This Book of the Law must not depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. For then you will prosper and succeed in all you do.This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it; for then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall have good success.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.This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth, but thou shalt meditate thereon 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.
17 sermons cite this verse
… both but I'm gonna I'm gonna make a pitch for meditating on the scripture not just reading it but meditating on it it's a good bible word by the way meditate Joshua 1 8 the book of the law shall not depart from your mouth but you shall meditate on it day and night that you may observe to do all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous. Then you will have good success. To meditate is to ponder, to reflect, to think about the nuance of what it means. Again, Psalm 119, the psalmist said, I will meditate on your precepts and I will contemplate your ways. Okay. Reading without meditating will deepen your knowledge, but reading and meditating will deepen your relationship. It's important to have knowledge, but it's also important to have relationship. The relationship will be based upon the knowledge grow in the grace, 2 Peter 3, 18, and the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. But just reading will increase your knowledge. Reading and meditating will increase and deepen your relationship. First Psalm, blessed is the man who doesn't walk in the counsel of the ungodly, or stand in the way of sinners, or sit in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord. And in his law, does he meditate, ponder, reflect on day and night? He will be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that brings forth fruit in its season. So you start with the …
… my servant Moses gave to you. Do not turn from the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 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 then you will have success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and what? Courageous. Do not be afraid. Do not be discouraged. For the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. I want to preach a message today. Write down the title. It's called No Chance. No Chance. And I'm just telling you that there are things in your life that you have no shot, you have no chance at walking in without the grace of God. And until you obey his commands and following his footsteps, you don't have a shot, you don't have a chance at doing what God's called you to do or becoming who God's called you to become. Have you ever been in this scenario before where you're up against something and you're like, I have no chance. Like, I have no shot. I remember when Julie and I first started dating, I was like, I got no chance. But tomorrow we're celebrating 18 years of marriage. Holler at your boy. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Yes, sir. Look at what the Lord has done. Do you remember the 21st night of September? …
… Only be strong and very courageous that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses, my servant, commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left that you may prosper wherever you go. This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage. Do not be afraid nor be dismayed for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. I would just, if nothing else out of tonight, I would encourage you to take these five verses or so and if not put them to memory, at least mark them in your Bible and review them somewhat frequently. Here's the deal. He commanded you to be strong, which means it is within your power to choose. …
… the climax is five, is to meditate on the Word of God. And that's where real success in our spiritual life comes. Joshua 1.8 says, this book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do all that is written minute, for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success. Do you know what it means to meditate on Scripture? It doesn't mean sit around and be in a trance. No, to meditate in Hebrew means to mutter, to murmur. The picture is somebody who is so saturated with the Word of God that he's constantly thinking about it and how it applies to his life. What happens to a person who does that? Verse 3 of Psalm 1 says, that person will be like a tree firmly implanted by the streams of water, which yields fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither, and in whatever he does, that person will prosper. Do you desire a life that is marked by stability? That means no matter what circumstances blows into your life, you're not shaken at all, but you remain steadfast. …
… in the passage we're about to read, you might go ahead and just look at it down in verse 8. The command God is about to give us, verse 8 says, this book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night. So meditation involves filling our minds with God's Word, and it's in doing that that we find right focus for our lives. And this kind of focus necessitates more than just reading the Bible. So notice the command here in verse 8 is not, this book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall read it day and night. Instead, this book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, and you shall meditate on it day and night. So there's a difference between reading the Bible and meditating on the Bible. And it's clear we're not just supposed to read it. We're supposed to meditate on it day and night. I'm reading this passage this week and I'm thinking we need to know how to meditate. …
… your life. Again, not just to increase your knowledge, but to increase your level of obedience. Isn't that what God said to Joshua in Joshua 1.8? This word of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night and be careful to do what is written in all that is in it. For then you will make your way prosperous and then you will have success. that's the value of eating the word of God. The Apostle John said, I hope you're prepared to consume the Word of God with a voracious appetite. The psalmist said that God's words are sweeter than honey. As you're ready to take your next steps toward consuming God's Word, let me remind you that I've written a best-selling book for you called Final Conquest. It contains my verse-by-verse commentary on the book of Revelation. Revelation is filled with mysterious symbols and fantastic future events, but at the core is the revelation of Jesus Christ. Without a doubt, this is the most important and comprehensive book I've written on Bible prophecy. …
