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. Joshua 1:8
After escaping Pharaoh and his army, have been wandering in the wilderness, looking for the Promised Land. Moses has been their leader, but he has passed away. As the book of Joshua opens, Joshua has been appointed the new leader of the Israelites. As a new leader, Joshua had to determine how God wanted him to pick up and lead the Israelites where Moses had left off. Leadership God’s way requires seeking God’s method and vision to pass on His message and direction to others.
Discovering God's method requires meditation.
To know the will of God is man's highest knowledge. To do the right thing in the wrong way is to do the wrong thing. Satan loves to confuse our message by infiltrating our method.
It is just as important to know God's method as it is God's purpose. God’s message will never change, but God's method is as changeable as time and men. To hold to methods as sacred is to lose our relevance to the world that we are speaking. Many churches have lost their relevance because they have been unwilling to change their method. While they understand the message, it remains clouded to the world around them.
God's method will never contradict His Word. He will never use anyone to help others in a way that is not honoring to Him. He commands us to meditate upon His word because it is always relevant. Proper meditation is:
· Upon the Word of God, not the writings of men.
· Performed day and night, not spasmodically.
Receiving God's blessing requires obedience.
To DO God's will is man's greatest task. We may test the value of our meditation by the obedience that results. God's Word will bear fruit. Prosperity and victory are the results of TOTAL OBEDIENCE.
The courage of the Christian increases as he finds confidence in God's method as much as God's message. This is the hardest task for the staff of any church, to discern the method of attack that will create confidence in the people. Many a church today has been stilled because they refuse to be courageous in their method.
God’s Vision
The vision of God's desire and direction is voiced to others. v.l0-15
One coward in leadership can destroy a whole army of people. As he rationalizes his inactivity, he comforts the souls of hundreds of others who are fearful and faithless. One man who is willing to claim God's vision and discern God's direction can lead others to great victory. All Joshua said was, "God said He can do it." He never said that they or he could.
Commitment to God is displayed in confidence in His leaders. v.16-18
The people sensed that Joshua was in God's hand and that their ability to prosper was directly connected to his leadership and their "followship". God has never done a work without calling a man to leadership and His people to "followship". They were openly committed to the man, the plan and God. They were also quick to ask. "Joshua stay close to God like Moses did." It is a fair request to any of God's leaders.
Just as we obeyed Moses in all things, so we will obey you. Only may the Lord your God be with you as He was with Moses. Joshua 1:17
