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. – Joshua 1:8

After the death of Moses, God installs Joshua as the new leader of Israel. Joshua had served as an aide to Moses throughout their journey in the wilderness. In subsequent verses in this same chapter, God charges Joshua to be strong and courageous and assures him that He was going to be with him, just as He was with Moses. Key to the assurances spelt out was a need for him, Joshua, not to forget God. In our verse for today, God tells him to keep the book of the law on his lips at all times, meditating on it day and night while carefully obeying the instructions thereof.

First of all, the message was for Joshua first, and then the Israelites. Seeing that Joshua’s predecessor, Moses, disobeyed the direction of God and ended up missing out on the promise, God was adamant on Joshua not repeating the same mistake. So many Christians have gone their own way, and refused the counsel of God in times past, this had negative implications on their lives. It is important that we as believers, learn from the precedence to avoid repeating the same mistakes and the fate they suffered.

There is a tendency for everyone to forget God in their times of comfort. God understands that better living conditions may cause people to forget him, hence his reminder to Joshua and the Israelites. The land they had been brought to was a land of abundance, overflowing with milk and honey. Many people tend to forget God one way or another when they receive answers to their prayers or things go well for them, that is not a good thing, the implications of that is detrimental. God wants us to keep the same zeal for Him in good and in bad times.