Joshua 1:6-9 - Strength and Courage

Joshua 1:6-9

6 Be strong and courageous, for you shall give this people possession of the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. 7 Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go. 8 This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Message: Strength and Courage

Time: Joshua "Yahweh saves" led Israel, under God's command, to victorious conquest of the Promised Land. The book spans about 25 years, beginning about 1406 BC. The conquest of Canaan, numerous military campaigns and regathering of the nation are major components. 

What the Lord is Saying: After the death of Moses, God calls his assistant, Joshua to lead the nation of Israel to Canaan. In verse 2 the Lord calls Joshua to cross the Jordan, ultimately defeating and driving out the people of Canaan from their land. No small task. Israel was outnumbered. Previously, the people had question of this occurring. They lacked faith, seeing the obstacles before them. In the previous lesson he receives the promise that God will be with him. This should be all the comfort that one needs. But alas we also need encouraging words and reminders that God will be with us through thick and thin. 

After hearing that God would be with him, we get the words from the Lord to Joshua 'be strong and courageous.' Simple words but meaningful words that bring encouragement to many today, even me. I think of the large tasks before me often. My work and its long list of things to do simply continues to grow and grow. Even my personal time has books I'd like to read through and I seem to add more books to read so easily. And yet struggle to get through them, but enjoy it when I do. Of late, my stomach has been a problem as I have not been very regular in the bathroom. It feels like all of life, from sun up to sun down has burdens, obstacles, things I need to do and get through or would like to do. Maybe that is good and normal. Maybe it is what I have laid out before me and like, to always be achieving something. Michael W. Smith penned a song from his first release of this same title, 'So be Strong and Courageous.' I often think of it when I hear this admonition and sing it to myself. Good words to hear and be reminded of in life. 

And yet this isn't simply a 'believe in yourself' sort of creed, but it is words God gives following Him saying He will be with Joshua. Then following it are other words that go alongside the idea of being strong and courageous. Joshua is to remember the words of Moses that were commanded, more specifically 'the law.' 

"....be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you."

"This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth."

"you shall meditate on it day and night."

"...be careful to do according to all that is written in it..."

"Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."

Simple reminders here continue. Meditate on God's law. Be careful to do it. There is no reason to fear for the Lord God is with you wherever you go. 

Summary: The Lord encourages Joshua to be strong and courageous as he goes across the Jordan toward Canaan, remembering God's law, and being careful to follow it. 

Promise: Being obedience to God's word does not guarantee nothing bad will happen to a person, but those who obey God's word will finally win and we are to live lives in faithful obedience to God. 

Prayer: Thank you God for your words of encouragement you offer to Joshua and I believe you offer to me as well. I need to stay close to your words God always trusting in the Law of God which you have given me follow and obey. Keep me meditating on it and living by it. It is always relevant to my life, but no matter what I need to uphold it and so teach me to be guided by it always and help me to encourage this in others as well. I pray my family would be guided by it and trust in it always. Let it move in people's lives and change them. 

Note: If you are interested in other studies/devotions, check out my index of Bible Study's.

Psalm 119:97-104 - Finding Guidance in the Law

Psalm 119:97-104

O How I love your law
It is my meditation all the day.
Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies,
For they are ever mine.
I have more insight than all my teachers,
For Your testimonies are my meditation.
I understand more than the aged,
Because I have observed Your precepts.
I have restrained my feet from every evil way,
That I may keep Your word.
I have not turned aside from Your ordinances,
For You Yourself have taught me.
How sweet are Your words to my taste!
Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth!
From Your precepts I get understanding;
Therefore I hate every false way.

Message: Finding Guidance in the Law

Time: Psalms, a collection of lyrical poems, with multiple authors. David wrote 73 Psalms, though for 50 or so the author is unknown. Psalms means songs of praise. The writings span 1,000 years. They encourage us to praise God, illuminate the greatness of God, affirm His faithfulness in times of trouble, and remind us of the absolute centrality of His word. 

What the Lord is Saying:

October 5

Tabletalk records that "God's law is a place to find guidance for what pleases the Lord." The 10 commandments were used to help believers understand what kind of life God expects of His people. 

