Joshua 1:1-9

There are lots of formulas for success that we might encounter through popular media, our jobs, or our entrepreneurial intuition, but these only leads to success in the things that in the long run, don’t last.  However, God’s loving desire for us goes way beyond merely temporal success. He wants success for each of us in the realm of His Kingdom plan-which will last forever. That success was told to Joshua, just before he took over reign of Israel leadership, and is passed on to us in the first 9 verses of the book of Joshua.

Chuck Swindoll tells this story in one of his books…

Eagle thinking like a Prairie Chicken: An Indian brave found an egg that had been laid by an eagle. Not being able to return the egg to an eagle’s nest, the next best thing to do was to put it in the nest of a prairie chicken. The result was predictable. The hen sat on this eagle’s egg, along with her own eggs, not noticing anything very different because of one additional egg. By and by the little eaglet was hatched alongside the prairie chickens.

All his life, the young eagle, thinking he was a prairie chicken, did what the prairie chickens did. He scratched in the dirt for seeds and insects to eat. He clucked and cackled. And he flew in a brief thrashing of wings and flurry of feathers no more than a few feet of the ground. Because that’s how prairie chicken was supposed to fly. Years passed. And the young eagle grew to be a very old bird. One day, he saw a magnificent shape far above him in the cloudless sky. Hanging with graceful majesty on the power wind currents, it soared with scarcely a beat of its strong golden wings.

What a beautiful bird said the …eagle to a neighboring prairie chicken. What is it?

That’s an eagle chief of the birds, the neighbor clucked. But don’t give it a second thought. You could never be like him.

So the misplaced eagle never gave it another thought. And it died thinking it was a prairie chicken.

We are eagles, not Prairie Chickens: sister and brothers in Christ do you know what you are? In case you’ve forgotten, Paul reminds us in Galatians 3: 26-29: “You are all sons and daughter of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

In essence God views us as eagles-people who are very special. Heirs to His promises and heirs to eternity. We have been chosen to help Him advance His Kingdom across the face of the earth. