Today we continue our series entitled, “Back to the Bible,” with Part 7: Joshua’s Formula For Success (Part 2). Yesterday I introduced you to Joshua 1:8. This was my favorite scripture when I first became a Christian and it is still one of my favorites today. In this verse the Lord said to Joshua, “Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will make your way prosperous and successful.” To drive home the importance of the statement, you must understand the setting. I will give you some background and context in today’s message. This all comes from Joshua chapter one.
After Moses died, the Lord spoke to Joshua and said, “My servant Moses is dead. Now you and all these people must go across the Jordan River. You must go into the land I am giving to the Israelites.” The words, “Go into the land I am giving to the Israelites”, were familiar words to Joshua. 40 years earlier he heard those words. He was ready to take the land back then and he was also ready, even though he was 40 years older, when the fullness of time came.
The Lord continued, “All the land from the desert to Lebanon all the way to the great river (that is, the Euphrates River) and all the land of the Hittites will be yours. And all the land from here to the Mediterranean Sea in the west (that is, the place where the sun sets) will be within your borders. Just as I was with Moses, I will be with you. No one will be able to stop you all your life. I will not abandon you. I will never leave you.” We all need reminders, from time to time, of the presence and of His dedicated to us. We can only do what he calls us to do because He is WITH us and because He is dedicated to accomplishing, IN and THROUGH us, what He planned to do, from the foundations of the world.
The Lord continued and said, “Joshua, you must be strong and brave! You must lead these people so that they can take their land. I promised their fathers that I would give them this land.”
So what does this mean to you today? A few things.
- There is a timing component to the promises of God. Due to circumstances out of his control, Joshua had to wait 40 years to take possession of the Promised Land. He never gave up, caved in or quit. He believed God for 40 years and when the fullness of time came, he was ready. To ensure that he remained ready, the Lord told him to continually meditate His Word. My question for you this morning is: are you ready? Have you been waiting so long that you have relaxed the grip you had on your faith? Or have you been meditating and medicating God’s word so much that you are still AS ready today, as you were the day God gave you the promise? Back then God told you WHAT He was going to do, but He did not tell you WHEN. In the space between the promise and the performance, you must remain IN FAITH. You must continue to believe God, like Joshua did, until your clock of expectation aligns with God’s clock of manifestation. And when it does, you have to be ready. To ensure you are ready, when the fullness of time comes, you must keep the Word of God in your mouth and on your mind! If you do, you will be ready to take possession of the promise when God says, “GO!”.
- When God outlined the size of the Promised Land to Joshua (and it was massive), the Lord followed the land description with a promise to always be with him. Here my point: the size of God’s promises are so big that we must continually remind ourselves that He will be with us every step of the way as we take possession of them. Without God we cannot. Without us He will not. This is the partnership God is looking for in the earth. It is us working with God and God working with us that causes the supernatural to manifest through mere humans on this planet. And this is God’s desire.
- God told Joshua that he had to be both strong and brave in order to lead the nation of Israel into the possession of the promise. The same holds true for you. Doing the will of God in the earth is not for the faint at heart. God-sized projects require God-sized courage. If you are lacking courage this morning, simply remind yourself of the promise and of the God who made it. He promised to do things in your life and He also promised to be WITH you every step of the way. Be strong and very courageous! The Lord your God is with you.
- You can medicate on the presence of the Lord. Just like you can and should meditate/medicate on the Word of God, you can and should meditate/medicate on the fact that God is always with you. As you go throughout the day today, make a conscious effort to acknowledge the presence of the Lord. The more you acknowledge His presence, the more confidence you will have as you endeavor to do what He has called you to do. Alone many things are impossible, but with God all things are possible! Remember that as you experience every meeting, conversation and the activity of today.
Closing Confession:
Father, this is a season of expectation for me. I fully expect to experience Your best in this season. I remain IN FAITH until I see, in my hands, those things that You have revealed to me, in my heart. I know Your promises will be manifested in my life in the fullness of time. When the fullness of time comes, I shall be ready. Because I choose to meditate and medicate on Your Word daily. I also meditate on Your presence. You are always with me. You promised to never leave me, nor forsake me. You are ON me, IN me, WITH me and FOR me. Therefore, nothing is impossible to me. I am strong and very courageous because You are always with me and You empower me everywhere I go! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
This is Today’s Word. Apply it and prosper!
