“GOOD SUCCESS!”

Joshua 1:6-8                              (ESV)

“6 Be STRONG and COURAGEOUS, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them.

7 Only be STRONG and very COURAGEOUS, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the RIGHT hand or to the LEFT, that you may have “GOOD SUCCESS” wherever you go.

8 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”.”

Sitting in my recliner at 1:45AM, I am reading Scripture, the same Scripture that my Sunday School lesson was on yesterday.  There are always many points of a lesson that I think would have been addressed, but Bible Study only lasts for one hour, meaning that you can’t cover everything in the time allotted. 

“Do not turn from it to the RIGHT hand or to the LEFT” is one of those things that I might have addressed.  In the current political world, the LEFT are considered the more liberal, while the RIGHT is known as the more conservative.  Yet GOD IS told Joshua, LONG BEFORE either side existed, that turning to either side wasn’t the way to go!  The LEFT or RIGHT isn’t anything to strive to be, only after TRUTH is what our objective should be!  

The “natural man” has their own beliefs about what “GOOD SUCCESS” should mean.  A fine house, a new car, plenty of money in the bank, and a life free from health concerns would be a good place to begin!  But list me some Spiritual giants who would identify with any of these characteristics?  Abraham was wealthy, but had trouble having children with Sarah.  King David was wealthy and successful on the battlefield, but only lived to be 70 years old.  The Apostle Paul was possibly one of the greatest FAITH WARRIORS ever, but had to work as a tent makers assistant just to survive.  Most people today would classify people of great FAITH as the underprivileged of society, ones that were REQUIRED to look to GOD for their well being!  

In Joshua 1, ALMIGHTY GOD plainly states what is needed for HIS CHILDREN to expect “GOOD SUCCESS”, beginning with being STRONG and COURAGEOUS!  But notice GOD also emphasized that we should MEDITATE on it (the Book of the Law) DAY AND NIGHT!  It doesn’t say anything about building vast amounts of wealth, or tricking people out of their money.  MEDITATE DAY and NIGHT on HIS WORD!

Recently I was asked what to do when you couldn’t sleep!  I responded that I liked to read the Bible, as the enemy NEVER wanted to see me in GOD’S WORD!  He would much prefer me to sleep that to be growing my FAITH!  Tonight I have the opportunity to put my advice to a friend into practice!  FAITH tells me that “GOOD SUCCESS” will be measured by what GOD says, not what this world declares as “GOOD SUCCESS”!!!