… you are to it. God told his people back in the book of Joshua, if they want to succeed spiritually, they needed to constantly be looking at his word. Joshua 1.8, it said, this book of the law, or the word of God, shall not depart from your mouth. Meditate in it day and night that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. And if you do this, your way will be prosperous and you will have good success. Meditate in the Word of God. What does it mean to meditate? Well, in the Bible it means to contemplate. The idea is given in Scripture of chewing one's food carefully. In Eastern meditation, one empties their mind. In biblical meditation, one fills their mind with the Word of God. And as you memorize and know and understand in scripture, it'll be a weapon to use as you share your faith and a weapon to defend yourself when you're being attacked. Remember the first temptation that happened back in the Garden of Eden is when Satan effectively came to Adam and Eve and challenged them to doubt the word of God. He said, did God really say what you think he said? Has God really said you cannot eat of all of the trees in the garden. …
… Israel I mean Moses the great Moses is off the scene Joshua is now supposed to lead the people and his directive in Joshua 1 8 is this book of the law shall not depart from your mouth but you shall meditate on it day and night and I hope that some here and remember pastors when we talk about meditation think about the first psalm this is the way the psalter opens and that the key word in psalm 1 verse 2 blessed is the man whose delight is in the law of the lord and on his law he meditates day and night so biblical meditation involves fixing the mind's attention on God through his revealed word that we might stir up God honoring affections. So this thing's terminating on the heart. That's where it's going. And that focus on the heart, on the affections and enjoying God in Jesus Christ is very important. I don't think it's Christian meditation without it. And that's what distinguishes meditation from Bible reading and Bible study and part of what distinguishes it from prayer and from external application of the Bible to our lives. Scott read how Mueller commended not the simple reading of the word, he said so that it only passes through our minds just as water runs through a pipe but considering what we read pondering over it and applying it to the heart he wasn't applying it yet to the external life it wasn't a to-do list coming out of his quiet time yet first it was …
… All right. Verse eight. This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you will meditate on it day and night that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. Then you will make your way prosperous and then you will have success. Then you will make your way prosperous. I thought the Lord did it. No, he gave you the tools. I got the same response under that drum back there. Then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Say this with me. I am responsible for my own prosperity. I am responsible for my own success. Oh, Jesus, help us. We need a nation of people right now that will take responsibility. And not expect some government to do it. All right. I have more to say, but for all of our safety, I will be quiet. Verse 9. Have I not commanded you, be strong and of good courage. Do not be afraid. …
… turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 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. Have I not commanded you, be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid, do not be discouraged. Here's the underlining thought again, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. Be careful to obey all the law. It's interesting that if you go and just go and Google it and look at the journey the Israelites went on when they were delivered out of Egypt and they went into what is now Saudi Arabia, and they're out in a desert for 40 years, part of the place they went through is actually called the wilderness of sin. Not sin as though I disobeyed God, but that was just the name of it. They're going through the wilderness of sin. Why? Because they weren't willing to obey what God had said when he said, go in, look at the land, and then go into the land. Now, going back to that question, why did God send the 12 explorers into the land? Why didn't he just say to Moses, hey, tomorrow go in? Why did he say send 12 guys in and then take a vote? Because he wanted to know if they were willing to participate in faith and by faith in the promise of God. …
… on there we're not going to have time to turn to all these but i want you to remember joshua chapter 1 verse 8 and 9 says do not let this law book of the law depart from your mouth because in it you will find prosperity and success you will be prosperous and successful that is not material prosperity or material success let's not be so americanized that we look at success and prosperity just through material eyes. It's talking about success and prosperity in your life and your family. Even if that means difficulty, the Word brings prosperity and success. Psalm chapter 19 says, the Word converts our soul, makes us wise, gives joy to our hearts. It gives joy to our hearts. It makes wise the simple, enlightens our eyes. Psalm 19 goes on to say it is everlasting, It is true. It is righteous, invaluable, and sweet to the taste. Psalm 119, 105 says the Bible, the word of God gives guidance and direction for the future. Your word is a lamp unto my feet and a light into my path. You want to know God's will, God's purpose for your life? Go to the word. It gives guidance and direction for your life. Isaiah chapter 40, verse 1 through 11, comfort and strength in our troubles. Comfort, comfort, my people. That's how Isaiah 40 starts, and it comes to the in and it says you will mount up with wings as eagles. You will run and not grow weary. You will …
