Meditating God's Word

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.

‘This Book of the Law’ here refers to the Word of God, the Bible. Joshua 1:8 says 'it shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night'. It simply means 'you shall keep meditating the Word of God day and night, every day, consistently'. This, my friend, is the key to your prosperity and good success!

In Joshua 1:8, the word ‘meditate’ is ‘hagah’ in Hebrew. It actually means ‘to ponder, to speak, or to utter’. Romans 10:17 says, ‘so then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God’. It means your faith arises when you hear the Word of God being spoken and confessed, and in order to hear the Word being spoken, somebody has to speak it out. That’s what ‘hagah’ means. That's why Joshua 1:8 says, 'it shall not depart from your mouth'. The word 'mouth' here implies you need to 'speak it out'! So, the word ‘meditate’ in Joshua 1:8 does not actually mean 'to contemplate the Word of God silently', though there’s a place for this in your quiet time.

As you meditate one particular verse (or a promise of God), begin speaking it out under your breath, many times over. Now you don’t have to shout it loud for everybody to hear, but you can speak it over and over again under your breath. You can even do this wherever you are. This way, you are speaking into your spirit man throughout the day. Every morning, I'd choose a verse (or a promise) in the Bible (as led by the Lord) and begin uttering it over and over again. I'd continue meditating in it throughout the day, and I tell you, it has changed my life tremendously!

Joshua 1:8 continues with ‘that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it’ (New King James Version). In New International Version, it says, ‘so that you may be careful to do everything written in it’. You are what you speak or confess. So, the more you confess what God says (about who you are in Him), the more you'll be (and do) what God says (about who you are in Him)! God definitely wants you to prosper and be a good success.

As you 'meditate in the Word of God' and ‘be careful to do what the Word says', then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. This is God's promise for you. People pay so much nowadays for motivational speakers or for 'keys' (or secrets) to become prosperous and successful. But the fact is all the real 'keys' (or secrets) are already written in the Word of God for you to receive!

The Word of God is your essential 'spiritual food' to keep you strong spiritually, just as your 'physical food' is essential to keep you strong physically. Not only that, the Word of God is also your ‘handbook’ to prosperity and good success! So, beloved, go ahead and meditate God's Word every day! Personalize each verse for yourself. God's Word is indeed your personal 'handbook' in life. It will never fail you. For example, you can personalize Joshua 1:8 for yourself by confessing this way: “This Book of the Law shall not depart from my mouth, but I shall meditate in it day and night, that I may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then I will make my way prosperous, and then I will have good success”.

To begin with, meditate one verse today. Personalize it for yourself. Then, choose another verse the next day. Keep doing this every day, and you’ll surely be on your way to prosperity and good success!

Seek first His kingdom & His righteousness

Matthew 6:33: But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

The word ‘kingdom’ in this verse is ‘basileia’ in Greek. It means ‘rule, reign, realm’. So, to seek God's kingdom is to seek His rule, His reign, or His realm.

In Matthew 6:10, when Jesus taught us to pray, ‘Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven’, this word 'kingdom' is the same word ‘basileia’ as in Matthew 6:33. It's God's heavenly kingdom, a spiritual kingdom, where He rules and reigns! It's definitely not a worldly kingdom. It's definitely not a political kingdom. But it's God's kingdom. It's exceedingly rich in heavenly resources, and Matthew 6:10 says 'let it be done on earth as well'! It's for you to receive!

The word ‘righteousness’ is ‘dikaios’ in Greek. It means ‘justification, just, holy’. Beloved, seek to be righteous in Christ. Your righteousness is not in yourself, i.e self-righteousness, but your righteousness is in Christ. For God made Him (Jesus) who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21). To be ‘righteous’ here means to be ‘in right standing’ with God. It means God has nothing against you anymore. Jesus has made it possible when He died on the cross for your sins, and you are now reconciled to God the Father, justified, accepted, and forgiven. Praise God! Believe and receive.

As you seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, the Bible says 'all these things shall be added to you'. What are ‘all these things’? All that you ever needed in this life! Your finance. Your career. Your business. Your education. Your children's education. Your health. Your house. Your car. Your computer. Your furnitures. Your food. Your clothings. Your holiday. Your every other need, God knows what. Jesus says 'do not worry' about all these, or what you will eat or what you will drink, or what you will wear (Matthew 6:25), because if He feeds the birds of the air (even though they neither sow nor reap, nor gather into barns), are you not of more value than they? (Matthew 6:26) Now I'm not saying you should run away from responsibilities. I'm not saying you should be greedy or covetous. But I'm asking you not to worry.

Beloved, He certainly knows your every need in life. So, whatever lack you may be facing now, keep looking to Him. Don't give up if you haven't seen it coming yet. Don't get distracted by others. Look beyond your situation now, and look to Him. Fix your eyes on what Jesus has done on the cross. He has already taken your poverty, sickness, or any other curse on the cross, once and for all, some 2,000 years ago. You are already blessed when you believe and receive Him. He certainly has a wonderful plan for your life. Start yielding to His plan, not to the pressure. Keep believing. Keep trusting. Keep receiving. You'll be glad you did!

He delivers you because He delights in you!

Psalm 18:19b (NKJV): He delivered me because He delighted in me.

In New International Version (NIV), the word 'deliver' here is written as 'rescue'. God rescues you because He delights in you!

The word ‘delight’ in this verse in Hebrew is ‘chaphets’ (pronounced as ‘khawfates’). It means ‘favors, likes, bends towards, pleased with, or has pleasure in’. God delivers you because He favors you, likes you, bends towards you, is pleased with you, or has pleasure in you! He really is that good to you! He's definitely not out to get you or punish you. In fact, He loves you so much that He sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ to die for you on the cross! Jesus has indeed carried all the punishment for your sins. As a believer, you can now therefore stand righteous before God, because you have been reconciled to God, through what Jesus Christ has done on the cross. For God made Him (Jesus) who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21). To become 'the righteousness of God' means to be 'in right standing with God'. It means God is not angry with you anymore! In fact, the Bible says He delights in you! That's how good He is to you, my friend. But you need to 'allow' Him. Nothing will ever happen if you do not 'allow' Him.

At one point, Simon Peter was going through a hard time, and he was also in lack. Even after a whole night of toiling, he still couldn't catch any fish (Luke 5:5), and that means no 'income' for his family that day! However, he did one right thing. He allowed Jesus to come into his boat (Luke 5:3). I mean he could have turned Jesus down when Jesus stepped into his boat (to teach and speak to the multitudes). But he allowed, and that was the beginning of a turning point in his life. From catching nothing, he then caught a great number of fish (Luke 5:6) so much so that his fishing net was about to break! He definitely had more than enough, and he even had to ask his partners from the other boat to come and help!

Beloved, would you allow Jesus to come into your 'boat' now? Is there any area you want Him to deliver you or set you free? Whatever your situation or problem may be, whether it's a bondage of sin, a curse, a failure, a sickness, or a financial lack, Jesus can come into your 'boat' now and turn things around for you. Believe He's here to deliver you, He's good to you, and He delights in you.