It finally happened for me. A day that all young career minded achievers seek. Last Wednesday I made it to Prosperity! Oops … I guess I should have told you that my destination was Prosperity, S.C. and not some illusive financial dream. I could not believe there was a town named Prosperity, and I was even more astounded that the GPS took us to a road called Counts Sausage. Needless to say my business partner and I were off the beaten path. Actually Prosperity was a nice town, and we met some wonderful people there. It was amazing to me that my adventure off the beaten path coincided with a study I was doing last week.
We all have our own definition of prosperity. To some it may be the financial bonanza at the end of the rainbow. To others, real prosperity comes in the form of family happiness, work success or a myriad of other personal definitions. Every Christ-follower has a true model for prosperity. During my study last week, the verses of Scripture that coincided with my trip to Prosperity caused me to sincerely evaluate. They are well-known, but not as well applied verses … but when applied, prosperity comes.
The man who followed Moses in leadership was Joshua. He was given a mandate for prosperity. Also in very first chapter and first few verses of the Psalms, there is a prescription for prosperity. It makes sense for any serious follower of Christ to take these truths and seek to apply them. So how do you get to prosperity?
This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.
Joshua 1:8 (ESV)Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers, but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.
Psalm 1:1-3 (ESV)
There is no question in my mind the “Book of the Law” and the “law of the Lord” mentioned in the above verses are referring to Scripture. Mining the depths of these verses is beyond the scope of one article. But there is an undeniable principle that flows from them. There is a direct correlation between meditation on the Word and prosperity. Over the years, churches have done a good job in challenging believers to read the Word and even memorize it … but have we stopped short of pronouncing God’s challenge to meditate on the Word? Think about it! How much time do you personally spend reading Scripture in comparison to your time of meditation on the same verses? In full disclosure, I have been convicted of the imbalance between my reading and my meditating.
Meditation helps you and I internalize the truth of Scripture. And what we internalize, we are far more likely to apply. And then the result … our lives will be prosperous. God’s definition of prosperity will be the right one for us. None of us can fix yesterday, but we can follow the path to prosperity in Joshua and Psalms, with a firm conviction that it will come.
A GPS device mapped a path to Prosperity, S.C. for my partner and me … and it was a great place! Trust God’s Positioning System (the ultimate GPS) to lead you to an entirely different Prosperity than this life has to offer. One that cannot be manufactured or achieved in our own strength! You see, it is God’s definition of prosperity that matters most, and only He can lead the way (is The Way).
Will you consider taking time to meditate on His precious Word?
Leave a Comment