I remember times in my life where I felt like a failure. Like when I didn’t attend college as my parents expected. Or when it seemed like everyone I knew had more money and more stuff than I had. Also, the time when my friends were getting better jobs than me. It took time for me to learn what a genuine life of success is.
Have you ever tried to determine what genuine success is? What values do you use? Is it money? Power? Stuff? Job title? How do we create a life of success?
Then you must know the best path to success. College degree or degrees? Trade school? Own your own business? An invention? Actor or musician?
What path do we take? Looking at the paths others have followed, it seems you succeed in one area and fail in another.
The Career Path
A man or woman is successful in their career. They succeed after twenty years of nose-to-the-grindstone. Now they have the gracious home, fancy cars, and respect from the business community. Yet, their marriage is a sham and the children have moved away and won’t talk to him or her? What happened?
They worked so hard to be successful in the eyes of the business world, yet neglected to do what was necessary to be successful at home. Their path worked for one aspect of success, but not the other. Or how about the opposite?
The Family Path
The people who choose to be successful in their family life. Making it a priority to spend time with their family. They attend all the recitals, school plays, and sports games. They emphasize creating memories with their family.
After twenty years of this, their family loves them. All their children’s families joyfully spend the holidays with them. Their children love to spend time with them. Yet there is no material success in their life. Do we have to choose between either path?
Isn’t There a Better Path?
Isn’t there a path where we can experience total success and not have to sacrifice one aspect of success for another? A way to be successful with your family, finances, stuff, and business? Where there are both healthy relationships and a healthy bank account? Yes, there is.
There is a well-worn path that has proved you can have success in every aspect of your life. Success personally in your relationships, your family, and your stuff. It will even bring emotional and mental success. It is the complete package.
God Has a Plan for Success
This isn’t some secret formula. It has been around as long as there have been human beings. A plan given to us by a very successful One and is 100% guaranteed. We find this success plan in the book of Joshua. I call it “God’s Success Plan”.
“Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.” (Joshua 1:8 NLT)
Who Is Joshua?
Let me give you some background to when God’s Success Plan was first given. Moses had just died and now Joshua, at 80 years of age, takes over the leadership of the Israelites. They are on the east bank of the Jordan preparing to cross over into the Promised Land. A land known to be filled with giants and powerful armies of professionally trained soldiers.
Joshua is taking over leadership in the footsteps of Moses. A man still revered today as the Greatest Prophet of Israel. Those are big shoes to fill. He is leading a nation of somewhere between 1.5 and 3 million people, all of which are forty years old or younger. The only other one that has ever seen the Promised Land is his right-hand man, 80-year-old Caleb.
A Time for Fear
If there was a time for a man to fear, it is now. Joshua could never be another Moses. He is going into a land of great fortified cities. The first one, Jericho, lies just across the Jordan. He has an untrained army that will face professional soldiers. If that isn’t enough…
It is a land filled with giants. Huge men ranging between nine and thirteen feet tall. Known for their prowess in battle. What is Joshua to do?
Three Reasons for Joshua to not Fear
God comes to Joshua and tells him three times, “Do not fear.” Easy to say, but hard to do. Have you ever faced a crisis and then had someone tell you to not fear? Makes you want to smack them. But then God gives Joshua three reasons he should not fear.
- Because God had chosen him to lead the Israelites.
- Because, if Joshua will obey all the instructions God gave Moses, he will succeed.
- Because, He, the Lord God will go with Joshua and the Israelites everywhere they go
“This Book of the Law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe and do according to all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall deal wisely and have good success.” (Amplified Classic)
God’s Success Plan
It was after the second reason to not fear, “Obey all instructions,” that God gives His plan for success. Not only for Joshua, but for everyone desiring success and prosperity.
It is an easy, yet bold, three-step plan. A plan anyone can do. A plan God will give you the power to do. A plan that is guaranteed to work. Guaranteed personally by the Almighty God, Creator of heaven and earth.
The Three-Step Plan
1. Study the Word of God continually.
2. Meditate on the Word.
3. Obey the Word
Three easy steps that we will delve into a little more deeply so we can understand them. As we learn more about the three steps, we will also learn why they work.
