The so-called “Prosperity Gospel” is all the rage these days.  A plethora of preachers on TV will tell you that God wants you to be rich, healthy, and popular.  They promise that all you have to do is declare what you want, and God will make sure it happens.  This preaching is neither biblical nor practical.

The Bible does contain, however, a condition for a successful and prosperous life.  Joshua 1:8 contains that simple, two-part formula:

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. 

The first condition of God’s version of prosperity is to meditate  on God’s Word.  The “book of the Law” mentioned was the Torah, or first five books of the Old Testament.  The Torah constituted the complete “bible” of Joshua’s day.  The meditation to which God calls us is not empty, repetitious monosyllabic incantations associated with meditation to most in our cuture today.  To meditate is to think about something, consider its meaning, and apply its practical teaching to life.

To meditate on a Scripture passage, you might read the verse several times, emphasizing a different word each time, and noting the nuances of meaning in each word.  You might also rephrase the verse in your own words, personalizing it by placing your name in the verse in place of pronouns.  You can also ask questions of the verse to glean its truth.  One such helpful tool for me is to use the word SPECK as a guide.  Is there
         a Sin to avoid,
         a Promise to claim,
       an Encouragement to hear,
         a Command to obey,
       or Knowledge to gain.

Develop the habit of reading and pondering on Scripture daily.

Then the second condition is simply to obey God’s Word.  Be careful to DO all that is written in it.  When God reveals something to you from your meditation, immediately put it into practice.

Notice the observation of the verse is that those who meditate and obey will make their way prosperous and enjoy good success.  Prosperity the Bible way will always work.