SUCCESS THROUGH HIS WORDS
Study Text: Joshua 1: 8
“This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth but thou shall meditate there in day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein; for then thou shall make thy ways prosperous, and then thou shall have good success”.
Introduction:
- God is interested in our success and prosperity in all that we do as His children, though not in our own way but in His own way, and under His supervision. God's success is what the Bible calls "a good success."
- The world says, "Success is setting a goal for something and then accomplishing it." Most of the time the manner and mode of the accomplishment is not considered. God has another standard. What the world may call success, God may say is a failure. And what the world says is a failure, God may say is success.
- The key or secret to success in the life of a believer is “consistently spending time with the Lord in His Word each day. Every area of our lives must be built on the Word of God, and His Word must be the standard for our living. 2 Timothy 3: 16-17
- So when God said you will have good success, it tells you straight away that there are successes and there are successes; some success can be good, some can be bad.
- And he said if you want your own success to be good; this book of the law, the bible, shall not depart from your mouth but you shall meditate upon it day and night. To observe and to do all that is written therein. Psalm 1: 2
- He said if you study the bible very well, you meditate on it and you do what is written in it, he said your success is guaranteed.
- In Job 36: 11 the word of the Lord said if you will obey and serve the Lord, then you will spend your days in prosperity and your years in pleasure.
- If you obey and serve the Lord, you have nothing to worry about, He said all your days you will be spending it in prosperity, your years; you will be spending it in pleasure.
- Good success has many facets; it involves:
i. Having prosperity without adversity.
ii. Having promotion without the possibility of demotion.
iii. Having deliverance without returning to bondage again.
iv. Having healing without any trace of infirmities.
v. Having victory without the possibility of a future defeat.
vi. Having the anointing and the grace of God that cannot be exhausted.
vii. Having salvation without backsliding
- Good success, but the Journey to Good Success begins when you surrender your life totally and sincerely to Jesus, because Philippians 4: 13 says I can do all things through Christ which strengths me.
- It is only if you have Christ, and remain in Him, that you can succeed and keep on succeeding forever and ever, because He will keep on supplying the strength.
- We shall consider this topic under three sub-headings:
1. His Word: Our Consideration
2. His Word: Our Communication
3. His Word: Our Conversation
1. His Word: Our Consideration
- Success is not having money, power, or affluence. Success is not having prestige, position or prominence. Success is not having your name known all over the world, and enjoying the applause and accolades of men.
- Success is discovering and doing the will of God for your life. Success is fulfilling the purpose for which God created you in the first place. Success is discovering your God-given gifts and using them to fulfil your God-given destiny.
- Biblical success is not something we just stumble into, if you want success God’s way then you have to go after success in God’s way. If you want to live a successful life God’s way, then you have to stop living for yourself, and start living for the Lord in the light of His words.
- If we are going to be successful in every other area of our Christian life we must make the Word of God a priority. Psalm 1: 1-3. God gives three principles for staying in the middle of His Word:
i. Study it continually – “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night…” Psalm 119:105 says, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path”.
ii. Observe it faithfully – “…that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein…”
iii. Enjoy it abundantly – “… for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.”
- God’s Word is our blueprint, God’s Word is our road map, God’s Word is our guide, and God’s Word is the authoritative standard for every detail of our lives and in His Word He has given us all the information we need to start living a life of success.
- The Bible gives us the keys to living a life of success God’s way!
2. His Word: Our Communication
- God instructed Joshua that his words should be filled with the Word of God. If we give primary consideration to the Word of God, our communication will be filled with the Word of God.
- Our speech should be:
i. Seasoned with God’s Word: Avoid offensive and destructive words against yourself and others.
ii. Screened by the Word of God: Avoid corruptive, immoral and unwholesome words in all your communications.
- The people who have found God’s way to success have realized the enormous power that words have in their lives. The Bible says in Proverbs 18:21 that “Death and life are in the power of the tongue…”
- Our words can bring life to us, so also, our words can bring death to us. Our words can bring blessings to us and our words can bring curses to our lives.
- Know that there is power to mould and destroy lives in your words. You have to trust God to become one with His Word, so that you can speak at all times according to His will.
- Every time we speak, the word of God should be coming out of our mouths. That means, if you’re going to live a life of success, then you must change the way you speak.
- How many children have been discouraged from even trying because of some teacher who spoke a word curse over their lives by telling them they were too stupid to learn?
- How many people are locked inside an emotional prison cell of self-hatred and failure because their parents spoke a word of curses over their lives when they were young?
- Words have a supernatural power and what we allow to come out of our mouths has a way of becoming reality in our lives because life and death are in the power of the tongue.
- The Bible says in Proverbs 15:4 “The tongue that brings healing is a tree of life, but a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit. “ The Bible says again in Proverbs 18:7-8 “A fool's mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul. The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.”
- God told Joshua in our text, this book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth. In essence, God told Joshua and the people, if you want to have good success, you need to learn to speak what God has already spoken, which is written down in the scriptures.
- As a Christian, can you say your mouth is a source of healing or a source of hurting? Is your mouth a wellspring of truth and praise or is your mouth a garbage can of gossip, lies and false witnesses?
- Do you use your mouth to encourage, edify and build up, or do you use your mouth to discourage, nullify and breakdown?
