A Devotion by Joe G
May 16, 2024
“Read, learn, teach, and share.”
Joshua 1:8-9; Matthew 28:19-20
As a full-time church worker, I spent a lot of time preparing. I probably spent 3-4 times more time preparing for a youth night (every Sunday) than the weekly event (which lasted 3 hours).
Granted, I had help, but there was much to consider when planning a Sunday evening youth night. Here’s a short list of what I pre-planned for.
Contact students
Write an interactive Bible Study
Games
Food
Downtime
Spend time one-on-one with students
And, of course, the list was even longer if we were going to an event off campus.
No matter how long the planning list was, I spent the most time each week on the interactive Bible study. I included music, reading, discussion, a PowerPoint presentation, and many questions for the students.
Engaging, interactive Bible studies take time to develop. I spent a lot of time meditating on the presentation and carefully selecting my words and pertinent Bible passages.
My goal was to always follow the words of Joshua 1:8 …
“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. Then you will be prosperous and successful.”
********************The Point****************
God told Joshua to always keep the Book of Law (The Bible) on his lips. That’s why it was for me and should be at the forefront of everything you do. God’s Words are the most important thing we can share with others on any given day and in any given circumstance.
God goes on to tell Joshua to meditate on it (The Bible – God’s Word) all the time, day and night. We need to be learners of God’s Word and to do that; we need to read, contemplate, learn, and understand what the Words of the Bible mean and what they are saying to us.
Jesus emphasized this in His final words to the disciples.
“Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Matthew 28: 19-20
Jesus wants us to make learners (disciples) everywhere we go.
God says, “Meditate on it (The Bible) day and night so that you may be careful to do everything written in it.”
Jesus’s edict is broader: ” Baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teach them to obey everything I have commanded you.”
Finally, God says to Joshua:
“Then you will be prosperous and successful.”
Jesus tells His disciples:
“And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
God is always with His followers, disciples, and learners. If we follow the directions He gives us in the Bible, we will be prosperous and successful. Our prosperity doesn’t always come through riches, and neither does our success.
Being prosperous can mean having a loving husband or wife, and raising a God-loving family can be one of our greatest successes.
I’ve written a lot of words to this point, and here it is, the point that is.
Read, study, and meditate on God’s Word. Then, please share it with others. Be a teacher to a learner. God’s Spirit will guide you and always be with you.
Always remember God’s Words to Joshua in 1:9.
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
joegministries.com 