Graceful Intrepretation
Good Morning Girls! Joshua 1:8 in the NLT: Study this 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.
This is not a new verse to us. We have heard it before. I have meditated on it before for various reasons. But this morning something jumped out at me. Something I've never really thought about before. It is the lawful interpretation versus the graceful interpretation.
In the past I have understood this verse to mean we need to obey God's Word in order to experience success because blessing and obedience go hand and hand as they say in pre-school. That is true, I do believe we are rewarded for obedience. But I also see this as a lawful interpretation because it can be misunderstood that it is God that creates the success for us because of our obedience. Now this is kind of confusing so stick with me here. The problem with this interpretation is that I have proved it wrong a million times! I have countless examples of times in my life when I am in disobedience in an area of my life yet the blessings and favor of God have been at work in my life. So how then can we say that it is only when we are obeying all of God's Word, that we will experience success? The emphasis here is on obedience rather than what the Book of Instruction has to show us about success. Are you still with me?
Let's look at the graceful interpretation of this verse. First of all, we are no longer under the law, it is by God's grace that we have this undeserved privilege and favor. However, we are still called to meditate on and obey God's Word. The difference is that under the graceful interpretation, we understand that it is not only through obedience that we receive this favor and blessing. Why then would we bother to meditate on and obey God's Word? Go back and read the verse again. The reason why God tells us to meditate on and obey the Book of Instruction is not because we serve a big headed God on a power trip. It is because the Book of Instruction could also be called The Only True Manuel To a Successful Life. God's Word contains truths that the world doesn't offer. It contains "secrets" to those who call Jesus Christ their Lord and Savior. It contains more knowledge, wisdom, and insight into how to live your life in order to experience success than Oprah, Dr Phil, and the thousands of self-help books that line the shelves at Barnes and Noble! So yes, obedience to God's word leads to success, but it is because of the truths God's Word, not because of the obedience (though you do have to put them to practice in your life in order to see the results).
So why am I making such a big deal over this when basically the end result is the same (being that if you follow God's Word you will succeed in all you do)? I believe it is important for a couple of reasons. First of all, if you continue with the lawful interpretation your faith turns into a works program. Ask me how I know! It is also easy to make it all about us and all about the rules, instead of all about Jesus, and our relationship with him. You see, when we focus on our relationship with Jesus, we have the desire to follow him. We desire to meditate on the Book of the Law and to obey it. We desire to live a life worthy of the call. We desire to put the truths we read and study about into action. We desire these things not because failure to do so results in lack of blessing, but because in doing so we show our love for Jesus and what he did for us. We show our faith in what he says. We say we are willing to live our lives for Him, not for our own pleasure. In doing this we end up experiencing success in all that we do!
So Girls, spend some time in God's Word today. Not because you have to, but because you want to. And remember, God loves you and has good things planned for you even if you fall short sometimes!
Joshua 1:8 Study this 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.
Love you all-
Jen
This is not a new verse to us. We have heard it before. I have meditated on it before for various reasons. But this morning something jumped out at me. Something I've never really thought about before. It is the lawful interpretation versus the graceful interpretation.
In the past I have understood this verse to mean we need to obey God's Word in order to experience success because blessing and obedience go hand and hand as they say in pre-school. That is true, I do believe we are rewarded for obedience. But I also see this as a lawful interpretation because it can be misunderstood that it is God that creates the success for us because of our obedience. Now this is kind of confusing so stick with me here. The problem with this interpretation is that I have proved it wrong a million times! I have countless examples of times in my life when I am in disobedience in an area of my life yet the blessings and favor of God have been at work in my life. So how then can we say that it is only when we are obeying all of God's Word, that we will experience success? The emphasis here is on obedience rather than what the Book of Instruction has to show us about success. Are you still with me?
Let's look at the graceful interpretation of this verse. First of all, we are no longer under the law, it is by God's grace that we have this undeserved privilege and favor. However, we are still called to meditate on and obey God's Word. The difference is that under the graceful interpretation, we understand that it is not only through obedience that we receive this favor and blessing. Why then would we bother to meditate on and obey God's Word? Go back and read the verse again. The reason why God tells us to meditate on and obey the Book of Instruction is not because we serve a big headed God on a power trip. It is because the Book of Instruction could also be called The Only True Manuel To a Successful Life. God's Word contains truths that the world doesn't offer. It contains "secrets" to those who call Jesus Christ their Lord and Savior. It contains more knowledge, wisdom, and insight into how to live your life in order to experience success than Oprah, Dr Phil, and the thousands of self-help books that line the shelves at Barnes and Noble! So yes, obedience to God's word leads to success, but it is because of the truths God's Word, not because of the obedience (though you do have to put them to practice in your life in order to see the results).
So why am I making such a big deal over this when basically the end result is the same (being that if you follow God's Word you will succeed in all you do)? I believe it is important for a couple of reasons. First of all, if you continue with the lawful interpretation your faith turns into a works program. Ask me how I know! It is also easy to make it all about us and all about the rules, instead of all about Jesus, and our relationship with him. You see, when we focus on our relationship with Jesus, we have the desire to follow him. We desire to meditate on the Book of the Law and to obey it. We desire to live a life worthy of the call. We desire to put the truths we read and study about into action. We desire these things not because failure to do so results in lack of blessing, but because in doing so we show our love for Jesus and what he did for us. We show our faith in what he says. We say we are willing to live our lives for Him, not for our own pleasure. In doing this we end up experiencing success in all that we do!
So Girls, spend some time in God's Word today. Not because you have to, but because you want to. And remember, God loves you and has good things planned for you even if you fall short sometimes!
Joshua 1:8 Study this 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.
Love you all-
Jen
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