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 Then Joshua built on Mount Ebal an altar to the LORD, the God of Israel, as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded the Israelites. He built it according to what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses—an altar of uncut stones, on which no iron tool had been used. On it they offered to the LORD burnt offerings and sacrificed fellowship offerings. There, in the presence of the Israelites, Joshua wrote on stones a copy of the law of Moses.

(Joshua 8:30-32, KJV)

I love to make lists. And I love to cross things off my list after I complete it. It gives me a sense of accomplishment. But there are some days when I get distracted by the internet, a phone call, a conversation or even the dust bunnies under my bed. They lead me off track. I get pulled aside by the interruption,

which leads to another interruption,

which leads to another interruption.

Before I know it, the day has passed and when I look at my list – nothing is crossed off.

I got off plan.

Just as one day can get off track, one life can get sidetracked by not following God’s plan. In Joshua 8:30-32, Joshua built an altar to the Lord, a place of worship. He didn’t just create this place based on his personal view of what an altar to the Lord should be like. He sought out the plan in the Law of Moses and built according to that plan.

Last year, after I gave birth I felt like my life was turned upside down. A year later, I definitely see this as a God thing. A lot of what I had valued, though seemingly good and beneficial, was not in God’s plan for my life. So I sat down and wrote a vision and mission statement based on what I gleaned from God’s Word. I also looked at my particular season of life and set priorities based on what God’s Word said my priorities should be at this stage. I don’t always follow it to a ‘T’ but I do make a point of looking at it regularly. It reminds me of why God has given me breath.

Little did I know that after making this simple mission statement,  I would have to make some tough decisions. I cut back on a lot of outside activities and simplified my scheduled drastically so that I could be singlemindedly focused on family, home and writing.  Even today, I am still in the process of cutting back. To be effective in these areas of life, I’ve learned that my interests cannot be divided.

Doing this has been a long and mentally arduous process but I’ve noticed the benefits. One of them is greater peace of mind and the ability to be fruitful in the tasks God has given me for this season.

I’m building according to His plan.

How about you? What do you feel God leading you to focus on in your particular season of life?

Leave a comment on this blog post and enter for a chance to win five inspirational novels! Details here.

Then Joshua built on Mount Ebal an altar to the LORD, the God of Israel, as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded the Israelites. He built it according to what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses—an altar of uncut stones, on which no iron tool had been used. On it they offered to the LORD burnt offerings and sacrificed fellowship offerings. There, in the presence of the Israelites, Joshua wrote on stones a copy of the law of Moses.

(Joshua 8:30-32, KJV)

This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. (Joshua 1:8, KJV)

This is one of my favorite verses in the Bible.  The key to success and prosperity is obedience to do everything written in His Word. But, as Janet Pope writes in her awesome book “His Word in My Heart,” there were two things Joshua had to do to ensure obedience. 

1) God’s Law should always be in Joshua’s mouth.

2) Joshua should meditate on God’s Law day and night.

God’s law must be on our lips, not on the coffee table!

In addition, Pope writes that: “The outcome of Joshua’s obedience to His Word would be prosperity and success. In today’s culture, prosperity and success equals power and material wealth. But this was not what God was referring to when He spoke to Joshua. The Hebrew word for prosperous indicates “to push forward” (Strong’s Concordance #6743).The Hebrew word for success means “to be circumspect, be prudent” (Zodhiates, Complete Word Study: Old Testament entry # 7919). The outcome of Joshua’s obedience was the advancement of God’s program in a careful and circumspect manner. In other words, Joshua would know what to do in a given situation to further God’s agenda. A pattern of obedience makes us wise in our choice of action” (Pope, 94). 

With this in mind, we can’t afford to listen to the world or to those entangled in the world. Constantly talking about and meditating on His Word day and night helps us obey.

So, if God tells us to meditate on His Word, what does it mean to meditate? Our common understanding of meditation involves thinking deeply about something, pondering or contemplating something.

But we have to mine the riches of the Old Testament for an accurate definition. The Hebrew word for meditation is “haghah”. It means to “mumur, mutter, growl, sigh,moan, roar, meditate, muse, speak, whisper.” (Zodhiates, Complete Word Study Old Testament entry # 1897). Meditation involves making vocal utterances, speaking words quietly to yourself.

Thus the importance of memorizing scripture and reviewing the verses you’ve memorized by constant verbal repitition.

Cool stuff huh? When I heard that true prosperity and success means advancing God’s program in a prudent and circumspect manner, it changed my way of thinking. I started turning to His Word to sees His view of things. Today, I’m on a journey of renewing my mind so that I will “push forward prudently and circumspectly” to advance His agenda – not mine.

