Read And Obey!
"This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but
you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe
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
A mother helps her young daughter discover what happened
to her first attempt at baking cookies. “Did you read the recipe
carefully, sweetie?” the mom asks.
“Yes, I read it twice before I made the cookies,”
the disappointed daughter replies. “But, did you
follow the recipe?” her wise mother asks.
We all know there is a difference between reading directions
and following directions. Or, to use biblical terminology, there is
a difference between hearing the Word and obeying the Word.
When God prepared Joshua to lead the Israelites into the
Promised Land, He gave him a two-step recipe
for success:
Meditate (read carefully) on the Book of the Law and observe
(obey) the Book of the Law. Only by following
both steps
would Joshua find God’s blessing for success.
We must follow Joshua’s example daily: Read God’s
Word for the purpose of knowing how to walk in God’s
ways. Reading and obeying is the recipe for blessing.
"The Holy Spirit who inspired the Scriptures
will expect obedience to the Scriptures."
A. W. Tozer