“This book of instruction must not depart from your mouth; you are to recite it day and night, so that you may carefully observe everything written in it. For then you will prosper and succeed in whatever you do.” — Joshua 1:8
As a coach, my main objective is to communicate the game plan to my players. My next objective is to teach them to execute it on game days through hours of practice. During my pregame speech I may promise that if they execute the plan properly, they will have a chance to win. However, in the chaos of the game, the plan that I have mapped out may begin to unravel. If some of the players failed to study and learn it, the whole team will suffer. Are there similarities between this scenario and your own experiences?
God’s Word is filled with promises. In Joshua 1:8, we read one of those promises. The Bible tells us that not only must we meditate on His Word day and night, but we must also do all that is written in it. I truly believe that this is the main reason Christianity has lost a great deal of its power in our personal lives, in our churches, and in its influence on this world. We read the Bible, we go to church on Sunday, but we do not apply the truths we learn.
Let me suggest a simple yet practical method of studying and applying God’s Word. I call it the three R’s: Read, Report, Reflect. Get a Bible, pen, paper, and begin today!
1. Read God’s Word.
2. Report. Write down every reference to God’s promises, blessings, and commands.
3. Reflect. Ask the Lord what He is you trying to teach you. Write down two or three truths that you will apply to your life today.
Extra Reading: Jeremiah 29:11; John 14:12; Romans 8:37–39
God, help me to not only read Your Word, but to apply it. Amen.
