Do you want your children to be prosperous and successful?

It’s not a trick question, but it’s not one we usually discuss in Sunday School or Bible Study.

As parents, we do want our children to:

• Land a good job
• Graduate from college, or trade school, or whatever training they need, debt-free
• Pay their own bills
• Own their own home and pay off their mortgage early

When we think on the topic of finances and vocation, other worthy goals might come to mind: some metrics we may associate with “prosperity and success.” But setting aside the Wall Street Journal and the opinions of financial planners, how does God define “prosperity and success?” As Joshua was preparing to lead the people into the Promised Land, God gave him a commandment that sheds some light onto His definition:

“Be strong and very courageous.
Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you;
 do not turn from it to the right or to the left,
that you may be successful wherever you go.
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 1:7-8

The baton of leadership has been passed from Moses to Joshua.  God has given a powerful message to be delivered to His people through His servant Joshua.  They are about to enter a land where God is not worshipped or honored.  A land where idolatry and wickedness is rampant.  He has a mission for them there. 

I’m sure the comparison to today’s world is not lost on you.  As parents, you and I are the Joshuas preparing our children to live in a pagan culture.  We want them to be prosperous and successful as God defines prosperous and successful! We want them to live for Him. We want them to make Him known: to live to bring God glory in all they do.

Joshua told the people, Be strong and courageous! He said it three times in this chapter. And he also told them where their strength would come from: the word of God! Obedience to the word would be key to their success. 

Take a moment to read the verse above OUT LOUD.

Joshua provided the recipe for prosperity and success right here in these verses.  That recipe still applies today.  The three ingredients are:

• Words
• Thoughts
• Actions

Through Joshua, God called His people to keep His Word on their tongues and in their minds so that it would change their actions.

• He said: “Do not let this book of the law depart from your mouth” → God’s Word is to be on our tongues!
• He said, “Meditate on it day and night.” → God’s Word is to permeate our thought life.
• He said, “…be careful to do everything written in it.” → God’s Word should change our behavior.

We are to believe His Word and then behave accordingly.

As followers of Christ, we must make God’s Word foundational to all we believe and all we do–including all we teach.  We must pray that the Spirit of God takes the Word of God and changes us first, so we can teach and model His truth to our children. 

As followers of Christ, we must make God’s Word foundational to all we believe and all we do–including all we teach. Click To Tweet

Prosperity and success, in God’s economy, begin with embracing the Word of God.

This month (and next month), our Write the Word verses will all come from Psalm 119, which I lovingly refer to as “Words on the WORD.” Each verse will spur us on to see the blessings and benefits that come from God’s Holy Word.

Are you ready for some prosperity and success?

 

Editor’s note:  our free printable ‘Write the Word: WORD – Part 1’ bookmark contains every verse for journaling and meditating on this month’s topic. Available in standard bookmark size and also in larger print for those who prefer it.