God directed Joshua to be anchored in the Word to remain strong and courageous and to be successful. Joshua 1: 7 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. 8 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.[1]
The Book of Instruction, also known as the Book of the Law, was written by Moses during the Exodus. Deuteronomy 31: 9 So Moses wrote this entire body of instruction in a book and gave it to the priests, who carried the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant, and to the elders of Israel.[2] It was this material that Joshua was to meditate on as he led the people successfully.
Meditating on the Word
To meditate means to engage in contemplation or reflection.[3] This would include studying, but also pondering over the meaning. The Hebrew word translated “meditate” means “to mutter.”[4] The Jewish people would not have read the Word silently like we so often do. They would have read it aloud and discussed it with one another. The NLT says to study the book continually. The ESV is more literal: Joshua 1: 8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night.[5] The reason it should not depart Joshua’s mouth is that he is to continually speak it.
Moses had given them specific instructions. Deuteronomy 6: 6 And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. 7 Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed, and when you are getting up.[6] Meditation on the Book of Instruction was to be a daily, common activity.
God’s Word and Us
The best way to know the heart and mind of God is to read His Word. God reveals Himself in the Bible so we can know Him. We, like Joshua, still need to study, ponder, and assimilate God’s Word to be successful in this life and to prepare for the next.
God gave Joshua a promise for his faithfulness in meditating on the Book of Instruction. This would lead to his prospering and succeeding in all he did. Now, this doesn’t mean Joshua became rich and had no problems. This wasn’t worldly success but spiritual prosperity in the tasks God had for him. It remains the same for us. When we remain anchored by the Word, God will enable us to carry out the mission He has for us. In times of transition, success and clarity come not from strategy alone but from grounding oneself in God’s Word.
To learn more, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/be-strong-and-courageous
[1,2,6] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Jos 1:7–8). Tyndale House Publishers.
[3] https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/meditate
[4] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). Be Strong (p. 27). Victor Books.
[5] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Jos 1:8). (2025). Crossway Bibles.