Promise 12: You Will Make Your Way Prosperous

Beloved, do you need the Lord to make your way prosperous today? I hope you said yes, for without Jesus we can do nothing. That means we cannot succeed in even the smallest ways unless He causes us to succeed–unless He brings us the success and prosperity.

If you need Jesus to make your way prosperous today–whether that means prosperity of spirit, soul, body, relationships, finances, health, or any other kind of well-being and prosperity–then you are going to love the promise of Joshua 1:8.

Joshua 1:8 contains the twelfth Bible promise we can cling to in time of need.

This passage says:

“This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe 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 NKJV).

What does this mean? Let’s look at four things:

Key 1: The Book of the Law–the written Word of God, the Bible–must be in our mouths.

This doesn’t mean to tear the pages apart and chew them up like food. But it does mean that we have to speak about the Word constantly.

For example:

• We should talk to one another about what the Word says.
• We should speak with one another about how much we love the Word.
• We must, must, must speak God’s Word out of our mouths–as in, confessing it as truth over every situation in our lives.
• We should even teach one another what the Word says, encouraging and strengthening one another in the Word. (If you’re sad, this is a huge key. You can preach yourself happy if you start preaching the Word about what you’re going through, even if you’re only preaching to yourself!)

The first condition to the Lord’s promise to make your way prosperous is that the Word of God shall not depart from your mouth.

Key 2: You shall meditate in the Word day and night.

To “meditate,” in the original language, means to chew on something and ruminate on it, like a cow chews its cud. When we meditate on God’s Word, it isn’t the evil kind of Eastern meditation that false religions endorse. No; meditating on God’s Word means:

• reading it;
• studying it;
• reading slowly so you can ponder it line by line and word by word as you read;
• stopping as you read to think on how you can apply the Word;
• writing down the revelation and truth that the Lord shows you out of His Word; and
• thinking about what you read and learned as you move through your day.

To take that further, remember that Joshua 1:8 says we must do this day and night. Let’s review our key verse again:

“This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe 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 NKJV).

So, not only are we to meditate on the Word when we read it, but we are to meditate on it (which requires reading it) both day and night. This means that if you aren’t in the habit of reading your Bible at all …

… or even if you are only in the habit of reading it once a day …

… then God is calling you to come up higher! He wants us–rather, commands us–to read and study and meditate on His Word day AND night.

Wow! That is a big key to success that we can all implement. Instead of watching TV, or catching up on the news, or doomscrolling on your phone, or even reading other things for fun, the Lord wants us each to read His Word before we go to bed at night AND during the daytime.

Again: wow! Help us, Lord, to become avid students of Your Word, studying it and meditating on it both day and night!

Key 3: Obeying God comes from THIS level of speaking about and meditating on the Word!

Let’s read our key verse again:

“This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe 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 NKJV).

Notice how God first tells us that the Book of the Law must not depart from our mouth, then gives the command about day and night … and then says these words:

“… that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it.”

The words “that you may” are important here.

The inclusion of these words “that you may” means that the first two commands–the Book not departing from your mouth, and the meditating on it day and night–are the things that empower you to DO all that is written in God’s Word! Do you see it? You have to do the first two things in order to receive the grace and power from the Lord to DO all He commands!

But also, notice that obedience to all of God’s Word is the third prerequisite to having the Lord make our way prosperous.

We learn that by seeing the words “For then you will make your way prosperous …” in the next sentence of the verse. So, in order to receive that prosperity and success, we first have to obey all that is written in the Book–the Word of God.

I wonder how many blessings we are missing out on because we are not obeying God’s Word in every aspect? It’s something for every person to pray about.

We all have room to become more like Jesus in our actions, habits, decisions, thoughts, words, and heart motives. This life is a journey, and we will all be continuously becoming like Jesus until He returns to take us home.

