A God-Formula for Success

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)


Don't get rankled by the word "formula." According to dictionary.com, a formula is:

1. a set form of words, as for stating or declaring something definitely or authoritatively, for indicating procedure to be followed...
2.any fixed or conventional method for doing something...

So a formula is a fixed authoritative procedure for accomplishing something. A formula, once confirmed, works all the time to reach the stated result.

In our text today, God, intending to show Joshua the secret of being successful in his mission in life gave him a procedure which if followed by Joshua would always cause him to be successful in all he did. It wasn't a complicated one. To be successful Joshua had to do three things:

1. Speak the law of God( God's word) without ceasing
2. Meditate (focus on, ponder, fix on the mind, mutter) on the word day and night
3. Act. Do everything he sees in the word.

Step 1 and 2 could actually be merged into one since the Hebrew word for meditate means to speak to oneself in low tones as a way to establish or clarify proper thought. So Joshua would be successful if he would not stop meditating on (speaking) and doing the word.

This wasn't just an instruction to Joshua but a procedure described in other places that success and prosperity are mentioned in the bible. Psalm 1 is another example.

"Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers. " (Psalm 1:1-3 NIV)

Here meditation and doing also leads to success and prosperity. Paul in admonishing Timothy on his ministry also gives a similar instruction

" Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all. (I Timothy 4:15 NKJV)

There are other references on meditation and success. However these three would suffice for today to show that God must be trying to communicate to you his procedure for success in life. If you will honor the word of God, spend time pondering on it, speaking it to yourself and then obediently doing what you see, you will be successful in whatever you do.

What an amazing and simple formula for those who desire success in life, whether it is in your family, career, business or ministry, the formula works. It works because wisdom is the source of success and meditation on the word opens you up to God's higher wisdom for dealing with the affair of life. Today, decide to join the league of successful people by making meditation in God's word your lifestyle. Set apart time to ponder on it and speak it to yourself through the day and at night. You will initiate your own God-success story and your progress will become evident to all.


Decision of the Day

I know the secret of success. I have God's formula for success. I will make meditation a constant part of my life. I will do what the word says and I will be successful. Failure will have to leave my life.