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 success. Joshua 1:8.
Today your LORD (יהוה) God (אלהים) says:
Opportunities to prosper begin in meditation on My Word.
“I am the LORD your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you in the way you should go. If only you had paid attention to My commandments! Then your well-being (shalom) would have been like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea. Isaiah 48:17-18.
If only you had listened, planted and grown My Word in your heart, and done the instructions therein your shalom (peace, prosperity, good health, fruitful work, good relationships and united family life) would have been like an ever flowing river, a wellspring that is a continuous flow where your roots can draw up living water to produce fruit in every season of your life. Prosperity flowing like a river. The glory flow.
The first Psalm is the first one for a reason. In that psalm I teach you the foundation of prosperity, and indeed for all your well-being and wholeness in every arena of your life, for I send My Word to heal you and deliver you from all pitfalls and destruction. My Word made flesh redeemed you from the curse of the Law and I empowered you to reign in life through Him.
How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night. He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers. Psalm 1-3.
This short, but power packed, psalm opens with a blessing but it is a blessing that comes from keeping yourself from association and affiliation with the wicked, sinners, and scoffers. Who are the wicked? I call the devil the wicked one, and Jesus describes him as the thief who comes to steal, kill and destroy. And the primary asset of yours the devil is after to devour is My Word. That was the first parable My Son spoke about the sower sowing the seed of My Word into the soil of your hearts. Of the four kinds of hearts only one took in My Word and persevered with it until harvest. And that was the good, rich, soft, cultivated soil. The hard hearts, the stony, ones and the ones filled with the thorns of worry, care, lust, and torment bore no fruit.
Why is the devil primarily interested in keeping My Word out of your heart and out of your life? There are four major reasons and many others as well. First My Word heals you. Second My Word delivers you from all destructions, which are his plans for you. Third My Word transforms you, and fourth My Word saves you. Jesus sums it up:
So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue (abide, remain) in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” John 8:31-32.
Free, not captive to the devil’s whims or your own feelings and torments, but free to be an overcomer on My throne with Me.
So the beginning of Psalm 1, I tell you where NOT to be but then I go on to tell you where to be so that you will bear fruit and prosper in whatever you put your hand to. And that of course is in My Word, meditating on it day and night as your delight. And drawing up all that you need to live a perfect life.
My prophet Jeremiah, whom I called to be My prophet to the nations before I formed him in the womb, tells you how as well. He too starts out with where not to be but then goes on to tell you where to be so that you will prosper and be fruitful.
Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind and makes flesh his strength, and whose heart turns away from the LORD. For he will be like a bush in the desert and will not see when prosperity comes, but will live in stony wastes in the wilderness, a land of salt without inhabitant. Jeremiah 17:5-6.
And that is where not to be—living merely in the flesh with no thought for My Word, not attached to the vine, with a life that is fruitless and dry, that merely withers up, good for nothing and bearing nothing lasting.
But then is contrast he tells where you should be to live a prosperous and fruitful life.
Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD and whose trust is the LORD. For he will be like a tree planted by the water, that extends its roots by a stream and will not fear when the heat comes; but its leaves will be green, and it will not be anxious in a year of drought nor cease to yield fruit. Jeremiah 17:7-8.
Again you see the fruitful tree with its roots deep in the underground spring of the Spirit. My divine life, My grace, bubbling up in the living water of the Spirit. The place deep within your born again, resurrected spirit where My Spirit dwells in you as My sanctuary and where all things are possible and every good thing given and every perfect gift is found.
And it all comes from meditation on My Word day and night, at no time should you guard be down, your roots come unattached, or your mind dwell only on the flesh. For you can do nothing without Me, not even breathe.
I explained this to Joshua when I anointed him as leader of My people Israel to take them in and conquer the land I had promised them. And what I taught him, he did, and he became more than a conqueror and every good promise I had spoken was fulfilled in his life. How? By faith in My Word. But faith comes by hearing and meditating on what is heard.
Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go. 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 success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:7-9.
You see that it takes vigilance and courage in the face of opposing circumstances and what is seen only with the flesh (physical senses) to only see by faith in My Word the victory and blessing that is actually there for you in the Spirit, that is, the magnificent promises of prosperity, health, and good success in My Word—the shalom that is the plan for your life. But the way to that blessed life of freedom and victory is summed up in the heart of the instruction to Joshua for the conquest of all that was contrary to the promise in My Word:
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 success. Joshua 1:8.
There is the formula in one succinct teaching for your prosperity and success. And that is your opportunity for prosperity: to meditate on My Word day and night. Total immersion in My Word like the vine in the branch, the abiding life, so that is your reality and it will manifest. It is the truth and for you in the Spirit, you need only release it into the physical realm.
And Jesus told you the same, for My Word is forever established in Heaven and on earth ,“I am the vine you are the branches.” And He told you that by abiding in Him, who is My Word, you will bear much fruit but without Him, that is, without My Word in you, you can do nothing fruitful but will be like a withered branch good for nothing but to be thrown in the fire. My Word is forever established in Heaven and on earth.
“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 cleanses (purges, prunes) it so that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the Word which I have spoken to you. John 15:1-4.
First, Jesus tells you where you should be, abiding in Him and thus in Me, being cleansed by hearing My Word and remaining in it by meditating on it, so as to prosper in bearing much fruit. But He goes on to explain more of the fruitful and blessed life of abiding in My Word, that is, meditating on My Word day and night to produce to the fruit of the vine, the fruit of the Spirit in you and on you.
Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so 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, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. John 15:4-6.
