Then You Will Be Prosperous

"Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful."

Joshua 1:8

How do we define success? The other day, as I was talking to a friend about her day, I caught myself defining success unintentionally. She said that she had completed a lot of her homework, finished a project, and taken a test. "Sounds like you have had a successful day!" I replied. But is that really what a successful day is?

We tend to define "success" by how much we get accomplished. It's all about how much we do. Success and proseprity is making good grades, getting a good job, making a lot of money, and being comfortable in life, right? That's what the world says at least.

But what Joshua says is completely counter-cultural. He instructs the Israelites to hold fast to God's Word. He tells them to seek after it, to pursue it, and ultimately to live by it. He encourages them to keep God's words on their minds all day long and all through the night. "Then", he says, "Only then will you will be prosperous and successful."

In the Jesus Calling (by Sarah Young) daily devotional on April 1, I found this meaningful message:

"A successful day is one in which you have stayed in touch with me, even if many things remain undone at the end of the day."

Success and prosperity is not measured by how much we accomplish or by how much we do. Prosperity is the reward of having an in-touch relationship with God and His Word. God is teaching me right now that I can attempt to reach for success by making good grades or good money, but it is only after holding fast to God and His Word that I will truly find satisfaction and prosperity.

Prosperity is not found in what I do, but in who God is. At the end of the day, even if things on my to-do list remain undone, I am prosperous and successful if I have stayed in touch with God and meditated on His Word. Counter-cultural? Yes. Life-changing? Absolutely.