This Book of the Law Shall Not Depart Out of Thy Mouth

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)

Joshua found himself in an incredibly difficult situation. He was about to lead the largest military campaign he had ever been a part of, going against seven nations. You'd think God would have handed him a detailed military strategy from Heaven at this point! You might expect troop movements, battle formations, and tactical information about the enemy that he was about to face. But that’s not what happened. Instead, God told him to keep the Word in his mouth and meditate on it constantly.

That should tell you something about how God operates. The natural world runs on natural strategy most of the time, but when God's involved, the spiritual reality beneath the situation determines the outcome. It is not the size of the army or the cleverness of the plan. The power of the Word of God in your mouth will defeat anyone else’s “strategy”.

This doesn't mean we shouldn’t think, strategize, or plan. It means the Word must be the foundation everything else gets built on. Joshua needed courage and wisdom for what lay ahead. Both would come from what he kept saying and meditating on, not from a strategy session alone.

Practical Application

Before you plan your next move on a big project, spend time in the Word about it first. Let that shape the plan, not the other way around.

Zechariah 4:6; 2 Corinthians 10:3