Joshua 1:8 (NKJV)
8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you[a] shall meditate in 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.
Joshua has taken over from Moses who has died and he has the responsibility to get the children of Israel into the promised land. God speaks to him to reassure him that he will be with him as he was with Moses and God gives Joshua what I love to call God’s formula for success. Yesterday we looked at the book of the law, today we move a bit further and focus on the statement “Shall not depart from your mouth”
I find it interesting that it links the book with the mouth and not the mind first. Basically, what God is telling Joshua is that whatever is in this book, you shall not stop saying it to yourself and declaring it to the people. No matter what you see around you, whatever is in this book of the law is what you should keep declaring. Remember Joshua was one of the 12 spies who went in to spy the land and it was only he and Caleb who came back with a good report though the land had giants. Joshua did not speak what he saw but rather, he spoke what God had promised!
Our words have power so much so that they influence the direction of our life. Remember Jesus said that we must not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.
The book of proverbs has a lot to say about the power of the words we speak;
Proverbs 18:21 (NKJV)
21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.
Proverbs 10:11 (NKJV)
11 The mouth of the righteous is a well of life, But violence covers the mouth of the wicked.
Words have got creative power, remember in the book of Genesis, God spoke and things came into being. His words have the power to change our circumstances and even as God told Joshua, it is not enough just to read and memorize, we need to speak that word, we need to declare it consistently because that word spoken in faith moves mountains.
Reflective Thoughts
If you were to weigh your conversations, what % would you say aligns with the word of God?
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When things seem like they are going contrary to the promises of God over your life, do you speak about the giants in the land and how small you are or do you speak the word of the Lord?
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If you do not know what’s in the book then you will not know what to say and declare, are you consistently reading the book?
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