Word to the Wise

“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.” Joshua 1:8

At some level, everyone wants to be successful. We live in a country that celebrates individual success, whether through skill and talent in the sports arena, savvy in the business arena, or care and compassion in the home arena. Success comes in all forms, from a trophy, to a comfortable home, to the experience of travel and adventure, to the diploma on the wall.

To be successful in the spiritual sense is quite different, but it can make all the difference. Spiritual success is a close, passionate, and meaningful relationship with God. The Bible tells us that to find this success, we need to look no further than the Word of God. When we read and study the Bible we not only learn about God, but we also learn about our role in His world.

The Bible tells us to meditate on God’s Word day and night and to do according to what is written. A successful life is a pattern of listening to God through His Word and then obeying what it says through faith in Christ and by the power of the Holy Spirit. What is the reward for such devotion? Success. Not success in terms of what we may think of as success—money, relationships, or experiences. I'm talking about real success, the kind that comes only through knowing God and being in a relationship with Him through faith in Jesus. Are you looking for the secret to success in life? It is no further away from you than the Bible.

God, thank You for Your Word, the Bible. As I read it every day, help me to know more about You and how to become more like Jesus as I obey the Word each day. Give me the wisdom to know what real success is and the passion to pursue success in the light of Your will and ways. In Jesus’ name, amen.