It’s a new year. Resolutions are made. Goals set. Words discovered. All are good and noble acts but will we succeed at these or will they fall by the wayside as the days and months pass?
“Study the Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.” (Joshua 1:8, NLT)
Here I see set out for me, three steps to succeed at this new year …
- Study. As defined by dictionary.com, it means “to apply oneself to the acquisition of knowledge, as by reading, investigation, or practice; to think deeply, reflect, or consider”. To study God’s Word so that we know intellectually what is written.
- Meditate. This means to reflect deeply, to contemplate. It means to know with our minds but also to think deeply on it so that it penetrates our hearts.
- Obey. Change should occur in our lives. Notice in the definition it says “to practice”. We are to live out what we study so that it is reflected in our daily lives. To obey means to comply or reflect in our actions that which we know to do. It means to carry out or behave according to what we know to be right and just.
These three actions … Study – Meditate – Obey … are very closely intermingled; one leading into the other. They need to mix in our lives so that the blending comes easily, with no separation, almost that the three become one action continually flowing in our lives.
This passage was read yesterday in church …
“If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it.” (Mark 8:34-35, NLT)
Interesting to think of losing, or giving up, in order to gain. Not the usual way of thinking and yet, Jesus tells us this is what me must do in order to truly live with purpose.
The start of a new year is like a clean slate. The “do-over” we long for by the end of the old year, if you would. And yet, there may be areas we certainly do not want to do over.
At the start of this new year, may we reflect on this past year and ask ourselves – Where did we drop the ball? What do we need to give up to effectively change our lives?
“More powerful than the wish to succeed …. is the courage to begin.” (Anonymous)
Let’s have the courage to begin. May we commit to study, meditate and obey His Word which we read and hear in the coming months.
For “only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.”
Today I am joining … Inspire Me Mondays and Playdates with God and Making Your Home Sing and Create With Joy and Sharing His Beauty and Unforced Rhythms .
Awesome steps and ones I want to carry out daily this year. Thank you for sharing!
Me too, Barbie. May we be able to say we were successful come 12/31/15!
I love that you recognize that this takes courage, Joanne. I’ve been reading the book of Joshua and now I want to go back and read 1:8 to take it in fresh. And this is the book where God says repeatedly to be strong and courageous. Happy New Year, my friend. I’m taking stock with you.
Laura, yes, He so tells us repeatedly to be strong & courageous throughout the book of Joshua. So grateful He knew we needed to be reminded so we would stay the course. I was so blessed to read your three steps as well 🙂
These 3 steps are such a nice compliment to your trust, dwell, and cultivate post. Thanks for sharing this challenge and encouragement with one of my favorite verses (and I really like the quote about courage & beginnings too). Great post for the New Year!
Thank you so much for the encouragement, Renee. So grateful God places in our hearts exactly what we need for a successful year ahead!
I heard a message recently that learning is just the first step, you have to actually apply what you learn. So I think your 3 steps are great. Putting into practice what you learn is sometimes the hardest part. Great post.
I so agree that the putting into practice is the hardest part. Change is hard. May He enable us to follow through in the days ahead.
Three excellent steps, Joanne. Good ones for all of us, regardless of where we are or what we’re doing. Thank you for sharing these. I love the quote: “More powerful than the wish to succeed …. is the courage to begin.” Amen.
Lisa, that quote so struck me deeply as well. Grateful you stopped & shared.
Those are some great steps! The third one struck me because just a few minutes ago I was reading in a book (When Heaven Invades Earth) that is for my upcoming book club. Anyway, the author was talking about repentance. He wrote that true repentance was not simply feeling badly about a sin (step 1), and turning in a new direction (step 2), but also having a change in thinking (step 3). Your three steps to study His word are similar…what I mean by that is the first two steps are preliminary, but the third one…ahhh! Putting His word in practice — that is having a changed way of thinking! I love it and am looking forward to Him continuing to change my way of thinking as I seek to follow Him! Changed hearts for 2015 – sounds great, don’t you think?
Blessings, Joan
I love what you shared here, Joan. I am going to need to add this book to my “to read” list. Yes, I so want Him to change the way I think so that I think more like Him and less like me. Changed hearts in 2015 sounds great to me. I’m with you on this one!
Thank you for unpacking this verse for us! We need to worry more about ‘SMO’ than ‘SEO’ ;). I’m writing this down in my 1000 Gifts journal so I can remember it. Thank you.
Anita, your constant encouragement, not only to myself but also to others, does not go unnoticed. You are most appreciated. May He bless you deeply this coming year! X0
Perfect, perfect for me today. I’ve committed to spending time in His word, which sometimes get’s neglected in favor of emergencies. I forgot today, except by reading post link-ups to Inspire Me Mondays and this just kick me (gently and sweetly) to not forget! 🙂
I’m glad it was a gentle kick, Carol 🙂 I do so need one myself now & then. May we dig deeper & more often into His Word in 2015. Blessings to you!