Step One – Study the Word of God (His Instructions)
The first step to God’s Success Plan is to study the Word of God, His Book of Instructions. For Joshua, this meant the first five books of the Bible. What the Jewish people call The Torah or The Law. We have a Bible, our Book of Instructions, that contains 66 books. Forty different authors wrote it, on three continents over almost two thousand years. Each author kept their personality in what they wrote, yet it contains one message with total continuity.
We are told to study God’s Word continually. Why? Why not other important works. Haven’t they stood the test of time too?
Truth
I love to read. I read all kinds of different literature. I am not against other types of literature, but our Bible has one aspect to it no other literature has. Our Bible, the Word of God, is Truth. Absolute truth. It has remained virtually unchanged for over two thousand years. It is the anchor for our life.
The truth will keep us on a solid foundation in a world that continues to veer about wildly in the cultural storms of this world.
Daily Study
We need to be reading and studying our Bible, the Word of God, daily. Through His Word, God reveals Himself and His promises. Once a day, at a minimum, we should read the Word of God. It can be as simple as a chapter a day. Our spirit needs to be fed daily.
Speak the Word
Other translations of Joshua 1:8 say the Word must not depart from your mouth. Scripture should be a part of our daily speech.
Now, I am not saying we should go around quoting scripture chapter and verse. What I am saying is that the Word of God should be so much a part of who we are, it becomes natural to speak it in daily conversation. If the Bible truly contains all the answers for life and godliness (see 2 Peter 1:3) – if the Word of God applies to every area of our life – then it must become an integral part of our daily manner of living. Making the Word of God an integral part of our life is the first step in God’s success plan!
The Challenge
I challenge you to start each day with the Word of God. You can read it, or you can have an electronic device read it to you. Do it every morning for twenty-one days and see the difference it makes in your life.
If you want to know more about studying God’s Word and the benefits, see my article here:
First Bold Step to Your Success | Read Scripture Daily
Step Two – Meditate the Word of God
There seems to be a lot of confusion about the meaning of the word ‘meditate.’
According to Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary ‘meditate’ means: To keep the mind in a state of contemplation; to dwell on anything in thought; to think seriously; to muse; to cogitate; to reflect. To contemplate; to keep the mind fixed upon; to study. Synonyms are: To consider; ponder; weigh; revolve; study. In Hebrew this word includes mutter.
What does it mean for us to meditate on the Word? It means to take scripture – a verse or passage – and read it over and over. Think and dwell on it. Break it down into parts. Paraphrase it. Mutter it to yourself over and over. Do whatever the place and time you are in allows. (Talking to yourself on the job amid coworkers may be too weird for them.)
How I would Meditate on the Word of God
Before the proliferation of cell phones, I would take a verse from the chapter I read that morning, copy it onto a 3×5 index card, and carry it in my pocket all day. Throughout the day, I would pull out the index card and read the verse. I would spend all day, as opportunity allowed, meditating on that verse.
I would say the verse over and over. I would take the verse apart and meditate on the meaning of each word. I would paraphrase it into my own words. If there was action taking place, I would imagine the scene where it is happening. I would then imagine what it looked like with the verse acting upon my life and its effects.
No time to meditate: “But,” you say. “I don’t have time to meditate all day.” Do you ever worry while at work or going about your daily business? That is meditating on what satan can do instead of what God can do. Do the same as when you worry except with God’s Word.
Use Your Electronic Device
Today’s electronics make it even easier to meditate on a verse or passage. Your cell phone can play the verse over and over for you. It can even read different translations of the same verse. You can even record your thoughts and insights concerning the verse.
Don’t despise the value of meditation. It is a process created by God so that we can allow the Holy Spirit to expand our revelation of the Word. Do what your time and daily situation allow. Meditate in a way that works best for you.
REVELATION
Meditating on the Word brings revelation into your life. It allows Holy Spirit to illuminate your mind through your spirit. It can bring you comfort, joy, peace, or whatever else your situation needs. Holy Spirit can prepare you ahead of time for tests and challenges you may face when you meditate on the Word. The more Word that you learn, the more revelation you receive from meditation. It is a fascinating lifetime adventure.
