Three Ways to Be Prosperous (Part 1 of 3)
Before we begin this teaching, let’s start with a disclaimer. This is not a get rich quick scheme. In fact, the word “prosper” in the Hebrew is not about money at all.
It actually means “to push forward; to pass through; to get on.” Have you wanted to push forward through a trial? Do you desire to remove a roadblock in your life? Do you want to “get on with it” but can’t see past the difficulty? Then read on, as we look at the first of three ways to be prosperous, God’s way.
#1 We are prosperous when we meditate on God’s word day and night.
My pastor at Gateway Church, Robert Morris, is presenting a sermon series called “More than Words” and on Saturday he focused on the meaning of “floods” in the Bible. He said oftentimes, “floods” represent the words of the enemy. You know, those negative thoughts that creep in, not of God, the ones that flood our souls? They are the thoughts that tell us we are ill-equipped to do a job. We are too old. Too young. Too ugly. Not capable. They are the thoughts that divide us from other sisters or brothers in Christ when they fail us. Internal messages that lead to discontentment in our lives.
So if Satan floods us with negative words, how do we combat that the rushing waters of our enemy? How can we push forward, rather than stand knee deep in sludge?
We can be prosperous by meditating on God’s word day and night.
I love meditating on the Psalms and you don’t have to go too far to find one on how to be prosperous. Start with Psalm One.
“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).
Do you want to be prosperous?
Meditating on God’s word provides an active navigation system that will guide us out of any dead-end in our lives. If we ask God to speak to us through his living Word, he is always faithful and generally hits on the topic that will encourage us, that will direct us or will rebuke us when we stray from the truth. By living according to the Word of God, we avoid traps that can tie us up for years, or steal blessings from us. Here are a few: anger, lust, unforgiveness and pride. Do you struggle in any of these areas? Then meditate on God’s Word.
What does it look like to meditate on God’s Word? I believe reading the Bible is not a box to check off. Sometimes we are disciplined enough to eat a daily morsel of the Bible but we hurry through it, getting nothing out of what we read. There’s no nutrition!
Instead, it is praying to hear from the Holy Spirit before you even open up the Holy Word. It is taking it slow through a passage, chewing on every sentence; every word. It might require re-reading the same passage you just read. It can also lead to memorization of a verse that spoke to you deeply. This blog is a result of my own meditation on God’s word.
By parking on God’s Word, you can be prosperous and can tap into bandwidth you simply don’t have so you can push through a situation. If you’re not already spending time in the Word of God, won’t you start today? It’s the key to success and prosperity in your life.
“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).