Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do. Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do (Joshua 1:7-8).

Joshua's prosperity and success did not depend upon his strength, wisdom, or military ability. This passage makes it clear that Joshua's success depended on one thing and one thing only: His careful obedience to God's Word. Therefore, in this introduction to the book about conquest, much is made about the leader studying, meditating, and carefully obeying the Word of God. 

In the New Testament, we are told, "Seek first His kingdom and righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well" (Matthew 6:33). We are told, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work" (2 Timothy 3:16-17). We are told, "What does the LORD require of you: to do justly, to love mercy and to humbly walk with your God" (Micah 6:8). We are told, "Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman who does not need to be ashamed because he rightly divides the Word of truth" (2 Timothy 2:15).

The message is the same in the New Testament as in the Old. True prosperity and success in this life depends on one thing and one thing only: Our careful obedience to God's Word. 

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9).

I am a master in TaeKwonDo and proficient in several other martial arts and a number of weapons. Yet, I fear. I fear uncertainty. I fear loud and unruly people. I fear the prospect of failure. I fear too much success. I fear my own lack of self-control. I fear vain living. 

Even though the armies of Canaan were likely what was immediately in view when God commanded Joshua to "be strong and courageous," is God's presence and power limited to military conflict? When we read, "If God is for us, who can be against us" (Romans 8:31), isn't the whole universe in view? 

Therefore, God's presence and power are available for us against all our fears, whatever they may be and from wherever they may come. We have His presence because His Spirit lives within us (2 Timothy 1:14; 1 Corinthians 6:19). In Christ, we have every spiritual blessing (Ephesian 1:3). He withholds nothing good from us (Romans 8:32), and He makes sure that everything works toward our ultimate good (Romans 8:28). So we can assuredly be "strong and couragous"! Therefore, let us be strong and courageous as we do our best to serve our great and awesome God!

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; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success (Joshua 1:8).

Joshua was told that his first and central task was to meditate on the Book of the Law, that is, the whole Scriptures of his day, namely Genesis through Deuteronomy. He was commanded to make this a priority so that he might learn to carefully obey the laws of God. His prosperity and success were directly tied to this exercise of meditation and obedience. 

This centrality of Scripture is communicated in the New Testament in 2 Timothy 3:16-17:

All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

Thus, the New Testament echoes the Old Testament teaching that the first and central task of the believer was to meditate on the Scriptures, with immediate reference to Genesis through Malachi, and extending to those Scriptures that were in the process of being written by the likes of himself, Peter, John and others. 

With this in mind I am still amazed at how biblically illiterate most Christians are today. Today's Christians are even less aware of their faith than people who follow the nightly news are about the world around them. Many Christians are satisfied with simply a piecemeal knowledge of the Scriptures that they get from a forty-five-minute message once a week. And even this Scripture is filtered through the theological lense of their pastor. 

But God told Joshua to meditate on His Word "day and night". The Psalmist is blessed because he meditates on God's Word "day and night" (Psalm 1:2). Pastors and teachers may help us in part to get equipped for works of ministry (cf. Ephesians 4:11-12); however, only the Scriptures are able to adequately equip us "for every good work". Therefore, friends. even more than your faithfulness to attend church or your Bible studies, be faithful to daily meditate on and obey God's Word. 

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; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success (Joshua 1:8).

The singular stand-out commmand to Joshua was that he meditate on God's Word every day so that he might be careful to follow it precisely and completely. 

“Now it shall come about when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself a copy of this law on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests. It shall be with him and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God, by carefully observing all the words of this law and these statutes, that his heart may not be lifted up above his countrymen and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, to the right or the left, so that he and his sons may continue long in his kingdom in the midst of Israel (Deuteronomy 17:18-20).

The singular stand-out command for the kings of Israel was that they read God's Word every day so that they might be careful to obey it in humility.

How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,
Nor stand in the path of sinners,
Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!
But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water,
Which yields its fruit in its season
And its leaf does not wither;
And in whatever he does, he prospers (Psalm 1:1-3).

The Psalter begins by describing the two stand-out characteristics of a righteous man: (1) One who avoids evil company and (2) one who joyfully meditates on God's Word every day.

The New Testament affirms and confirms the Old Testament emphasis on the absolute importance of the Word of God in the believer's walk:

• Saving faith comes by the Word of God: "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Romans 10:17).
  
  
• Sanctification comes by the Word of God: "Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth" (John 17:17).
  
  
• The Word of God is all a believer needs to know how to serve and please God: "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
  
  
• Listening to the Word of God is even more important than serving others: "Mary, who also sat at Jesus' feet and heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much serving... 'Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her'" (Luke 10:39-42).
  
  
• The Spirit works through the Word of God: "And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God" (Ephesians 6:17).

Therefore, what is of first importance for all of us believers? It is to diligently study God's Word every day:

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth (2 Timothy 3:16).

