‘Meditate on it day and night.’ Joshua 1:8 NIV
Rule 2, let it in. The word ‘meditate’ means ‘to ponder, ruminate (chew on), or examine attentively’. So don’t just read the Scriptures, thoroughly digest them. Pray, ‘Open my eyes to see the wonderful truths in Your instructions.’ (Psalm 119:18 NLT) You can read a Scripture dozens of times and suddenly see something you’ve never seen before. The idea is to train your mind to see things from God’s viewpoint.
Mark Twain said the two best days in a person’s life are the day they’re born, and the day they discover why they’re born. And the only person who can tell you that is your Creator.
And rule 3, live it out. ‘Be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.’ (Joshua 1:8 NIV) Yes, study the Bible, meditate on the Bible, and even memorise the Bible. But if you want to find success in life you must obey the Bible. You must translate truth into action. No one can guarantee you success except God—and that guarantee is found in reading, meditating and obeying His Word.
Value and worth are directly related to purpose. A car that won’t run is worthless. A pen that won’t write is useless. Likewise, if you are going to be what you need to be, you need to find your purpose in life and fulfil it. At death, your fame and fortune will not matter. The thing of eternal value will be your answer to this question: ‘Did I live my life in the presence of God and for His purpose?’
CS Lewis put it this way: ‘He who has God and everything, has no more than the person who has God alone.’
SoulFood: Jer 25–27, Matt 2:16–3:10, Ps 64, Pro 14:25–28
The Word for Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from UCB International Copyright ©