Introduction:
Self-help books and how-to manuals are immensely popular today. People want to know how to be successful, whether it is winning friends, making money, getting a promotion, losing weight – its all about being successful. Yet, God’s Word is the original success manual and every truly helpful manual has ‘secrets’ that are based in God’s Word. Joshua is about to embark on a new phase in his life. The challenges he faced were daunting and much beyond his ability. God gives him a:
‘Success mantra’ that I want to share with you in 4 points:
I Determine to Base your Life on the Word
i) God’s Commands are for our good: The Lord has been speaking to us about the Commandments: that they are for our good. He is telling Joshua here to make a decision.
ii) It won’t just happen you must decide: The command is given in the negative because it is easy for it to happen! It is easy to slide back – disorder, discouragement, busyness. It takes a strong decision and effort to do this.
iii) This is happening just before a great event: Joshua is taking on a new role, he is leading a great people, they are about to enter the Promised Land, they must face many enemies, they need success. Isn’t this life?
II Dig Deep into the Word
i) Meditate on it day and night: First it must be in your mouth. Jewish: learn by mouth – by repetition it gets into the heart. Psalmist is Psa 1:1-2 & Psa 119:11.
ii) Word is a gold mine: The more you meditate (c.f., chewing cud) more goodness you get out of it. Pebbles are found on the surface for diamond you have to dig deep. It is powerful.
III Do what the Word says
i) The purpose is application: Not Bible knowledge, winning quizzes, being a professor but doing it.
ii) Jesus parable about the wise and foolish men: Mat 7:24 The difference was in the practice. Both heard Jesus word but one practiced and the other did not.
iii) Mere listening without doing is deception: James says that (Jam 1:22-25). It is like looking at yourself in the mirror and forgetting your image. Since the Word is alive, it will speak to us and we must then obey it.
IV Derive Success from the Word
i) Prosperity and Success: These are by-products of a life based on the Word. If the process is right the quality is assured. You will be!
ii) God wants us to prosper and be successful: Against popular opinion, God wants us to be blessed, prosperous and successful (3Jo 2, Psa 35:27)
iii) God has given us everything that we need for life: 2Pe 1:3-8 It is all there in His Word but we have to apply it.
Conclusion:
Let us determine that we will be people of the Word. We will dig deep into it, do what it says and derive the success and prosperity it has to offer.
