Day 2 - Week 11 - Joshua 1:8 "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."

Wow - this one is a long one, isn't it?  Let's break it down bit by bit and absorb it slowly.....

"This book of instruction must not depart from your mouth...."

In our reference book, 100 Bible Verses Everyone Should Know by Heart, Robert J. Morgan states in reference to this section of our verse, "We must keep speaking it, reading it, repeating it, hearing it."

Referencing the Bible as "this book of instruction" reinforces the first application that Paul listed in our verse of last week...that of teaching.  We've probably all heard the phrase, "BIBLE - Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth."  We have in our hands God's book of instruction.  He has given it to us and He wants us to not only read it, but to know it and to declare it. 

The word "depart" used in this verse is used in the context of "be removed", so the verse could read, "This book of instruction must not be removed from your mouth."  It should always be ready to flow off our lips, to cite God's Word at appropriate times to ourselves and to others.  You can picture God's words being stored in the back portion of our mouths, just sitting there waiting for the right time to be released, but never removed.

We can't be concerned about their removal if they are never firmly stored in the first place.  Aren't all of these verses affirming our exercise of Scripture memorization?  It's like we are memorizing all of God's reasons for memorizing!  He is an encourager when we struggle, isn't He?

I'm loving God's wonderful book of instruction.  The more I memorize, the more I find myself quietly saying verses during the day when random occurrences bring them to mind.  And I smile knowing that God is pleased hearing His words on my breath.