Do you want to be prosperous and successful?

In my last post, I talked about giving the devotional at this exercise class that I have been attending.

I decided to talk about something that God has been teaching me. He has been teaching me the importance of memorizing his word. Check out these 2 verses:


Joshua 1:8
8 Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; 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.

Someone once told me that if I can worry, I can meditate. Welp, I am here to tell you that I can worry with the best of them. I am not proud of that. I think that same person told me, "If you are going to pray, then don't worry. If you are going to worry, then don't pray." I think they cancel each other out or something.

I have also heard to think of meditating as a cow chewing it's cud. They chew and chew and chew and then they swallow it. A little later he'll bring it up, chew and chew and chew again and then swallow it. It does this until it goes through all 4 stomachs... And, I have had enough of typing this out. It's gross! You get the point!

Here's the other verse:

Psalm 1:1-3 amplified version
Blessed (Happy, fortunate, prosperous, and enviable) in the man who walks and lives not in the counsel of the ungodly [following their advice, their plans and purposes], nor stands [submissive and inactive] in the path where sinners walk, nor sits down [to relax and rest] where the scornful [and the mockers] gather. But his delight and desire are in the law of the Lord, and on his law (the precepts, the instructions, the teachings of God) he habitually meditates (ponders and studies) by day and night. And he shall be like a tree firmly planted [and tended] by the streams of water, ready to bring forth it’s fruit in its season; its leaf shall not fade or wither; and everything he does shall prosper [and come to maturity].



Do you want to be prosperous and successful?

I used to hear these two verses and I would equate prosperous and successful with money and business. And, since I have been a stay at home mom for the last 11 years, with no business, and the last time I checked, no one depositing large amounts of money into my checking account, I just assumed this prosperous and successful stuff didn’t apply to me right now. But, lately I have been frustrated with some things about myself that I’d like to change, but have been unable to do on my own. So God recently opened my eyes to the real power behind these verses. In both passages, God says we will be prosperous and successful IF we meditate on his word. And, then God said to me, “Hello! You can be prosperous in a lot of other ways! I can prosper you in your time management, organization, your health, your relationships with other people. The list to how I can prosper you is limitless and so much more than money. And, I can help you change the things that are frustrating you.”

I decided right then and there that there probably wasn’t a whole lot of things more important than memorizing and meditating on God’s word.

As God so often does when he is trying really hard to teach me something... I will hear the same message all over the place. I’ll hear it listening to the radio, and then I’ll hear it church and then I’ll read it some where... several times. He must think I am a slow learner.


I read a story that helped me understand these verses in relation to my own life.

If I get in a boat and put the boat on auto pilot, it is going to go straight. If I want to turn it around, I can grab the wheel and then by sheer force I can turn the wheel and make it go in another direction. But, I am only going to be able to hold onto the wheel for so long before.... I fall off the dieting wagon, or blow it with one of my kids or get into a financial mess... or...
The only way to really change the direction of 'my boat' is to change my auto pilot. I believe my auto pilot is my mind. Romans 12:2 says, "Do not be conformed any longer to the patter of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind."

The only way to renew the mind, I think... is to memorize and meditate of God's word.

God also reminded me of another example of what meditating and memorizing scripture will do for me.

There was a dad who gave his son a block of wood, some nails and a hammer. He the boy to go out and hammer some nails into the wood. The boy was working on the back patio, on the cement. Every time he hit the nail, the wood would vibrate and the nail wouldn't go into the board. The dad got up and walked outside. He said, "Son. let's put the wood on the grass." The boy went to hit the nail and it went straight into the board. The ground was absorbing the impact of the hit so the nail when right into the wood.

I think God would love to do that for us... tweak things here or there, simple little things that would make our lives so much easier IF we would just invite Him and His word into our lives.

One last thing... While he’s been trying to teach me this important life principle lately, I just ‘happened’ to run across this quote from Chuck Swindoll:

"I know of no other single practice in the Christian life more rewarding, practically speaking, than memorizing Scripture...No other single exercise pays greater spiritual dividends! Your prayer life will be strengthened. Your witnessing will be sharper and much more effective. Your attitudes and outlook will begin to change. Your mind will become alert and observant. Your confidence and assurance will be enhanced. Your faith will be solidified" Seasons of Life p. 53

Sign me up!!

How to apply this: Everyone makes time for what he/she wants to do. You know it's true. If you really want to do something or hang out with someone... you make time, right? Why don’t you let God prove himself? Start today memorizing and meditating on a verse at a time.