I have previously learned in this study that the Law primarily is a tool God uses to bring me to Christ, showing me what God expects and in turn bring me to Christ who is the only one that fulfills the Law. The temptation is the idea that obedience to God's word brings about salvation. We get too focused often on acts of obedience and can miss the grace of God; we think instead that obedience either completely or at a high level is what God seeks. So once we understand that salvation is not a measure of obedience, we can still see that the Law guides us into what pleases God. Obedience is really about praising God and seeking to please Him, than it being something that will benefit me. Granted, it will benefit me but my motivation should be towards praising God. 

Romans 7:12 - The Law is Holy. The commandment is Holy and Righteous and Good. 

When we love God we love His statutes and commands He has given us.

Psalm 119:97 O how I love Your law!
It is my meditation all the day.

I have been encouraged since a young age to memorize scripture. I remember my mom telling me my dad loved Psalm 1 so I memorized that (and remember lying down, looking at the stars in the backyard with my mom and reciting it). And then put other verses to memory that I still know today - 40  years later. In this practice, I've learned to love God's word as I repeat it again and again.

Psalm 119:98 Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies,
For they are ever mine.

Wisdom comes about through learning and knowing God's word. It anchors me and makes me wise. It 
gives me God's perspective on life. Another reason I should run to it.

October 7

Psalm 119:99 I have more insight than all my teachers,
For Your testimonies are my meditation.

There is a temptation in the Christian's life to possess pride and feel like we are better than others because in the study of God's word it is as if we have found a hidden treasure. But we must resist this and acknowledge God's spirit in us giving us this insight.

Psalm 119:100 I understand more than the aged,
Because I have observed Your precepts.

As I study God's word, I start to see it in action in my daily life -- I observe it. And in this process my understanding of all things of life increases.

Psalm 119:101 I have restrained my feet from every evil way,
That I may keep Your word.

My goal is to keep God's word. To have it hidden in my heart as I do this and rid evil from my life it opens me up to the good practice of keeping Thy word, following it.

Psalm 119:102 I have not turned aside from Your ordinances,
For You Yourself have taught me.

I am taught scripture by doing scripture by doing scripture. I can't do it if I don't know it. I sit under God's teaching when I make this his ordinances part of my life.

Psalm 119:103 How sweet are Your words to my taste!
Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth!

Like candy, which makes my mouth feel good, God's word is my sweetness. Candy provides often a feeling of a reward and more than I deserve and this is what happens when I get God's word.

October 10

Psalm 119:104 From Your precepts I get understanding;
Therefore I hate every false way.

As I understand God's word, in turn, I see what is important to God and what glorifies Him and it helps me to hate falsehood. 

------

Thus, his Law needs to be one with my very being. This gives me knowledge of what pleases and displeases Him. Matthew 5:17-20 reminds me that the Law of God remains important; Jesus came to fulfill it. He is the only one that could. The law is meant to be kept.

October 11 

I'm thankful for the Word. I remain not perfect. This manifested itself in me last night when I pursued something not honoring to me, God, or my marriage. I'm taken back to God's word, His law and reminded one that I am week, in capable of meeting His perfect plan, but also in moments of weakness He needs to be my refuge. 

Promise: Love God. Love His Word. Keep His Word. Hate Falsehood. 

Prayer: Lord, your Word is a lamp to my life. Oh How I love your Law as it accompanies me throughout my day, pointing me in the direction I need to go. As I read Your word, it makes me wise and wiser than my enemies. I gain insight and understanding. And then as I observe your words and make them a part of my life my way or the path I walk is not on the path of evil. Your words are sweet to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth. From these words I get understanding. O God, remind me of this when I am struggling. I want to hate falsehood more. 

Note: I follow the readings from the Tabletalk Magazine devotional, though I am a little behind and working through 2017 devotionals. 2017 is a study of key biblical doctrines celebrating the 500th year of the Reformation. The month of July is about the right use of God's Law; June was justification by faith alone; May about solus Christus - Christ Alone; April, salvation by grace alone; March, the sovereign providence of God; February, the doctrine of revelation and the various aspects of the doctrine of Scripture that sola Scriptura seeks to preserve; January, the doctrine of God.

