Taking Ground | Week 1

Day 6

“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.” -Joshua 1:8

When God speaks to Joshua about entering the promised land, He doesn’t hand him a military plan or a battle strategy. He doesn’t give him a five-step leadership guide or a list of motivational quotes to pump him up for what’s ahead. Instead, God gives Joshua something far more surprising, and far more foundational:

“Keep My word close.”

It almost feels too simple, especially considering the size of the task in front of Joshua. There are fortified cities, intimidating armies, giants, and territory Israel has never set foot on. The challenges are real. The obstacles are big. The unknowns are many.

And God says, “Joshua, the key to taking ground isn’t in your muscle, it’s in your meditation.”

That’s unexpected. But it’s exactly the point.

Being fed up with where you have been and hungry is a great place to begin. But it ain’t enough. If you want to win, you have got to learn how to think and speak like God.

Joshua couldn’t step into a new land with an old mindset. He couldn’t lead Israel into the promises of God without saturating himself in the words of God.

So God tells him to keep Scripture on his lips and in his mind, to talk about it, think about it, rehearse it, and let it reshape the way he sees everything. Not occasionally… day and night.

This isn’t about legalism. It’s about alignment.

Meditation keeps the heart anchored. It keeps the mind steady. It keeps the soul from drifting.

And that’s what Joshua needed most, not a better battle plan, but a better internal compass.

Sunday’s message mentioned the “Power of 4 Effect”, how people who engaged Scripture four times a week experienced dramatic transformation in their lives.

That study just confirms what God already told Joshua thousands of years ago: When God’s Word becomes the rhythm of your life, your life starts to change.

• When Scripture becomes familiar, fear becomes less convincing.

• When Scripture becomes your meditation, courage becomes your default.

• When Scripture becomes your guide, obedience becomes easier.

• When Scripture becomes part of your language, faith becomes your reflex.

That’s what God meant when He said, “Then you will be prosperous and successful.”

He wasn’t promising wealth or comfort—He was promising fruitfulness. Spiritual success. A grounded mind. A steady heart. The kind of internal strength that turns ordinary people into ground-takers.

And maybe this is what taking ground looks like for you right now—not something loud or dramatic, but something steady and consistent. Maybe it looks like opening your Bible each morning. Maybe it looks like reading the daily devotional your church sends. Maybe it looks like listening to Scripture on your commute, or writing down a verse you want to keep with you throughout the day.

Whatever form it takes, the goal is the same: Get the Word in you until it begins to shape you.

God’s word re-creates itself in those who study it.

Meaning—Scripture doesn’t just inform you. It transforms you.

And the more space you give it in your life, the more ground it will help you take.

So today, as you move through your routines, keep Joshua 1:8 close. Think about it while you’re driving, working, cooking, or unwinding tonight. Let God’s Word linger a little longer than usual. Let it sit with you. Let it soften the places that feel tense and strengthen the places that feel weak.

Taking ground begins with one simple choice: to make room for God’s voice in your life, day and night.