Jesus is My Word manifested in the flesh going about bearing good fruit. He came to undo the works of the devil, set the captives free, and heal all those oppressed by the devil. I sent My Word to heal and deliver you from all your pitfalls and destruction. And how do I do that? With your willingness to abide, continue, remain in My Word and My Word in you by meditating on My Word night and day.
If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. John 15:7-9.
And there is the formula for success again, just as Psalm 1, My Word to Jeremiah, and My Word to you through My Son. And it all comes down to that I am love and that is what My Word plants in your heart. Love, My kind of love which produces fruit that endures and blesses you and all. It is seed for the sower and bread for the eater. It is all and all. It does not return void, for when you receive it, meditate it, speak it, release it, grow it, harvest it, the promise in that Word will come to fruition in your life and in the world.
Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full. John 15:9-11.
And, again, I give you the same instruction in Psalm 112 for prosperity and endurance—to live in My Word as the ultimate truth and direction for your life, not as suggestions but as commandments that are to be trusted and followed for good success.
How blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who greatly delights in His commandments. His seed will be mighty on earth; the generation of the upright will be blessed. Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever. Light arises in the darkness for the upright; he is gracious and compassionate and righteous. Psalm 112:1-4.
There is no other way to prosper, and when I say prosper I mean in every area of your life, that is, spirit, soul, and body, inward and outward prosperity, than walking in My Word day and night. Never let your guard down. Guard your heart with all diligence not to let in the thorns and weeds that would choke off the good work My Word has begun in you before it comes to harvest.
But you may be wondering what it means to mediate on My Word. Let us first look at the word translated “meditate” in its original language in which it was written, that is Hebrew.
The word in Hebrew that you see translated as “meditate” in Psalm 1 and Joshua1:8, is the Hebrew word “hagah (הָגָה),” which you will also see translated in other scriptures as utter, imagine, speak, make inarticulate sounds, mutter, make a sound, devise, ponder, declare, roar (like a lion), groan, moan like a dove, and study. So you see it is not just pondering and studying My Word, by that is part of it, but it goes further, it is also speaking it, continually muttering it under your breath in your heart, calling things that be not into being, even declaring and roaring them, with the roar of the Lion of the tribe of Judah, imagining yourself as already possessing the promises and dreaming dreams of the works of excellence I have called you to with Me as I unfold to you the plan for your life, including writing down the vision I give you so others may also read the plan and run with it. Habakkuk 2:1-4.
Then David gave to his son Solomon the plan of the porch of the temple, its buildings, its storehouses, its upper rooms, its inner rooms and the room for the mercy seat; and the plan of all that he had in mind, for the courts of the house of the Lord, and for all the surrounding rooms, for the storehouses of the house of God and for the storehouses of the dedicated things; also for the divisions of the priests and the Levites and for all the work of the service of the house of the Lord and for all the utensils of service in the house of the Lord; for the golden utensils, the weight of gold for all utensils for every kind of service; for the silver utensils, the weight of silver for all utensils for every kind of service; and the weight of gold for the golden lampstands and their golden lamps, with the weight of each lampstand and its lamps; and the weight of silver for the silver lampstands, with the weight of each lampstand and its lamps according to the use of each lampstand; and the gold by weight for the tables of showbread, for each table; and silver for the silver tables; and the forks, the basins, and the pitchers of pure gold; and for the golden bowls with the weight for each bowl; and for the silver bowls with the weight for each bowl; and for the altar of incense refined gold by weight; and gold for the model of the chariot, even the cherubim that spread out their wings and covered the ark of the covenant of the Lord. “All this,” said David, “the LORD made me understand in writing by His hand upon me, all the details of this pattern.” 1 Chronicles 28:11-19.
And meditation (hagah) includes praying in and with My Spirit over My Word for My Word is Spirit-breathed. And My servant Paul, by inspiration of My Spirit, bears witness to his as well.
In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the believers according to the will of God. Romans 8:26-27.
And the result of meditation with and in the Spirit, i.e., praying in the Spirit and with understanding (tongues and interpretation of tongues in your meditation on My Word)? Good success and prosperity.
And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28.
The truth sets you free to increase by releasing My Word in your life. Even a goldfish will grow if you take it out of the bowl. Stop limiting yourself by just looking at your flesh and look into My Word, the perfect law of liberty, and take off the limits that hold you back in the flesh instead of living and walking in the Spirit, which is walking in meditation upon My Word.
If you are serious about this you will follow the steps I walk you through as perfect instruction in the book of Proverbs, the inspired writing of one to whom I freely gave wisdom and understanding for it was the subject of his heart’s desire and the delight of his life. Yes, Solomon, David’s son. How did Solomon know to ask for wisdom and understanding? From the words of his father David, which sound like the words I spoke to Joshua as instructions for success, “When David was about to die, he instructed his son Solomon, “I’m about to leave this world. Be strong and mature. Fulfill your duty to the LORD your God. Obey his directions, laws, commands, rules, and written instructions as they are recorded in Moses’ Teachings. Then you’ll succeed in everything you do wherever you may go.” 1 Kings 2:1-3.
And Solomon shares what David taught him that I taught David with you by the inspiration of My Spirit. And we will share that in our next Life Lesson.
I love you. Make My Word the steering wheel of your life. Why do I say it that way? Many reasons, but just another fact about the Hebrew verb “hagah” which we have discussed in this Life Lesson. Every noun in Hebrew has a verb formed of the same letters and vice versa by changing the vowel sounds. The noun for the verb “hagah” is “hegeh” and in modern Hebrew used today, hagah is still the same as in Joshua’s day, My Word is the same yesterday, today and forever, and its noun “hegeh” means “steering wheel.” Selah.