The
Word
"This book of the law shall
not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night,
that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for
then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good
success" (Joshua 1:8).
There are two positive
things that the Lord told Joshua in this verse and one negative thing. He gave
the negative first. The Word of God was not to depart from his mouth. Whatever
orders he gave to the people as the general of the army and whatever decisions
he made as the leader of the people, his every day affairs of life must be
consistent with the Word of God. Think of it!
These people were a people
most blessed. They were led by a man who was to base his life upon the
Scriptures.
In every age this is the
crying need. The world condition today reflects the fact that the leaders in
government, business and education by and large pay little attention to the
Bible. What a tragedy!
This people, however, had
been reminded by Moses of the greatness of their blessing from God. It had set
them apart from all others.
He had taught them the Word
of God and then charged them: “keep, therefore, and do it.” Joshua was to live
his life and pattern his leadership by these statutes of God.
Two things were necessary in
order to do that. One, he was to meditate day and night on the Word. The word
meditate means to ponder. It has the idea of talking it over with yourself, to
think it through. In my own life I have found that one of the greatest aids to
meditation is Scripture memory.
Now, I suppose I'm speaking
to some of you who think you have a poor memory. Actually your memory is good.
What is your address? You know it, don't you? What's your phone number? How
many people can you call by name? A good memory is a skill that can be
improved. It is not something you either have or don't have. Attitude makes the
difference.
But don't rely on the
frailty of your own human limitations. Count on God to help you. Philippians
4:13, "I can do all things through Christ, who strengtheneth me."
Here are a few tips: when
learning or reviewing a verse, quote it word‑perfect. Make the first
impression on your mind clear and correct. Mistakes once learned, are difficult
to unlearn.
There are two times during
the day that are most conducive to learning. One is just before bedtime. While
you're asleep you forget less. The other is right after you get up. Your mind
is most receptive to new impressions. Review during your spare moments.
Make sure you read the
context. Read the verse several times, repeat the reference with the verse and
if need be, write it out. All of this will stimulate meditation.
Then obey what you have
learned. To the person who will do this, God makes a promise: "for then thou
shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success."
This vital Bible verse is
just one of 60 carefully selected scriptures that are contained in the
Navigators Scripture Memory course. If you want to
memorize Scripture, but aren't sure what to memorize or how to get started,
this is exactly what you need. The Topical Memory System includes memory verse cards in four different Bible versions -
NIV, KJV, NASB, NKJV. Topics include all of the basics of the Christ-centered
Spirit-filled life, sharing your faith, and growing on to maturity in your walk
with God. May God bless you as you fill your life with His Word.
© Copyright 2002, LeRoy Eims