Joshua 1:8 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.
This text dates all the way back to when Joshua was leading Israel out of the wilderness and into the Promised Land. But it contains some everlasting principles in God’s Kingdom.
How you start something is of great importance – whether it’s a new job, a new connect group or even a new married life with a husband or wife. And how Joshua started his new position as Israel’s new Commander in Chief after Moses died, was very important.
God knew the battles ahead and He needed Joshua to be a man of faith and courage. So He tells Joshua to do two things that will cause him to possess courageous faith and have “good success” – meditating and declaring God’s Word.
In life there is “good success” and there is “bad success”. Bad success is the kind of success that steals time with your family, friends, and church; destroys your health and relationships and leaves you a slave to things of the world. Good success, on the other hand, is where you become prosperous in all areas of life – financial, relational, health, and spiritual.
God wants you to enjoy good success and the key to this is found in what God tells Joshua – to meditate and declare God’s Word. In other words, don’t let God’s Word depart from your mouth, instead let it be the thing that you are constantly musing over in your mind – not things like worries, anxieties, problems or how long things seem to be taking in your life!
Meditating upon God’s Word is what develops solid faith and speaking God’s Word out of a heart of faith is what brings you good success. Joshua’s life testifies to this.
Joshua 24 reveals three important things at the close of his life:
In verse 31 it says that Israel served the Lord, not idols or other gods, all the days of Joshua’s life. This means that Joshua impacted not only tribes and cities but an entire nation of people bringing good success and prosperity to the nation.
In verse 15 it says, “But as for me and my house we will serve the Lord”. Wouldn’t you love to say this – that your entire family served God’s House! I cannot think of anything better than this.
Finally, in verse 30 it speaks of Joshua’s death and where they buried him. It was within the Ephraim mountains on the north side of Mount Gaash. This might mean nothing to you but to possess an entire mountain as your tombstone and facing the northside, was a sign of great success and prosperity.
And when God’s Word takes priority in your life where you are meditating upon it, where it does not depart from your mouth – you too will enjoy good success, living a prosperous life.
It’s not about seeking and striving after success and prosperity – that’s the way the world lives. It’s about seeking after God and His Word and in His timing and seasons, let Him bring all that good success and prosperity to you!