Focused

Read: Joshua 1:1-9

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

IN WORD

“Only then.” Sure, there are plenty of ways to prosper in this or that area of life, but God’s instruction to Joshua is more comprehensive than that. Prosperity as He defines it goes deeper and lasts longer, applying to everything His people do. So what is the condition for this great guarantee of certain prosperity? How was Joshua—and how are we—supposed to receive successes from the God of victory? Step one: Be strong and courageous. Step two: Meditate on His Word day and night for the purpose of implementing it in life. That’s it. An attitude and an action. That’s how real success comes.

We are designed to live in a Kingdom of victories. We know life isn’t that simple; we’ve all experienced failure, and we’ve all known of instances when the right approach didn’t yield the right results. God is not a formula, after all, and we can’t treat Him like one. But we can position ourselves to receive whatever He has promised us. We may not prosper every way we expect to if we are faithful to His Word, but we certainly won’t prosper meaningfully without it. We have to be people whose lives are consumed with hearing and following His voice.

That’s a key approach into any promised land, a foundational truth for experiencing the best of God’s Kingdom. We can’t afford to waste time trying to love God without also loving His Word. The relationship doesn’t work that way. If we love Him, His words will matter to us. If they don’t, we’re deceiving ourselves.

IN DEED

There’s a difference between meditating on God’s words a few minutes each day and being so consumed with them that we apply them to every area of life. One helps to keep us aware of Him. The other keeps us anchored in Him and moving in His will. The all-of-life approach to His voice rivets our attention on what He is doing and captivates us with His purposes. And it comes with a life-changing promise.

ADDITIONAL READING: John 14:15-21

The Word of God is the food of the soul.

GREGORY I