that will prove to be the choicest, sweetest, wisest, and strongest Christian.”
When Joshua received his commission to lead the Hebrew people into the Promised Land, the Lord gave him the instruction from today’s verse. Joshua was to read God’s word, follow what it said, and take the time to be quiet before the Lord as he let the words saturate his soul. This would sharpen the skills he would need to lead the people. Today, as you read God’s Word and learn its practical lessons, be silent before the Lord, allowing His Holy Spirit to deepen your understanding, and then speak the truth to others. Pray for the chaplains of the House and Senate to keep the Word of God uppermost in their ministries.
Today’s Verse: Joshua 1:8
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 good success.
All Scripture quotations and audio are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Recommended for further reading: Colossians 3:12-17
12 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
All Scripture quotations and audio are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
