Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses
gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 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. Joshua 1:7-8 NIV
As a parent we do everything in our power to make sure our children have all the tools needed for success as they grow up. We make sure they get all the education they need to succeed; that they are put in circumstances that ensure they have all the tools necessary to be well-rounded and secure – i.e. sports, music, drama, art, social networking, etc. We do everything in our power to make sure they grow up to be successful adults.
How much more then does God, as our Heavenly Father, want us to succeed? He created us with all the proper tools needed to guarantee our eternal success. These verses in Joshua tell us that to be successful in life it requires just one important tool – His Word. But here’s the tricky part - it’s not enough to just own a copy. No, it doesn’t do any good sitting on your coffee table collecting dust. Just as your son owning a football doesn’t make him an outstanding football player, you have to pick it up, read it, study it, talk about it, meditate upon it, dive into it, and obey it. God has given you all you need to succeed in life – the question is will you use the tools He’s given you?