Blessings Come in Obedience

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 in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

Joshua 1:8 (ESV)

As we look at this scripture we see Joshua who has been chosen by God to lead Israeli into the Promised Land after the death of Moses. We might wonder why Joshua?  We might believe it was because Joshua had been one of the spies who had gone into Canaan when Moses originally brought them out of Egypt. It might be because he and Caleb were the only two spies that were willing to go in and take the land that God had promised them. It might have been because he had served as the leader of Israel’s army and won great victories. Maybe it was because Joshua was the apprentice of Moses and did what he was directed to do. Yet none of this is the reason He was chosen to lead Israeli into the Promised Land. The answer is actually simple Joshua was a true servant of God. His only desire was to serve God and obey God’s commandments. That was why he was chosen.

We read here that Joshua is given instruction on what his conduct should be. He is to mediate on the law and commandments day and night so that he can live in accordance with God’s word. The promise that God gives Joshua is a little different when you look at it. God promises that Joshua will prosper and have success but it is not that God will do it. The scripture reads, “Then you will make your way prosperous,” The success Joshua will find will be of his own doing as he lives in obedience to God’s commandments. Yes that is different than what we expected to read. We are always told that God will bless us but in reality it is our choice if we are to be blessed. God desires nothing but good for us. That is what he provides He will only bring blessings into our lives. Yet we are the ones who chose to live under a curse. It is our failure to uphold God’s word that brings failure and trials into our lives. When we chose to live under our own rules we also chose to live out from under God’s blessings.

You have a choice to make today. You can live in obedience to God’s word and bring prosperity into Your life or you can choose to live your life by your own rules or the worlds rules and in the end pay the consequences that are due when we live in disobedience to His word. That ultimate consequence is death and separation from God. I leave you with Joshua’s words found in Joshua 24:15, “15 But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.” May God’s blessing be yours as you walk in the light of His Word.