… promised land in Joshua's day, they were told over and over, commit themselves not to any tradition, but Joshua 1.8, to the book of the law, and they ought to be careful to do according to all that is written in it. They were reminded of this throughout the conquest once again when they entered the land. And when God's people fell away, it was because they had disregarded what was written. In Josiah's day, when reform and revival comes, what sparks it? But they find the book of the law and they read it and say, we ought to be doing what is in this book. We just got done with the book of Ezra. When the exiles return over and over, we read, they did what was written according to the law of Moses. Now, yes, there were scribes and priests to teach the law. There were prophets who came along and they corrected the people when they disobeyed the word. But the final measure by which the people were measured, the measure for all the prophets, priests, and kings was whether they had been careful to do according to what had been written. So, we have the example in the Old Testament. Third, we have the example of Jesus and the apostles in the New Testament. So, like good Jews would do, Jesus and the apostles appeal to Scripture as the final arbiter in controversies of faith. Remember, in Matthew 4, tempted in the wilderness, three times Jesus quotes Deuteronomy to the devil saying, …
… So meditation's the Old Testament word for it. Joshua chapter one, verse eight, talked about meditating on the law of the Lord. Psalm one, maybe the most famous. Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers, but his delight is in the law of the Lord. And on his law, he meditates day and night. So if you delight in God, you're gonna wanna linger in his word. And as you linger in his word, seeking enjoyment of him, it's going to increase your delight in him. This is an amazing relationship here between delighting in Jesus, lingering in his word, and having your delight reinforced, deepened, focused, made solid through meditation. In the New Testament, the language is often set your mind. Maybe you've heard some of these texts, like Colossians chapter three, verses one and two. You can look that up. Romans chapter eight, verses five to nine, where the apostle Paul talks about, hey, your mind can be set on things. …
… God, let me say it this way. God speaks loudest and clearest through his word. and so I read it and I get a daily reading and I get a daily reading look at Joshua chapter 1 verse 8 it says this book of the law shall not depart from your mouth but you shall meditate in it day and what and day and night there it is again that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it for then you will make your way prosperous and then you will have good success Let me see your hand. Pull. If you'd like to be a success or have success, let me see your hand. Come on, put your hand up if you want to be a success. So the Bible just taught you how to be successful. It just taught you how to prosper. He said, if you meditate in this word both day and night, and you're careful to observe everything that I wrote, then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will make your way successful. …
… You will be blessed. And this is Joshua 1.8. I know you know that verse, but it's worth reading. Listen to Joshua 1.8. This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it." Why? "'For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.'" And that's spiritual success. It comes when you humble yourself before the Word of God. The end of Psalm 19, let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer. What words and what meditation are acceptable? we just read in Joshua 1.8, meditation on the Scripture. Scripture should dominate our thoughts, our hearts, our actions. And that leads me to the fourth simple principle. You have to receive the Word with submission and purity and humility, and then obedience. And And he spends a little time on this, starting in verse 22. …
… and mental health. All right. Verse eight, the book, this book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you will meditate on it day and night that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. Then you will make your way prosperous and then you will have success. Then you will make your way prosperous. I thought the Lord did it. No, he gave you the tools. I got the same response under that drum back there. Then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Say this with me. I am responsible for my own prosperity. I am responsible for my own success. Oh, Jesus, help us. We need a nation of people right now that will take responsibility. And not expect some government to do it. All right. I have more to say, but for all of our safety, I will be quiet. Verse 9. Have I not commanded you, be strong and of good courage. Do not be afraid. …
… only be strong very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night. See if you keep it in your mouth, you'll think about it. if you'll declare it it'll capture your thought life the book of the law shall not depart from your mouth you shall meditate on it day and night that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it for then you will make your way prosperous and you will have good success whose responsibility whose responsibility is it to be prosperous that sounded like a trick question I know I wouldn't trust me if I were you either I would I would just sit there and let your neighbor look like a fool but not you that's the way I would do it he says, then you will make your way prosperous. And then you will have good success. What is he saying here? The Lord is saying, the Lord is saying that you and I have responsibility to make sure that our own way becomes prosperous and blessed. How? Identify the enemies. What are the enemies? What are the enemies to your own emotion? What happens when we get distracted by by accusation, by problems, by fears, our emotional real estate gets spent on trying to solve …