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 it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.”   Do not be mistaken, this verse is not about being financially prosperous and successful in business.  However, these most often accompany the leader who lives by God’s Word and handles his finances and business practices according to Scripture.  Ronald Reagan stated, “Within the covers of the Bible are all the answers for all the problems men face.”  If only, we had national and family leadership today who believed this and led by it.  Our verse this week is an instruction to leaders that God’s Word is to be our guide for all decisions in every walk of life.  We are to know God’s Word, think about it, quote it and meditate on it all the time.  There is no other way to find the right answers to life’s questions and problems.

But, there is more.  We are to be careful to do according to all that is written in it.  The word all does not mean some or part, but all.  God’s Word is not a buffet where we can pick and choose only that which we want and pass over other items.  I would pass over the spinach and go directly to the steak and cheesecake.  It is not enough to just know God’s Word and meditate on it.  We must do or apply it for our lives to be prosperous and successful.  We can have a plan, but a plan that is not done or acted on is like having no plan at all.  When this Scripture says that “that you will make your way prosperous and then you will have success,” it simply means that you will be successful in living for God in the culture and war zone of today.  As we lead our families and work, it is imperative to be in constant meditation and thought about Scripture as we make daily leadership decisions.  It should be like breathing to our lungs and body to keep a constant flow of oxygen for life.  God’s Word and Spirit must be what we breathe in and out as we live each day.