One Key For Success In 2024

Title: One Key to Success for 2024

Text: Joshua 1:8

Doctrine / Teaching:

Response: For hearers to be encouraged to keep God’s word at the center of their lives in 2024

I. INTRODUCTION:

Probably by now you have heard of the key to weight loss in 2024, the latest and greatest discovery that will help you lose weight while you eat as much as you want of anything you want, and of course, without much exercise; You probably heard of the key to help you make lots of money without working much, etc. Right? I think many of us have heard these kinds of things.

But this morning, I would like to share with you not one of these “magical, secret keys” to success in any area, but a proven principle that is found all throughout the Bible and which has helped God’s people successfully follow God’s plan for their lives and bring glory to Him. The principle is simply this: keeping God’s word at the center of our lives.

II. SCRIPTURE:

“8 This book of instruction must not depart from your mouth; you are to meditate on it day and night so that you may carefully observe everything written in it. For then you will prosper and succeed in whatever you do.” -Joshua 1:8, CSB

III. EXPLANATION:

After the Israelites were set free from slavery and left Egypt, they started a journey for a land God promised. This journey should have taken 11 days but because of the Israelites’ rebellion and lack of trust in God, it took 40 years.

During these 40 years, Moses was their leader. But Moses passed away before the Israelites reached the promised land. Now that Moses was gone, God appointed Joshua to lead the people into the promised land. And in our passage, we find some instructions that Joshua must obey if he is to be successful in leading the people of Israel into the promised land.

Joshua had a new beginning, a new opportunity before him and with the start of a new year, so do we. Maybe none of us are called to lead thousands of people in a journey to a new land but each of us has been called to a journey of following Jesus.

Just as God wanted Joshua to be successful in his journey, God wants us to be successful in our journey. And the same principle of keeping God’s word a priority, at the center of our lives that God wanted Joshua to obey, applies to us today.

From our Scripture we find that…

II. God wants us to keep His word at the center of our thoughts

EXPLANATION:

In our passage, God told Joshua to meditate on the book of instruction day and night. This book of instruction, or book of the law, was the record of the revelation and commandments God had given to Moses. This book was the word of God Joshua had at the time. Of course, the Bible as we now have it, contains the book of instruction that Joshua had and much more.

Biblically speaking, to meditate means to “read quietly or to talk to yourself as you think about something.” It includes carefully studying God’s word in order to understand it and put it to practice.

Some religions view meditation as a way to empty the mind...but biblical meditation calls us to fill our minds with God's word.

The success and prosperity promised to Joshua in our passage does not refer to the way some view success today. When some think of success today, images of material possessions come to mind.

While there is nothing wrong with material things, success in God’s eyes is measured by our obedience to Him and His purposes for our lives. And material prosperity (simply have more than we need) is provided by God as we seek first His kingdom. God is Faithful and Able to provide for our needs and often our desires as we follow Him.

APPLICATION:

God's word is God's special revelation to us. We learn much about God and His truth through reading the Bible. When we read, think about God's word, we are programming ourselves to think the way God wants us to think.

As we sow the seed of God’s word in our minds and hearts, our attitude towards life, and our behavior comes more aligned with God and His eternal wisdom. When God's word takes root in our lives our values begin to change and we begin to reflect more of God’s values.

For example, when it comes to possessions, we will love people and use things instead of loving things and using people. And we will remember the words of Jesus that “life does not consist in an abundance of possessions”

When we face challenging situations, instead of being overcome by fear and worry, we will have faith that God will help us through whatever we might face. We will remember God’s promises of His Presence, help, and answered prayers.