The Promise Of Success

The Promise of Success

Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do. Joshua 1:7

DURING THE TIME OF MOSES, God established a covenant that would define Israel’s relationship with him and measure its people’s faithfulness. If they kept the law, they would receive blessings. If they didn’t, they wouldn’t (Deuteronomy 28). Over time, God’s people would demonstrate the impossibility of living up to his standards in their own strength and the necessity of a Savior. But a principle had been established: Following God’s will and his ways is the key to seeing his promises fulfilled.

Jesus fulfilled the law of Moses himself, and all of God’s promises are now “yes and amen” in him (2 Corinthians 1:20). We can breathe a huge sigh of relief that our fortunes do not rise and fall with every act of obedience or disobedience. But even in the days of Joshua, God was more interested in the heart of the follower than the letter of the law. Then and now, he seeks hearts that are completely his, offering the full backing of his wisdom, power, and love to those who love him (2 Chronicles 16:9). Those who align with his ways in love receive the fullness of his blessings; those who don’t, receive the correction and discipline they need. His desire is for each of us to walk in step with him.

That has enormous implications for every area of our lives, including our prayers. God isn’t looking for rogue petitioners who want to receive his power and blessings and go their own way with them. He is looking for those who see his ways as their goal and the success as a by-product. He wants followers who align with his will not because they have to but because they love him. He wants to make us his friends.

Praying, believing, and walking in step with God is the key to success—not as a reward but as an inevitable outcome of embracing his wisdom. After all, he created everything and knows how the universe works. When we carefully invest our faith in the words he has said, it—and we—will be satisfied and fulfilled.

The faithful person lives constantly with God.