- Success begins with speaking the language of faith! Success begins with speaking those things that are not as though they were! Success begins with the words of your mouth and the meditations of your heart being acceptable in His sight!
- Success begins with us taming our tongues and allowing the word of faith to come forth out of our mouths. Brothers and sisters, we must develop the habit of speaking success even before our success is manifested in the natural.
- When David faced Goliath, he didn’t crumble in fear, but David spoke success even before he experienced success in the natural. In 2 Chronicles 14:11 when Asa faced Zerah and the Ethiopians who had an army of a million men, Asa didn’t shrivel up in fear but Asa called on the Lord, He said - LORD, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O LORD our God; for we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude. O LORD, thou art our God; let not man prevail against thee. Asa spoke success even before success was manifested in the natural.
- We need to stop saying “May Be” and start saying “I will by the grace of God!” We ought to stop saying “That is impossible.” And start saying, “For with God, all things are possible!” We ought to stop saying “I don’t know the right people” and start saying “My God shall meet me at the point of my needs.
- You need to make up your mind today that you are going to speak the Word of God over your life. If you’re going to be successful God’s way, you must begin by changing the way you speak.
- As Christians, we should talk about the Word of God, at all times, to everyone and in every situations. This is because:
i. It is God’s Word. There is no subject more valuable to talk about than the inspired Word of God.
ii. Talking about God’s Word might help or encourage another believer. Hebrews 3:12-13
iii. Talking about God’s word might help, encourage, lift up and/or educate someone.
iv. Talking about God’s Word accomplishes God’s purposes in our lives and situations.
3. His Word: Our Conversation
- The word of God must be our guide in all manner of conversations or in all our conducts. One of the most important lessons for the success of a believer is walking in obedience to the Word of God.
- The Bible says in 1 Samuel 15:22: And Samuel said, Hath the LORD has great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.-This scripture reminds us that obedience is better than sacrifice.
- This is important, because the Lord speaks to Joshua again about the importance of walking in his commandments and fulfilling their destiny. Many of us as we reflect over our lives can tell that there has been a series of errors that can be attributed to the fact that we had forsaken God’s word
- Your attitude, character and behaviour should be chosen on the basis of God’s Word, including your decisions and involvement. This is why God reminded Joshua that he was to spend time in the Word, so he could observe to do. God is saying if you want to be effective and have good success, you must think about your conduct.
- Your behaviour must be consistent with the whole counsel of God’s Word. God tells us to observe to do according to all that is written therein. Time spent in the Word of God will prevent us from selectively following some biblical principles while ignoring other counsel that is equally important. Only by spending time in the Word of God can we learn to behave in a manner that is consistent with His counsel.
- What God was trying to tell the children of Israel and what he is trying to tell us is if we are going to walk in obedience, we must first have the right priorities.
- Matthew 6:33 says: But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. – God speaks to Joshua about his need to become one with his word. There has to be connectivity between God’s word and the way we walk it out.
- Know that you will never be where you need to be until you understand the power in being united with God’s word. Being united with God’s word can change your life and prospective.
- God’s word is our primary source for living. Our morality is not defined by congress or cultural standards. We walk in God’s righteousness as written in His Words. We must learn to do what is written in God’s word.
- It is one thing to hear God’s word, but we must also be willing to do. Learn to do what God’s word says you should do. Obedience positions us for the blessings of the Lord. There are amazing things God wants to do for us, but we must be ready to walk in obedience to His Words.
- If you’re going to have success God’s way then you have to learn to do things in God’s way. Success starts with changing your perspectives and practices and embracing God’s perspectives and practices.
- Jesus said in Matt 7- "Not everyone who says to Me, "Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.” The Apostle James repeats this teaching when he says in James 1:22 “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only deceiving yourselves…” Obedience to the Word of God is the key to unlocking the abundance, the blessing and favour of God in our lives.
- We must be doers of the Word if we going to experience success God’s way. We must commit ourselves to doing things God’s way according to God’s Word and God’s will. Obeying God comes down to realizing that it is not about us, but it is all about Him! Obeying God comes down to trusting that God knows what is best for our lives and His way is always the best way!
- The more the Word of God is in our mind and on our lips, the more likely we are to observe our behaviour and make sure that it conforms to the Word of God. We are more likely to obey it!
- Many times you may not obey the Word of God because you are ignorant. It is not a sin to be ignorant. It is a sin to remain ignorant. 2 Peter 3:18. And remember that God is not satisfied that we just hear the Word, or even memorize the Word and meditate on it. God is satisfied when we obey the Word of God. James 1:22
- If you hear the Word of God and not obey it, you are fooling yourself into thinking that you are right with God when you are not. Ezra the Scribe was a great leader among the Jews.
Ezra 7:10 tells us the secret to His success.
- May we be those that seek the Word, obey the Word and teach the Word every chance that we get. Make sure that your eyes observe the Word with the intent of obedience! 1 Samuel 15:22-23
Conclusion:
- God was concerned about Joshua’s effectiveness and success as a leader, just as He is concerned about our effectiveness and success in every area of our lives.
- But our success is only found in His Word and through His Word. Are you giving the right priority to God’s Word? Is your conversation seasoned and screened by the Word of God?
- Are you submitting your life to the whole counsel of God, or just selectively obedient; remember partial obedience is complete disobedience.
