Staying in the Way: Meditating on God’s Word for Transformation

Over the past few weeks, we've been journeying through the book of Joshua, and one verse continues to echo in my heart—Joshua 1:8. As God commissions Joshua to lead the people into the Promised Land, He gives this powerful instruction:

“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 good success.” (ESV)

It's a verse packed with promise—but it begins with a pattern: meditate on the Word day and night. Why? Because meditating on Scripture is key to walking in God’s ways, being shaped by His truth, and experiencing His kind of success—success that goes deeper than outcomes and straight to the heart of obedience.

Meditation Is More Than Reading

Each day, I open up the assigned Scriptures in my reading plan, and more often than not, a verse or phrase will warm my heart. Even if I’ve read it a dozen times before, it strikes me in a fresh way—like it’s the first time I’ve encountered it. That sense of warmth, or the feeling that God is speaking directly to me, is the first clue that I need to slow down and meditate.

I’ve learned not to rush past that moment.

I start by writing it in my journal—capturing the verse and any initial thoughts. Sometimes I’ll begin praying the verse back to God, or I may simply pray in the Spirit, asking the Holy Spirit to speak more clearly. Then I write. I let my thoughts flow, asking the Lord questions, and listening for the impressions He brings.

Letting the Word Speak Beyond the Page

What often begins as one verse unfolds into something more. The Holy Spirit will bring to mind other Scriptures that connect—verses that echo the same theme or reveal a deeper layer. I begin to connect that verse to the overall story of Scripture and to my story. And in that process, I’m not just gaining information. I’m seeking something deeper:

Why is the Holy Spirit highlighting this to me now? What is He forming in me?

Sometimes I know immediately. Other times, it’s not until days later that I begin to feel the conviction, experience the convincing, or the confirmation—of what God was saying. But either way, He is shaping my heart.

The Power of Review and Remaining

Some days, I confess, I don’t get a big revelation. But usually, there’s at least a phrase or thought that’s worth pausing over. Worth meditating on. Worth letting the Holy Spirit breathe into.

And that’s why I make it a practice to review what God highlighted to me the day before. If He spoke something yesterday, I don’t want to move on too quickly. I want to stay in it, remain in the Word until its truth is worked deep into my soul.

Often, I’ll flip back through my journal and revisit what God’s been saying over the past week or two. Why? Because those words are forming something in me. They are part of how God transforms me from the inside out.

Transformation Begins in Meditation

This is how we stay in the way of the Lord. Not by rushing through reading plans or collecting theological insight—but by letting the Word of God pierce our hearts and mold us from the inside.

Joshua 1:8 isn't just a strategy for success—it's a call to transformation.

We meditate on the Word because we want to walk in it.

We listen to the Spirit because we want to be led by Him.

We return to what God has said because His voice forms our identity, shapes our obedience, and anchors us in truth.

So if you're reading today and wondering how to go deeper, here’s the invitation:

Pause. Pay attention. Meditate. Ask why the Spirit is highlighting that verse. Write it down. Pray it. Stay in it.

Because that’s where transformation begins.

And that’s how we stay in the way.