And yet, when it comes to obedience …

• Some people are living holy lives as best they can, seeking God with all their heart, and letting Jesus transform them from glory to glory, faith to faith, and strength to strength every day.
• But, some people–I know this because I get all your emails–are embracing secret sins, yet still expecting God to bless them.

Common sins like fornication (which is having sex with someone to whom you are not married in the eyes of God), pornography, lying, and so on can destroy your life. And if you embrace such sins, loving your iniquity more than you love God, the Bible says that God won’t even hear your prayers:

“If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear” (Psalm 66:18 NKJV).

Therefore, beloved, if you are “regarding iniquity” in your heart …

… giving it honor and attention, instead of throwing it at the feet of Jesus and being done with it …

… then you can’t expect to be blessed in any way, because God won’t honor your prayers until you repent from your iniquity.

Nevertheless, there is grace and hope in Jesus Christ. First John 1:9 tells us:

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9 NKJV).

So, if you are willing to repent of your sins, confess your sins, give them to Jesus, and abandon them at His feet, He will forgive you and wash you clean with His own blood. He will also change your heart and help you live free of that sin.

If you need to repent of any sins, stop right now and pray this simple prayer:

“Dear Heavenly Father, I come to You in Jesus’ name. Abba Father, I confess that I have sinned. I have done __________________. I know these things are sin, and I admit that I did them, and that I sinned against You in doing these things.

Heavenly Father, I repent. I give these things to You right now, and I ask You to forgive me. Please change my heart and take these sins completely away. Please wash me clean in the blood of Jesus, and make me like You. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit where all those things were.

Father, in Jesus’ name, please take even the desire for these things away, and help me turn around and go the completely-opposite way–the way of holiness and righteousness—in all my decisions. Thank You, Abba Father. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.”

Friend, if you just prayed that prayer and meant it, Jesus forgave you for your sins.

He gave you a new start at the moment that you prayed, and you can begin again now to seek Him …

… day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in His Word. 🙂

That said, let’s look again at Joshua 1:8 and the next key:

“This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe 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 NKJV).

Key 4: When you obey the three conditions in this promise, you will have prosperity and success.

The three conditions are:

• The Word of God shall not depart from your mouth;
• “You shall meditate in it day and night”; and
• You must obey all that is written in it.

When you do those three things, “then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”

I find it interesting that it says you will make your way prosperous.

We know that it is Jesus who gives you the prosperity because He told us outright that we can’t do anything without Him. Read His words from John 15:

“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.

You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.

“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.

By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples” (John 15:1-8 NKJV).

Jesus was very clear when He said, “for without Me you can do nothing.” However, in Joshua 1:8, He said you will make your way prosperous.

What does this mean for you to make your way prosperous?

Only this:

When you meet God’s conditions and obey Him, He will show you what to do. And the steps He tells you to take, as you take those steps, will bring you into prosperity.

Yes, He gives the success. He gives the prosperity–prosperity of mind, body, soul, spirit, finances, relationships, emotions, health, and every other thing. But it is your obedience as you walk from day to day that bring those things into visible fullness and manifestation in your life.

Yes, we are partners and co-laborers with God.

He does His work through us on the earth. But, He does not allow us to sit around and do nothing while we expect Him to bless us. Instead, He tells us to work, to labor, to invest, to be wise, and to do business:

“So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Do business till I come’” (Luke 19:13 NKJV).

So, beloved, do you need God to make your way prosperous today?

I think we all do. Every kind of prosperity is a universal need. We each need the abundant life that Jesus came to give us. And the way to get there–the way to make our way prosperous, and to have good success–is to meet the conditions God laid out in Joshua 1:8:

“This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe 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 NKJV).

So what are you waiting for? Cling to Jesus and pray this promise today.

If you are already meeting the conditions, then pray this verse back to God and ask Him to bring you the prosperity and success He promises!

And if you are not yet meeting these conditions, ask Holy Spirit to help you. Ask Him to show you how you how to meet His conditions in greater ways … and He will!

Does this promise of Joshua 1:8 encourage you today? If so, leave a comment below!