Prospering
and Success
Joshua 1:8 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.
This was God’s direct command to Joshua because Joshua had a big responsibility. He was to lead God’s people into the plan that God had for them all along.
How do we interpret this command
today?
Don’t we all want to prosper and
have success?
This book of the law shall not
depart from your mouth…
At the time this was written it
meant keeping the commandments, but it also meant that Joshua had to seek God
in every decision and follow through on what He told him to do. Joshua was
making life and death decisions because they were about to go to battle and in
order to keep the people safe, it had to be done God’s way.
Some may say that this does not
really apply to today, but it does, more than we think. We go to battle every
day and the battle is in our minds. In
Hebrews 8:10 we are told that the new covenant gives us better access to God’s
word because they are written in our minds and in our hearts. Not only do we
have the written word of God in the form of the bible but now we have access to
all He wants to tell us personally. All we must do is ask Him directly.
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…
God has given us access to Himself.
His wisdom, knowledge, direction and so much more. All we must do is ask and
then listen. Think about what God said about putting His laws in our hearts and
in our minds. God’s laws are His direction for our lives, so this means that He
will speak His wisdom, His knowledge, His direction and so much more directly
into your heart and your mind. When He does, your part is to keep your focus on
what He said and then do it. Sometimes this can be hard to do so I have started
writing down what I hear and keep it in front of me, so I don’t lose it.
for then you will make your way
prosperous…
Some may think that this part of
the verse is completely about money and that may be the wrong focus here. While
money may be part of prosperity, it is not all of it. I believe that a larger
part of it is a sound mind. God says He has given us a sound mind in 2 Timothy
1:7. A sound mind is free from fear and full of peace. We are talking about good
mental health here. Living in the freedom of knowing that you have a God who
wants to walk this life out with you and guide you into His perfect plan. Even
when things don’t go exactly as you think they should, you can know that it
will all work out better for you in the end if you keep your focus on Him. You
may have to remind yourself continuously of what you were told by God. It will
not be easy at first, but it is worth the effort because the struggle to keep
your mind focused on Him becomes easier over time and practice.
and then you will have success.
Success is not always going to be
visible outwardly at first. You will notice that things that used to bother you
do not anymore. Then you will notice that your thoughts automatically go to God’s
word when something comes up in your life. You will have peace. Peace in
knowing that you are not tied to opinions and expectations from the world. Your
peace will come from knowing that all you do is in response to a God who is
caring and patient and kind and who will guide and protect you in the journey.
This is prosperity and success to
me.