 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. (Joshua 1:8, KJV)

And he gave Joshua the son of Nun a charge, and said, Be strong and of a good courage: for thou shalt bring the children of Israel into the land which I sware unto them: and I will be with thee.  And it came to pass, when Moses had made an end of writing the words of this law in a book, until they were finished, that Moses commanded the Levites, which bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD, saying, take this book of the law, and put it in the side of the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, that it may be there for a witness against thee.

(Deut 31:23-26, KJV)

With all different versions of the Bible around my house (the KJV, the NASB, the NIV, the Message, the NLT), I can never plead ignorance with God. He’s given me His Word and, as a disciple of Jesus (I like to call disciples “disciplined ones”!!), it’s my responsibility to search out His Words for how I’m to live my life.

Someone recently told me: “I wish I had read the Bible earlier in my life. If I did, I wouldn’t have made the choices that I had made.” I’m often led to feel the same way but I know condemnation and guilt over the past is from satan. We cannot change our past choices. We have a fresh start every day. His mercies are new every morning.

So this morning, I’m opening His Book. This morning, I’m going to find a principle from His Word. And this morning, I’m praying for the Holy Spirit’s strength to live it out.

And he gave Joshua the son of Nun a charge, and said, Be strong and of a good courage: for thou shalt bring the children of Israel into the land which I sware unto them: and I will be with thee.  And it came to pass, when Moses had made an end of writing the words of this law in a book, until they were finished, that Moses commanded the Levites, which bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD, saying, take this book of the law, and put it in the side of the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, that it may be there for a witness against thee.

(Deut 31:23-26, KJV)

^“if you obey the LORD your God to keep His commandments and His statutes which are written in this book of the law, if you turn to the LORD your God with all your heart and soul.”

(Deut 30:10, NASB)

It’s very easy for me to get caught up in the motions of religion yet have a heart and mind that’s far from Him.  I’ve believed the lie that if I just continue attend church and volunteer in ministry activities, then I’d be a “good Christian.” But that’s just outward behavior.

God looks at the heart.

He wants me to turn to Him with all my heart and soul. He wants my mind, my thoughts, my words, my emotions…my inner and outer life. One way, I’m learning to give my inner life, my heart and soul, to Him is by incorporating the Words in His book throughout my day (see Monday’s post). By doing this, I can then set my will on Him. This enables me to live for His glory, and not my own.

^“if you obey the LORD your God to keep His commandments and His statutes which are written in this book of the law, if you turn to the LORD your God with all your heart and soul.”

(Deut 30:10, NASB)

If you don’t already know, beginning this January, my Word Wednesday posts are taking a tour through the Bible, searching for each instance where the word “book” is written (in keeping with The Literary Mama theme). Last week’s post featured Deuteronomy 28:58-59 where it talked about the curses which occur as a result of not following God’s Word. While doing my research for this week’s verse, I noticed that the next four verses in Deuteronomy which use the word “book” emphasize this same idea.

Do you think God could be saying something here?

So today, I’ll list the next four verses which use the word “book” in Deuteronomy so you can read them too.

Also every sickness and every plague which, not written in the book of this law, the LORD will bring on you until you are destroyed. (Deuteronomy 28:61, NASB) 

 The LORD will not spare him, but then the anger of the LORD and his jealousy shall smoke against that man, and all the curses that are written in this book shall lie upon him, and the LORD shall blot out his name from under heaven. And the LORD shall separate him unto evil out of all the tribes of Israel, according to all the curses of the covenant that are written in this book of the law (Deuteronomy 29:20-21, NASB) 

 And the anger of the LORD was kindled against this land, to bring upon it all the curses that are written in this book (Deuteronomy 29:27, NASB)

Next week we’ll pick up with Deuteronomy 30:10

“If you are not careful to observe all the words of this law which are written in this book, to fear this honored and awesome name, the LORD your God,  then the LORD will bring extraordinary plagues on you and your descendants, even severe and lasting plagues, and miserable and chronic sicknesses. (Deuteronomy 28:58-59, NASB)

I never thought there would be a cost to choosing not to walk with God, but there is.

I learned this the hard way.

I had committed my life to God at age eleven but all through my teens and twenties, I had forgotten Him, choosing to go my own way. I was smart enough, capable enough, talented enough. I didn’t need Him, I figured.

Religion was for the weak willed.

During my sophomore year of college, my choice had caught up with me. All that I had planned to achieve and accomplish in my own strength had fallen by the wayside. I was flunking out of the Ivy League school I had worked hard to get admitted to. My budding acting career was going down the toilet as my acting agency had abruptly closed business. And I was sinking into a deep depression which I couldn’t get myself out of.

At my lowest point in 2001, I cried out to God. I asked Him to forgive me for turning my back on Him. I asked Him to accept me again. And this time around, I knew I would stumble and fall at times, but I asked Him to never let me stray from Him for as long as I have done to date: over a decade.

