MAY 1

Joshua 1:1-9
Memorise Joshua 1:8
“…but thou shalt meditate therein day and night…”
Moses, God’s chosen leader of the Israelites, had been taken home to be with the Lord and Joshua was to be his successor. Joshua was handed the seemingly massive and daunting task of leading the Israelites into the promised land of Canaan over the river Jordan. He may have been feeling overwhelmed and fearful of this great responsibility and the upcoming battles. He could also be feeling inadequate and pressurised to have to follow in Moses’ footsteps. Joshua 1 gives us the wonderful account of God assuring Joshua that it is not by his strength but by God’s that they will enter the Promised Land. God dispels Joshua’s fears and misgivings about the future and comforts Him with promises of His presence with him. He also teaches Joshua what he must do to succeed in his mission. This precious truth found in verse 8 is something we can learn too.

God instructed Joshua that His Word should not “depart out of [his] mouth”, that he should be constantly reading and speaking God’s Word. He should also be meditating on God’s Word “day and night”. God then instructed him to not only immerse himself deeply in His Word but also to be a “doer” of His Word as well. He commanded Joshua to “observe to do according to all that is written therein”. It was only through this wholehearted devotion to God’s Word that Joshua would then be “prosperous” and have “good success” in his leading of God’s chosen people.

One might think that with such a huge task, Joshua would not have time to spend reading God’s Word. One might think that he could spend his time better by training his troops or drawing up war strategies and battle plans. But God Himself here reminds Joshua and us of the “one thing needful” (Luke 10:42), which Mary chose while Christ was on earth. It is communion with God which we have during our Quiet Time. So no matter how busy we are, we need to ensure that we set aside time for God. In fact, the busier we are, the more we need God to enable us! Quiet time draws us closer to God, strengthens our knowledge of His Word, helps us to obey His Word and thus, results in us succeeding in what we strive to do in life according to His will.

Thought: The bigger the obstacle ahead, the harder the preparation, the more we need to stop and meditate on God’s Word.
Prayer: O Lord, help me to choose the “one thing needful”.