Today we continue our series entitled, “Back to the Bible,” with Part 11: Joshua’s Formula For Success (Part 6). We studied Joshua 1:8 all last week. I am ready to move on, but the Lord wants me to share one last message from this text. Let’s go back to Joshua’s situation.
Joshua was facing a tremendous challenge. The onus and the spotlight were on Joshua. Moses was dead. Millions of people were looking to him for guidance. Thousands of families were banking their future on every word that came out of Joshua’s mouth. If Joshua took on the pressure to perform, it would be enough to make any man buckle. But God did not want Joshua accept the pressure to perform. God did not expect him to operate in human ability alone. The grace of God was on Joshua to succeed. Joshua simply needed think like God, speak like God, and then do whatever he was led of God to do. This takes me to the key counsel God gave Joshua. I call it “God’s formula for Joshua’s success.” God said, “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 be prosperous and successful.” (Joshua 1:8 NIV).
So what does this mean to you today? A few things about God’s grace and our mindset.
1. Don’t take on the pressure to perform.
a) God calls you to do things that far exceed your power, ability and strength. God does this so you are forced to rely on Him and so He can manifest His glory, in the earth, through you! Without God, you can’t. But with God, you can do all things!
b) When the time came for Joshua to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land, the grace of God was already on Joshua to succeed. He just needed to see himself the way God saw him. Joshua needed to believe what God believed about him. What was true for Joshua is true for us. God’s grace is already on us to do what He called us to do. God does not have to give us anything else. Jesus does not have to do anything else. God’s part is done. Our part is to now see ourselves the way God sees us, to believe what God believes about us, and to launch out to DO what He has called us to do. You already have the grace for it. GO DO IT!
c) If you take on human pressure to perform what God called you to do, it will lead to fear, frustration, doubt and stress. Because you CANNOT accomplish God’s will for your life from a human point-of-view. You CANNOT do what God is calling you to do in your own power, ability or strength. Said another way, what God calls you to do is supernatural. So if you try to do it with your own human ability, you will get stressed out and possibly even burned-out. This is why Pastors quit ministry and some have even committed suicide. YOU CANNOT DO IT in your power. But you CAN DO ALL THINGS in His power. Stop taking on the pressure to perform and start resting in God’s grace. It is the Father, living in You… He will give you the words and He will perform the work!
2. Learn to think like God. Your thoughts control your life.
a) You are the way you THINK you are (Prov 23:7).
b) Success and failure both start in the mind.
c) If the enemy can get you to see yourself defeated, he does not have to actually defeat you, because you are already defeated. You defeated yourself in your own mind.
d) The greatest barrier to God’s blessing is your capacity to believe. The more you can believe, the more God can achieve THROUGH you.
e) You are only limited by your capacity to believe God. Nothing is impossible to the person who believes (Mark 9:23).
f) God is limitless. If you see limits to His operation in your life, you are seeing limits YOU placed there. Remove every artificial limit you have ever placed on your limitless God and your life will never be the same.
Closing Confession:
Father, this is a season of expectation for me. My expectation is based on Your grace towards me. I refuse to take on the pressure to perform. I rest in Your grace. I CAN and WILL do ALL You called me to do! I see myself the way You see me. I base my opinion of me on Your opinion of me. I am who You say I am. I can do what You say I can do. I will accomplish all I was born to accomplish. I have the grace to succeed. I am a believer and not a doubter. I walk by faith and not by fear. I remove every artificial limit I have ever placed on You, my limitless God. All things are possible for me, because I believe. I decrease so You can increase IN and THROUGH me. As You do, You will leave a mark in this world, through me, that will never be erased! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
This is Today’s Word. Apply it and prosper!
