| This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. Joshua 1:8 |
Fellow Believers,Do you know that in the King James Version of the Bible, the word "success" appears only once, in the verse above? Joshua 1:8, in fact, is the only place where God spells out in one simple statement how we can make our way "prosperous" and how to achieve "good success".
Ironically, most believers nowadays, instead of putting it into practice, strive to attain success much like the unbelievers of the world. If we read at all, we tend to spend more time on books relating to how other Christians live than on the Word of God Itself.
One reason why Joshua 1:8 is so much ignored, I suppose, is that it doesn't seem logical to our modern minds. What has speaking, meditating on and obeying scripture day and night have to do with success and prosperity, we argue? But as believers, we also know that the Bible is absolutely trustworthy. How, then, are we to reconcile this seeming paradox?
Well, if we think of success and prosperity in worldly terms, then it is indeed a non sequitur. But what God is showing us here is the way to be spiritually successful and prosperous, and that, of course, is what really matters. What's the use of having money, fame and power if we are a nervous wreck inside?
Conversely, what a blessing it is to be able to experience great inner joy and peace no matter what health and wealth we have! This is the blessing that God wants us to have. Note, incidentally, that Joshua 1:8 is actually a command.
You see, Jesus Himself is the Word. Only when the Word abides in us, as Jesus puts it, can we have close fellowship with God. The Word is also the sword of the Spirit. Only when we practice Joshua 1:8, will the Holy Spirit use the sword to cleanse and sanctify us, to strengthen and encourage us, and to bring us the peace and joy of the Lord.
So, beloved, since God has graciously given us His divine key to success, do put it to work. Meanwhile, we hope this Digest will help you a bit in this regard.
First Quarter, 1991