The Challenge
My challenge for step two is for you to meditate on the Word for twenty-one days and see the difference it makes. If you will do it daily for twenty-one days, I don’t believe you will ever stop doing it.
If you want to know more about meditating God’s Word and the benefits, see my article here:
Meditate Scripture | The Next Essential Step to Your Successful Life
Step Three – Obey the Word of God
This can be the hardest step of all. There seem to be many believers who know the Word, memorize the Word, and study the Word daily – yet they are not obeying the Word they know. Obeying what God tells us to do in His Word requires us to change. As human beings, we seem to naturally resist change. We have the tendency to stay in our comfort zone and continue in the way we have always done.
If we will not obey the Word, then the other two steps are of no value. I have been there, so I understand. I read, memorized, and studied the Word. I was proud of how much scripture I knew and how knowledgeable I was. Yet, the day came when I had to make a choice. Was I going to live what I have learned or just be a knowledgeable believer?
Draw A Line in the Sand
The Word has a way of eating at you when you are not doing what it says. One morning I heard Holy Spirit say, “Walk in your knowledge or receive no more revelation until you do.” It was that day I wept in repentance and choose to walk in what God’s Word says to the very best of my ability.
There comes a time where every believer faces a draw-the-line-in-the-sand moment concerning obedience to God’s Word. That moment can affect your whole eternity. It is the moment that can define your life on earth as a Christian. What type of Christian do we want to be? One that goes through the motions acting like a Christian. Or do we live a life of obedience and be a true Christian?
We don’t make the Word conform to our lifestyle. We make our lifestyle conform to the Word.
The choice demands we don’t make the Word conform to our lifestyle; but, instead, we make our lifestyle conform to the Word. Whatever God says, we obey and do. No alterations or adaptations. We do what the Word says for us to do.
Obeying God’s instructions isn’t done out of simply obeying a set of rules and regulations. Religion and denominations often create a set of rules their members must follow. Not always are these man-made rules and regulations based on scripture. We are to follow God’s instructions and the rules and regulations man has devised. Jesus spoke harshly of the Pharisees because of their additional rules and regulations that were beyond what God’s Word commanded.
Obedience is Love
Obedience is a result of our love for God which creates in us the desire to obey what He says. Just as Jesus said in John 14:15, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” (ESV) To not obey the commandments is to not love Jesus. It may sound harsh, but it is a fact of the Word of God.
Remember, God’s way of doing things is always the right way! His greatest desire is to see His children succeed at being Christlike!
God gave us the Word so we can grow spiritually and become more like Jesus! It is impossible to separate a believer from the Word of God. A believer without the Word quickly becomes carnal and looks no different in lifestyle than the unbeliever.
The Challenge
I challenge you to walk in everything you know the Word says to do. If you will, you will see greater blessing, success, and prosperity.
If you want to know more about obeying God’s Word and the benefits, see my article here:
Obey Scripture to Release God’s Success in Your Life
Functioning in God’s Success System
Now we know God’s three-step system to experience prosperity and success. 1.) Study the Word 2.) Meditate on the Word 3.) Obey the Word. All three steps are important and valuable. Not until you do all three steps will you, “For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall deal wisely and have good success.” (Joshua 1:8b Amplified Classic)
You Make Your Way
That is God’s promise to us. First, you will make your way prosperous. The key to this is that YOU will make your way prosperous. It doesn’t say God will make your way prosperous, though He does that too. How do we make our way prosperous?
By making good and wise decisions. We place ourselves in a position to be blessed by God because we are following in the way He says to go. We are now living a life that is pleasing to Him. This is important. Just as wise decisions are important.
In the wise words of Solomon, Proverbs 2:6 tells us, “For the Lord grants wisdom! From his mouth come knowledge and understanding.” We can’t get wisdom anywhere but from God. His wisdom is true wisdom. Wisdom is “the proper application of knowledge.”
Call To Action for a life of success
I challenge you to do all three steps daily for 21 days and see if you are not more blessed and have received more revelation from God. Revelation will then cause you to be more prosperous, deal wisely in life, and have success in all you do.
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