God's Formula for Prosperity and Success

Everybody wants to be prosperous and successful. Whatever be our mission, work, project business, profession, or endeavor in life, religious or secular, it is but normal that our dream is to be prosperous and successful.

Joshua, who was chosen by, and trained successor of, Moses the man of God, was given by God the formula for prosperity and success in his mission – to possess the promised land which was inhabited by giants. Compared to the inhabitants of the promised land, the Israelites were like grasshoppers (Numbers 13:33). How then in the world can Joshua possess the land which was then occupied by giants and ruled by a total of thirty one (31) kings? Here was the instruction of God:

³ I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. ⁴ Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates—all the Hittite country—to the Mediterranean Sea in the west. ⁵ No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. ⁶ Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them.

⁷ “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. (Joshua 1:3-7 NIV)”

Analyzing the promise and instructions of God to Joshua, the essential requisites for the success of his mission were:

1. The abiding presence of God. Thus, God said, “I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you”;

2. Strength and courage in facing the problems of life. God said, “Be strong and courageous”. He repeated this instruction by adding, for emphasis, the word “VERY” courageous – not just courageous.

3. Obedience to the laws or commands of God. “Be careful to obey ALL the law my servant Moses gave you” – no right or left turn – go straight.

4. Meditate on the Law of God, all the time (“day and night”).

“8God said, “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. (Joshua 1:8)

5. “Be careful to do everything written in it”. It is not enough to know or memorize the Word of God. We must Do it. Leave no stone unturned.

6. The conclusion or RESULT: PROSPERITY AND SUCCESS.

The success of the gigantic mission of Joshua depended on his following the instructions and commands or injunctions of God. If he succeeds, then as night follows day, Joshua and the Israelites people shall prosper and be successful not only to conquer the promised land, but to be with, and join, God in paradise or heaven.

Of course, there were many intervening factors on the conquest of the promised land, as there are innumerable problems of life, as we strive to be a true disciple of God. For example, in the case of the Israelites, there was the episode of Achan who violated the instruction of the Lord God. Achan confessed:

“19 Then Joshua said to Achan, "My son, give glory to the LORD, the God of Israel, and give him the praise. Tell me what you have done; do not hide it from me." 20 Achan replied, "It is true! I have sinned against the LORD, the God of Israel. This is what I have done: 21 When I saw in the plunder a beautiful robe from Babylonia, two hundred shekels of silver and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them. They are hidden in the ground inside my tent, with the silver underneath." (Joshua 7:19-21 NIV)

Oftentimes the failure of man is due to covetousness, or the desire to be rich in property or material things rather than spiritual endeavor, or riches toward God.

God does not want anyone to be greedy for gain or to steal. God’s formula for success is to succeed slow by slow, step by step, little by little, and by diligence and hard and honest work.

What happened to Achan?

“24 Then Joshua, together with all Israel, took Achan son of Zerah, the silver, the robe, the gold wedge, his sons and daughters, his cattle, donkeys and sheep, his tent and all that he had, to the Valley of Achor. 25 Joshua said, "Why have you brought this trouble on us? The LORD will bring trouble on you today." Then all Israel stoned him, and after they had stoned the rest, they burned them. 26 Over Achan they heaped up a large pile of rocks, which remains to this day. Then the LORD turned from his fierce anger. Therefore that place has been called the Valley of Achor ever since.” (Joshua 7:24-26 NIV)

Those who are greedy for material rather than spiritual wealth will eventually lose everything, including their life, and shall not enter the paradise promised and reserved by God to His “children”. Think and do spiritual things, balanced with our secular activities.

What is our personal mission in life?

Whatever, let us do it step by step, let’s not be in a hurry – slow by slow, little by little. Let us be diligent and honest in performing our task, whether secular or spiritual.

King David after whose name the City of God was named “City of David” started as a Shepherd boy, a lowly means of livelihood, until he became King. So with Joseph of the Old Testament. He was a Shepherd boy but having obeyed God and very honest at that, he became the Prime Minister of Egypt, second in command to the King, which nation was then the most powerful in the known world.

Thus, the best executive, as some FGBMFI members are, or have been, are those who begin at a very low key position because they know the ABC of the business. This kind of a man will have a large and understanding heart to the problems of his subordinates because he passed their way once upon a time. This is God’s guaranteed formula for prosperity and success in life.