Joshua 1:8, New International Version

“Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.”

Before Moses passed away, he passed the torch to Joshua. Before Joshua began to lead the people into the promised land, the LORD said to him, “Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” (Joshua 1:8, NIV)

Psalm 1:1-3 (NIV) says, “Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers.”

Both of these scriptures stress something important: meditation. What happens when we meditate? First off, we need to know that the form of meditation that God speaks about in the Bible is not one of emptying our minds. When we meditate on God’s word, we are filling our mind with God’s word, we are thinking about it, we are mulling it over in our minds and asking ourselves, “How does this apply to me?”

Paul tells us in Romans 12:2 (NIV), “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

I think as believers, we feel that we need to read several chapters to soak in the word. By the time we have finished reading several chapters in our Bible, can we even recall one scripture that we have read? I am not saying that reading the Bible is bad, but if there is a verse that sticks out to you, don’t be afraid to hang out with that scripture for a while to meditate on it. The mysteries of God are hidden for us in His word, and by taking that time with one or two verses at a time, it opens up an opportunity for the Holy Spirit to reveal the deeper things of God to you. Not only will these deeper things be revealed, but you will have the word of God richly indwelling in you, and it will change your life. It will transform you and reveal God’s perfect plan for your life, just as Paul talked about in the above-mentioned scripture.

I want us to be careful what we give our attention to. There are many things in this world that can pull us away from God. Matthew 6:22-23 (NIV) says, “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!” In Philippians 4:8 (NIV), Paul tells us, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”

The things we choose to dwell on have an impact on our daily lives. I want to encourage all of us, me included, to meditate on God’s word. Meditate day and night on the Law of the Lord. As we do this, let us see what God will do in our own lives and the lives of those around us!