Bringing me to Christ

The Restraint of the Law - the law is given for lawless, unholy, disobedient people, to restrain us from acting on our sinful thoughts. Restraint and Guilt - the law is meant to restrain Christians and non-Christians alike; so that others may see Christ. The Law's Revelation of Sin - The Law reveals sin, at times making it more desirable, and show the sin which people commit and the complete standard it expects. The Law and Our Powerlessness - We are powerless over the Law and Sin revealed. It is in Christ that we receive forgiveness and the power to resist sin. The Law our Guardian - The law is not a tool of justifying me, but rather it is an instrument to bring me to Christ and show me my need for Him. 

Guiding our Lives

The Guidance of the Law - The Law is a guide in our lives for what pleases God and what it looks like to walk in holiness. The Antinomian Error - We were slaves to sin, but now we are slaves to obedience and righteousness. Judaizing Legalism - The error of Judaizing Legalism is the idea that obedience brings about God's acceptance of us for salvation. The Deadliest Form of Legalism - This legalism is that one would get too focused on external practices instead of focusing on the heart.

The Law is our Guide

The Centrality of Love - Love and the law go hand in hand. We do not belong to God unless we love our neighbor, and we cannot love our neighbor without knowing and doing God‘s law and loving him.

Psalm 119:97-104 - Love for God's Law

Psalm 119:97-104

⁹⁷ O how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day.
⁹⁸ Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies, for they are ever mine.
⁹⁹ I have more insight than all my teachers, for Your testimonies are my meditation.
¹⁰⁰ I understand more than the aged, because I have observed Your precepts.
¹⁰¹ I have restrained my feet from every evil way, that I may keep Your word.
¹⁰² I have not turned aside from Your ordinances, for You Yourself have taught me.
¹⁰³ How sweet are Your words to my taste! Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth!
¹⁰⁴ From Your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way.

Message: Love for God's Law

Time: The psalms were written by many different people across a period of a thousand years in Israel's history. They are thought to have been compiled and put together in their present form by some unknown editor shortly after the captivity ended about 537 B.C.

What the Lord is Saying:

I return to my study of Psalm 119, being guided by TableTalk's devotional. I have looked past at this year and realized I have only done 68 entries. It seems like more, but I have been slow through this study of the Wisdom Literature. I am just now in the month of July 2015, but I guess I continue to press on, so that is good.

O How I love your Law, it is my meditation all the day. This is true of my life. I do love God's word. It is rich to my life. When I read it and meditate on it and think of it, it is everything to me.

Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies, for they are ever mine. Lord, I know that your law makes me wiser. CS Lewis said that even if he found out tomorrow that the Bible was not true, he would still have to live like it is. I agree. It makes sense in life to live by it.

I have more insight than all my teachers, for Your testimonies are my meditation. Bible teachers are good, but meditating on God's word is more important. Lord, help me to stay connected to your word and reading it. Thank you for the teachers you have placed in our lives. But, its your word that makes the biggest impact in my life. The world professes to have schools of sage instruction; but the poorest believer, enlightened by the Spirit, is wiser than this boasted wisdom.

I understand more than the aged, because I have observed Your precepts. Lord, what makes me strong is being your disciple and being obedient to Your word. Sometimes I wonder if my acts of service keep decreasing. But, help me to stay connected to learning Your Word. As I read your word it makes me feel more learned than old men or the aged or ancients.

I have restrained my feet from every evil way, that I may keep Your word. Lord, as I read your word, my desire is to not do evil. I struggle with this daily Lord. You know I still want that emotional contact with my wife and kids. And when I don't get it, I tend to revert to my life as a single and what brought me enjoyment then. But, Lord, help me to always wait on you and you alone. I need to trust in You, no matter my circumstances.  

I have not turned aside from Your ordinances, for You Yourself have taught me. Lord, as long as I am in your word and listening to Your ordinances then I will not turn aside. Your teaching is the best teaching.  

