Joshua 1:6-9
- 6-8Long ago I promised the ancestors of Israel that I would give this land to their descendants. So be strong and brave! Be careful to do everything my servant Moses taught you. Never stop reading The Book of the Law he gave you. Day and night you must think about what it says. If you obey it completely, you and Israel will be able to take this land.
- 9I’ve commanded you to be strong and brave. Don’t ever be afraid or discouraged! I am the LORDyour God, and I will be there to help you wherever you go.
PRAY: Dear Lord, help me to draw deeply from your Word and the insights it contains. Open my mind and heart to not only read and study it, but to do so eagerly and consistently. Make me truly a person of your Word.
Joshua is a Bible character who has brought encouragement and inspiration to countless leaders. His life and example is a vivid image of the challenging responsibilities of leadership. As leaders, you and I can identify with Joshua on many levels. Consider just a few:
- He was following a larger-than-life leader (for many of us, that is true).
- A group of God’s people were looking to him to guide them to the next place.
- He felt under-qualified for the challenge.
- His predecessor, though respected, had made some mistakes that he did not want to repeat.
The book of Joshua was written as a record of the Hebrew people. But, it was also recorded in order to inspire future leaders of God’s people to trust and obey his principles and laws. It does us well to take a few minutes to consider the mandates Joshua was given to guide him through one of the most momentous seasons of Jewish history.
- A Word of Promise – “I promised … I would give [you] this land.”
- A Word of Encouragement – “…be strong and brave!”
- A Word of Caution – “…be careful to do everything my servant Moses taught you.”
- A Word of Wisdom – “Never stop reading The Book …”; “Day and night … think about what it says.”
- A Word of Assurance – “I will be there to help you wherever you go.”
Ironically, while we experience the phenomenal access to tools and resources that have come with the Information Age, there is one vital practice that we are missing for the most part. That is: thinking. Another word would be “meditate.” The fact is that we are so surrounded and saturated by information and communication tools that we are often on information overload. Our knowledge can easily become a million miles wide and only one inch deep.
Interestingly, when God advised this young leader, Joshua, on what it would take to be effective at leading his people to the next level, he told him that it was important to do two things: 1) “never stop reading The Book” 2) “Day and night … think … about what it says…”
I wonder: How much reading of the Bible are most Christians doing today? And, how much time are they taking to think about the Bible. When Billy Graham was asked, “If you could live your life and ministry over again, what is one thing you would do differently?” he responded without hesitation, “I would take more time to read and study the Bible. If I had done that, I think I would have been more effective.”
Now, although few would dare question whether or not Graham has been effective, how refreshing it is to hear a leader admit his need for more of God’s Word. But, what are some simple yet satisfying ways to do more than just “read” the Bible? Here are a few approaches I have found helpful:
Pray the Bible – This is a simple practice you can incorporate into your times of Bible study. As a passage and the principles it contains open up to you, turn them into a prayer that you pray over your life, over your congregation or over your family. It is also helpful to write out this prayer and then pray it aloud. This practice brings a passion and soul-connection for the reader to the very words of God.
Picture the Bible – In particular, when you read a Bible story through a time or two, put your Bible down and open your imagination. Take some time to picture the story in your mind. Ask yourself: What might this scene have looked like? What might it have been like for you to be there? How might these characters have felt given the circumstances and what the Bible reveals about them? What were the characters’ views or viewpoints of this scene? What might God’s view of it have been?
Ponder the Bible – When Mary was first told that she would bear the Christ child, the Bible says she “kept thinking…and wondering about” these things (Luke 2:19). It implies that she “treasured these thoughts in her heart.” Meditating on the Bible is just that – thinking about it, about its words, about the significance of these words and about the implications of these words. The Word of God is meant to be carefully considered, to be treasured, to be reflected on, and to be pondered. Pondering the Bible and journaling can go hand in hand.
Practice the Bible – As you find biblical directives and principles regarding compassion, generosity, etc. lead your family or your team in practically obeying these through an act of service or compassionate ministry. The Bible can be considered from a spiritual perspective, but it can also be experienced with some measure of action and even a bit of physicality.
Whether praying, picturing, pondering or practicing the Bible, all of these are simple methods you, your family and your congregation can utilize in order to help you think about the Bible, to meditate on the Word of God. There are, of course, many other methods including the ancient Christian practice known as Lectio Divina.
Another temptation pastors face is that of pulling back in their personal Bible study and engagement. In fact, one ministry organization that counsels and rehabilitates ministers who have fallen into sexual sin or compromise (Emerge Ministries) has cited that one of the most common denominators among those who have fallen is admitting that their personal Bible study and prayer discipline had withered.
Consider this: If the people of God need the Word of God to live spiritually, then how much more do those who lead the people of God need it?
SCRIPTURE ENGAGEMENT INVOLVES A LEADER’S CONSISTENT DEVOTION TO THE WORD OF GOD.