We cannot entrust this work to professional ministers. It is too important. Every believer will be accountable for themselves:

For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account (Hebrews 4:12-13).

You and I both must know and understand God's Word. While there are many specialties in the world, this is one where every believer must be an expert. If you have goals in your life, make this your chief goal, that you will make more time and give more attention and expend more energy to know God's Word. 

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An interesting idea:

Those twelve stones which they had taken from the Jordan, Joshua set up at Gilgal. He said to the sons of Israel, “When your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, ‘What are these stones?’ then you shall inform your children, saying, ‘Israel crossed this Jordan on dry ground.’ For the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed, just as the Lord your God had done to the Red Sea, which He dried up before us until we had crossed; that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty, so that you may fear the Lord your God forever (Joshua 4:20-24).

God repeatedly commanded Israel to make monuments as memorials for His great acts, so that future generations would be reminded of them. He told Joshua's generation to set up stones so that the children of future generations could look and ask what they represented. Then, they would be told about God's mighty work in parting the waters of the Jordan River as they crossed through it on dry ground to begin to take the land God promised to give their forefathers.

While God may not do the kinds of miracles today that He did in the days of Moses and Joshua, Elijah and Elisha, or Jesus and the Twelve, God does work providentially in our lives to bring people to faith, to allow us to read His Word in our own language, and to allow us the freedom to worship Him without persecution. In fact, in a very real sense, every good thing that we experience find its source in the Lord:

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning (James 1:17).

Therefore, I want to encourage every parent today to consider creating monuments or initiating family traditions that will remind their children, as they grow up through the years, of God's goodness, faithfulness and power. While this is not commanded in Scripture, it seems to me a good precedent to follow. In fact, Communion (i.e. the Lord's Supper) is a New Testament tradition that the Lord established so that His people will remember the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ for our sins.
 

Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do. Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. (Joshua 1:7, 8 NLT)

There is one unwavering principle for believers of every age, for Old Testament saints as well as New Testament saints, for new believers as well as old, for those seeking God as well as for those that are already believing. That principle is to read and follow God's Word.

Israel is just about to enter the Promised Land under the leadership of Joshua. You would think that since great battles are about to ensue, Joshua and the people would busy themselves with military preparations. But the only preparation that God required of them was spiritual. They were to be careful to read and obey God's Word. 

The corresponding New Testament principle is captured in Jesus' words, "Seek first God's kingdom and His righteousness" (Matthew 6:33).

As each of us gets up every morning, we share the same sixteen hours (or more) of waking time. We cannot recapture the time that has passed and only God knows how much time is left for us. But we differentiate ourselves in how we use the time. Every one of our lives can be so busy with so many activities. Perhaps most of these activities are "good" because they are socially acceptable, like work, family time, and exercise. But God makes no such distinctions when these activities are placed next to time and obedience to His Word. Every activity is "bad" and meaningless in comparison. When God's Word is not defining our life's activities, our daily priorities, and our general perspective and goals, then we are like a person running aimlessly or like a boxer merely beating the air. When God's Word is not at the center of our lives, no matter how "good" we think we are living, all of it is futility and chasing after the wind. 

Therefore, dear friends, reflect on how you are using your time. I decided long ago that I will continue to increase my time in God's Word. When you prioritize God, He prioritizes you. And if God is for you, who can be against you? By this, I don't mean that you will be prosperous, but you will gain something more. You will be on the right path. You will know God's peace. Your life will have significance. Your faith will prove real. You will be truly blessed by God.

No sooner did I became elated by the new leadership and the encouragement to the new leader, Joshua, by the Lord than I got saddened by the remark made by the Israelites here in Chapter 1:17, "...Only may the LORD your God be with you as he was with Moses."  When would they be able to say that YHWH is THEIR God, instead of calling Him Joshua's God?  Moses rhetorically asked them in Deut 32, "Is he not your Father, your Creator, who made you and formed you?"  I don't believe that the Law was given to the Israelites to follow only for the blessings that had been promised by God but believe that it was given so that they may have a relationship with Him as father and son.  Following the Law should've been their expression of love for God instead of means of getting what they wanted. They might have been so excited about going into the Land to possess especially after having defeated the first two tribes on the west of Jordan. They still truly miss the point!  John 14:21 says, "Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him."  Keeping the Law should not be a religious duty or a tradition to observe or a religious ritual to habitually perform!  It must be unstoppable joy just as king David expresses it in Psalm 119:103, "How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!"  David was a man whose heart was after God. He might not have been the best in terms of keeping the Law but gave his heart to the Lord by reading and meditating on the Word of God.  The Israelites may have consecrated themselves while they were crossing Jordan and started conquering the Land but still their hearts were not after God Himself.  Even after thousands of years passed by, their hearts did not pursue God, and their Messiah was deserted by His own people.  Brothers and sisters!  Let us not fall into the same mistake of practicing the religious mannerism but instead love the Lord our God with all our hearts, with all our minds, with all our strength!!