How sweet are Your words to my taste! Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth! Lord, your words are sweeter to me than food. Keep me engrossed in Your word.  

From Your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way. Lord, Your word is what gives understanding. Help me to read it and stay connected to it. As I do, I will hate evil. It is a solid truth that understanding is obtained by diligent adherence to God's precepts.

Promise: From Table talk, I really liked this: "We live in a lawless age that disdains boundaries and restrictions. Thus, the notion of loving God’s law seems quite strange to the unbeliever. Yet it should never seem strange to us. If God by His Spirit has poured His love into our hearts (Rom. 5), then we will love whatever reflects His character. We will love His law because it shows us who He is, and He is altogether lovely. Do you love God’s law? Pray that the Lord would increase in your heart your love for His law."  

Psalm 1 - The Purpose of Wisdom Literature

Psalm 1
¹ How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers!
² But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.
³ He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers.

⁴ The wicked are not so, but they are like chaff which the wind drives away.
⁵ Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
⁶ For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

Message: The purpose of wisdom literature

Time: The psalms were written by many different people across a period of a thousand years in Israel's history. They are thought to have been compiled and put together in their present form by some unknown editor shortly after the captivity ended about 537 B.C.

What the Lord is Saying:

I think this was the first passage of scripture I memorized. I think I was 14 or 15 when I tried to do it. I haven't been able to keep it to memory, though. My mom said that this was my dad's favorite passage of scripture. As a first chapter in the book of Psalm it almost seems like a chapter that shapes the rest of the book, for it summarizes everything that is expected from man in his life or not expected and the response of God. 

A Blessed Man Does Not
Here, the sign of a man that is blessed is one that does not co-habitat with wicked people. How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers! Yet, it is not that this man doesn't just walk with the wicked, but that he doesn't even stand on their paths, nor sit in the places where they have sat. There is a progression here as well of sitting, then standing, and then walking. The man who is happy or blessed stays far from the wicked. And these are people that mock God (scorners). The issue here, I don't think, is not about one who is trying to minister to these folks, but one who's life is beginning to look like that of the wicked. Does the blessed man's life really abhor that life? That man may not be walking, but does the man accompany those ways?

Do we go along with shameful and behavior that, in the company of other blessed men, we wouldn't do? My life is to be lived above reproach. Is it or do I compromise in order to get the praise of others?

Also, this is talking about a man's walk. It is not talking about taking 5 or 10 minutes or even an hour to commit ourselves to the reading of God's word. Those things are important, but the blessed man's life is just that, a life. It is a walk. Throughout the day, my focus and desire should be to honor God. Every moment and in every act.

A Blessed Man Does
The Law of the Lord is what the blessed man dwells on. I think there can be no escaping the reading and studying of God's word in a person's life that wants to honor God. God's word is meant to be a delight to us. It is meant to be something that we long to read and study. In this law is what the blessed man not only listens (his delight is in) to, but what he wants to be in him at all times, so he meditates day and night. The Law is what we turn to to be our guide in all things. As a pastor said once, "when  you cut yourself, you should bleed Bible." 

A Blessed Man's Life
Here is the outcome of the blessed man that their delight is in the Law of the Lord, their life will be firmly planted. The rushing waters or the ways of the world will not be able to sway the man. He will be firmly planted. And said differently, the river of life or the waters of the spirit as they flow will continually be nourishing the tree or man: He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water.

The person's life will have fruit and will not wither and will prosper. This is the amazing thing about this man, is the outcomes will be sweet (fruit), healthy (leaf does not wither), and successful (prospers).  Is this not what every person wants in their life? To be infectious, sweet, what people want; to be healthy; to be successful. But, remember these things are defined by God and so look like God. This does not mean to the world and what it prioritizes that these things will look like that. But, let God define our lives and we will feel good about what they look like. 