A decade without Him.

Then, I opened one of my mother’s Bible and my eyes fell on this verse: “You cried out to me and I heard you.” I don’t remember the chapter and verse but it was in the Psalms.

Shocked, I thought: “Maybe God did hear me.”

Afterwards, a co-worker and now friend invited me to her church. It was there I started to regain my relationship with God which I had neglected. I also got married at that church a year later. By God’s grace, I was able to re-enroll at my dream college and graduate a year and a half later. As for the acting career, I haven’t pursued it wholeheartedly because I feel God’s call in this season of my life is to write and be a keeper of the home (Titus 2:4-5).  For now, I have great fulfilliment with the work He’s given me.

He’s delivered me in many, many ways.

Yes, there was a personal cost for me turning my back on Him. Sometimes, I wish I hadn’t lost those years but I know if it hadn’t been for His disciplining me during that decade, I wouldn’t value Him as much as I do today.  He let everything I had worked so hard for collapse so that I had nothing else to lean on but Him.

I couldn’t lean on an Ivy League degree.

I couldn’t lean on my acting credits.

I had to let go of all my ideas of success.

I could only turn to Him.

“If you are not careful to observe all the words of this law which are written in this book, to fear this honored and awesome name, the LORD your God,  then the LORD will bring extraordinary plagues on you and your descendants, even severe and lasting plagues, and miserable and chronic sicknesses. (Deuteronomy 28:58-59, NASB)

 ^“And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites: And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them” (Deuteronomy 17:18-19 KJV)

I didn’t know the value of hand writing words of the Bible until I tried it for myself. When I found this verse in the Bible which commands the kings of Israel to do the same, I figured it was very important.

Hand writing bible verses shows you nuances in the words which you may have overlooked by just reading or hearing them. It slows you down and causes you to notice and ponder word choice, meaning and sentence structure. I know this sounds very “school-ish” but by taking the time to slow down, you’ll remember concepts and principles in the Word better. As a result of remembering them, you’ll keep them just as verse 19 states “that he may learn to fear the Lord, to keep all the words..to do them.”

Now, I write verses which stand out to me during my during my prayer journaling time using a One Year Bible. Over a period of months and years, I’ll be transcribing His thoughts over my natural thoughts, much like reprogramming a computer. Try it for yourself and reap the rewards of inscribing His word on your heart.

 ^“And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites: And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them” (Deuteronomy 17:18-19 KJV)

From there they journeyed and camped on the other side of the Arnon, which is in the wilderness that comes out of the border of the Amorites, for the Arnon is the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites.

Therefore it is said in the Book of the Wars of the LORD, “Waheb in Suphah,  And the wadis of the Arnon, And the slope of the wadis that extends to the site of Ar, And leans to the border of Moab.” From there they continued to Beer, that is the well where the LORD said to Moses, “Assemble the people, that I may give them water.” (Numbers 21:13-15, NASB)

Today’s passage from the book of Numbers, takes account of Israel’s journey toward the Promised Land. While they were in the wilderness, they encountered many enemies and complained against God. The Israelites complained so much they desired to return to Egypt, the place where they were enslaved for hundreds of years.

When we encounter wilderness times in our lives, it’s easy to complain. Feeling as if God has abandoned us, we may long for the yesteryears, when things were “better.” But if we do this, we can miss out on many of the hidden blessings that come along with wilderness seasons in our lives.

This happened with me when I first decided to leave my full time job to prepare for raising children at home. For the first time in my life, I didn’t have a school teacher or a parent or a boss dictating how I should spend my days. It felt both empowering and scary. What would I do with all this time God has given me? It also felt convicting as I pondered how I have been been a poor steward of my time in past seasons of my life.

But, during my personal wilderness, God has shown me this is a perfect time to draw near to Him and allow Him to mold me in areas which I have been weak in. Areas like time management, home management and in spending personal time with Him. The wilderness is a training ground for growth.

And we are not alone during the wilderness. Just like the Israelite’s battles were carefully recodrded in the “Book of the Wars of the Lord,” so our days even the seemingly dry days, are recorded in His book concerning us.

The question is: What will you do with them?

From there they journeyed and camped on the other side of the Arnon, which is in the wilderness that comes out of the border of the Amorites, for the Arnon is the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites.

Therefore it is said in the Book of the Wars of the LORD, “Waheb in Suphah,  And the wadis of the Arnon, And the slope of the wadis that extends to the site of Ar, And leans to the border of Moab.” From there they continued to Beer, that is the well where the LORD said to Moses, “Assemble the people, that I may give them water.” (Numbers 21:13-15, NASB)