“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.” Joshua 1:8 (ESV)
Believers for the most part tend to be New Testament people. That’s where we spend the bulk of our time. But there is so much meat in the Older Testament. Joshua 1:8 is one of those “choice” verses that you would miss if you steer clear of the O.T.
I want to be successful, don’t you? But success from God’s perspective looks different than success from the world’s perspective. Success according to the Scripture looks like this: Finding out what it is that God wants you to do, and then doing it! So success may or may not mean making a lot of money. It may or may not include being prominent. It may or may not mean living the “American dream.”
This verse gives us a few clues as to how to be successful in God’s eyes:
1) Reading and intentionally thinking about God’s Word needs to be a priority. This is what “meditating” is. It is not a far eastern Hindu type practice while sitting in the lotus position. It is being INTENTIONAL to ponder God’s Word. Ponder it quietly before the Lord and then ponder it out loud with other people. Think about it and talk about it – whenever you get a chance to.
2) But success is more than thinking about God’s Word – it is INTENTIONALLY putting God’s Word into practice. Doing what it says! Joshua 1:8 echoes what James says in the N.T. “Do not merely listen to the Word and so deceive yourselves; do what it says.” (James 1:22).
Hearing the Word of God and then doing it… this is God’s formula for a successful and prosperous life.
Why this BRICK is foundational: Jesus says it better than me…
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” (Matthew 7:24-27)