The Wicked Man
What chronicles the wicked man's life? What does it look like? The wicked are not so, but they are like chaff which the wind drives away. In farming crops, there is a part of the growth that must be torn away and thrown away. Rice, barley, oats, wheat, even corn, is surrounded by a husk. This husk is waste material. There is a part that we eat and there is a part that is thrown away. It has little or no value. It is the chaff that is thrown away. This is the wicked life. It is the part that the wind picks up and carries away. It has no staying power. It has no eternal staying power. It may remain for a season and it may even look like it is healthy as the husk part of a plant is often large and abundant. But, in the end, it is discarded. This is what we need to focus on because often life is not focused on the outcome, but instead on how it looks here and now and today. If we focus on today only, then we will gravitate toward the wicked man and his ways. But, we must look at the end of the road and the end path. The wicked man's life will not remain. 

A Wicked Man's Result
This is what I was beginning to reference. In the end, Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. In the word of Covey, we must "Begin with the end in mind." If we want our lives to be marked by something it should be God and His word. This is why I have always like I Timothy 4:7-8, "Train yourself to be godly; for physical training has some value, but godliness has value for all things." This is what I cannot lose sight of in life. In the end, the wicked will not stand in judgment, but they will fall. And in the final standing company the sinners will not be a part of. They will not be with the righteous. 

The Lord Knows
For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish. Our focus on life should be on what the Lord knows and remembers. So, the person that simply stays far from the way of the wicked man and instead stays close to the Law of the Lord will be known by God. 

This chapter chronicles the actions of man, but keep in mind, whether one is blessed or wicked is based upon the Grace of God. Abraham was called while he was worshiping pagan gods. The 10 commandments were given to the Israelites after they were chosen. God calls us and then we have a decision of what our lives will look like.   

Promise: If we truly seek to follow God's word and do what it says then we will be among the righteous. The way of the wicked, the selfish, man centered defined life will perish.

Psalm 119:9-16 - God's Word In the Heart

Psalm 119:9-16
⁹  How can a young man keep his way pure?
    By guarding it according to your word.
¹⁰ With my whole heart I seek you;
    let me not wander from your commandments!
¹¹ I have stored up your word in my heart,
    that I might not sin against you.
¹² Blessed are you, O Lord;
    teach me your statutes!
¹³ With my lips I declare
    all the rules of your mouth.
¹⁴ In the way of your testimonies I delight
    as much as in all riches.
¹⁵ I will meditate on your precepts
    and fix my eyes on your ways.
¹⁶ I will delight in your statutes;
    I will not forget your word.

Message: God's Word in the Heart

Time: The psalms were written by many different people across a period of a thousand years in Israel's history. They are thought to have been compiled and put together in their present form by some unknown editor shortly after the captivity ended about 537 B.C.

What the Lord is Saying:

Background
In beginning to read Psalm 119 yesterday, I felt like the first 4 verses were sort of different than what began in verse 5. From verse 5 on, it seems to be a prayer. The first 4 verses were more of a declaration that we need to have a perspective or an orientation to walking a blameless way, walking and keeping the law of the Lord, seeking Him with our whole heart, acknowledging that God has asked us to keep diligently His commands. This is who I am in Christ. This is my position before the Lord. The Lord calls me, I answer, and my life is to be lived in purpose to Him and His commands. And then I discover that while I thought at first it was primarily about being secure with God forever for eternity, as He learn and walk in His ways I discover this is the only way to live in peace. Suddenly, there is a freedom in Christ.  

Here is verse 9 continues the prayer. 

A young man ponders his future (v. 9)
Looking at verse 9, I see a statement and then a man confessing to the Lord a desire. "How can a young man keep his way pure?" I think sometimes I have forgotten what it is to be a young man. Young men are specially exposed to temptation. As a young man, principles are still being established in their lives. The young man is pondering the question, "How can I be saved from the corruption of my own heart, and escape the temptations to which I am exposed to in my early years and lead a pure and upright life?" 

But, I also see that maybe this question is not even being asked. I think at its most rudimentary level the Christian is actually always asking or should be asking himself questions. As life is lived in the world and an engagement occurs with the world and its ways, are we asking questions? Or are people just living? I think what I see often is there is simply a going through the motions of life which occurs. Acceptance and belonging are so important in those early years. So the ambition is not necessarily purity, but instead it is belonging to another. So, the young person needs to ask the question and even be reminded that seeking purity is important. 

