Scripture Reading: Joshua 1:1-9
“This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe 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.”—Joshua 1:8
Books by self-help gurus and life coaches, and biographies of the rich and famous remain amongst the top selling books in America. Why? People want to know the secrets of those who have been successful, or hear the advice of those who claim they can help us to succeed.
The secret to being prosperous or successful has always been in high demand. But, before we set out to be successful, we need first to define our measure of success. Perhaps it is a spiritual, physical, financial, educational, relationship, or occupational goal. It could be a life milestone or condition we want to achieve. How do we define success and how do we know when we have achieved it?
When we read Joshua 1, we hear God’s words of encouragement and assurance to a man assigned a phenomenally difficult task. Joshua must lead a nation into a land promised to them by God, a land occupied by people stronger and more numerous than the Israelites. Perhaps even more challenging, Joshua must fill the shoes of his mentor and the legendary leader of Israel for over 40 years, Moses. Neither task would be easy.
So, God gives Joshua the secret to success—do not depart from speaking of, meditating on and obeying the Word of God. If Joshua does that, he would be prosperous and successful in his mission. The task to occupy this Promised Land still stood before him. The responsibility of filling the role once held by his mentor still remained. But instead of focusing on those tasks, God is reminding Joshua of the true secret to success, concentrate on obeying God and depend on God to work out everything else.
Success can be defined as “the favorable or prosperous termination of attempts or endeavors; the accomplishment of one’s goals” (dictionary.com). When we alone define the goal and the measure of our success, we are alone in achieving that success. When we define success first by obeying God, we redefine prosperity and success by God’s standards, and not our own. We cease trying to make ourselves successful and depend on God as the measure and source of success and prosperity in our lives.
Self-help gurus, life coaches, and biographies of those who have made it are fine. But true success is found in the secret God shared with Joshua—focus on obeying God, then you will be prosperous and successful in whatever you want to achieve.
Lesson to Remember: Putting God first redefines what it means to be prosperous and successful.
“Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night.”—Psalm 1:1-2