The answer to this question is to take heed and guard themselves according to God's word. And yet this may still be the question. The Hebrew of this phrase is "to keep according to thy word." And so the second phrase is not the answer yet, but instead a continuation of the question, so "how can a young man keep his way pure, guarding it according to your word?" But, the answer would still be for the young man to guard his life according to God's word. It is true that life needs to be anchored by God's words. 

With my whole heart I seek you (v. 10)
Yet, I see something a little different in verse 10 if the entirety of verse 9 is the question. Verse 10 begins with the statement, "With my whole heart I seek you." 

It is interesting, one of the major turning points, I believe, in my marriage, has been to really hone in and live out that little principle from Paul in Ephesians, "Husbands, love your wives (Ephesians 5:25)." I tried so hard over the years to find ways to fix my problems, setting up accountability partners, making sure I am not in compromising situations, reading and memorizing God's word. I do think all of these things are good and needed and necessary, but it wasn't until I really focused in on the idea of "loving my wife" that then those things made sense and worked. But, it started with having a love for my wife. 

And here in this verse 10 is the phrase, "With my whole heart I seek you." As the psalmist writes those words, "according to your word," the word he speaks of, at that time, consisted of what? Not sure, but it definitely wasn't much. It was mostly words to Moses. At this time, the Word was still evolving and would for hundreds of years. And yet their were basic tenets that were clear. 

I think what is important is to read verse 9 and 10 together. Yes, we are to start with seeking the Lord with my whole heart. It is because I have a desire to be pure, but it is in the context of God's word. Those must stand interconnected and not be separated. People in life, over time, will definitely see each of those at different times and in seeking them they will think they have achieved it all, but they all must stay connected. 

I notice in society right now that Love becomes the highest ideal, but Love is only truly love in the context of recognizing Who created it. Just because I feel love and feel a belonging doesn't mean it is correct. It must be in the context of God and His word. I am not to wander from His commandments. 

I think one of the big applications of this right now in society is the homosexual relationship. The focus is on love and two people loving each other and that becomes the highest good. Then, after that is achieved, then they try to bring the Bible into it. The bottom line is homosexuality is not consistent with biblical teaching. From Adam and Eve, to even Jesus, the assumption in relationship talk is a man and woman, a husband and wife. What homosexuals do is begin with premise of love and then try to define the Bible around it. The context of these verses is to start with a desire for purity, base it on the commands of God and then seek Him with our whole heart. 

Treasured God's Word (v. 11)
This is a great verse, "I have stored up your word in my heart." God's utterances or His words are the treasure in my life. It is deposited into my heart. I work hard and earn money and then money allows me to buy things I need. I work and build up mini-treasures that allow me to live. This is the idea, God's word is our treasure. 

And these words, treasured or stored in my heart, are there to keep me from sinning. I should be a changed person with God's words close to me. 

Teach me (v. 12)
What has happened? I have yielded to you Lord. I do not want to wander. Your word is stored up in my heart. Now, teach me. Make me more and more acquainted. 

My lips declare (v. 13)
This is not an inward, personal, practice of following God's commands and sticking to His ways. This is something my lips will declare. My mouth makes known to others the change that has occurred. I do not simply study God's word to be personally well versed, but my zeal is to show other people. It is to help others see and know God's truth.

I delight in God's laws (v. 14)
This is not a toil or a burden, but this is my delight. I love having things and buying things and filling my lot, but in the ways of God I delight, as much as in all riches. 

Mediate (v. 15)
You words will I meditate on and fix my eyes on. 

Not forget (v.16)
I will not forget. This will not be a momentary thing in my life. The world will try to crowd my thinking with other things. But, I will not let it happen.  

Promise: The Bible is not simply stored in our lives and homes. It is studied, it is meditated on, it is my delight, my treasure, it is taught, my lips speak of it, I never forget it.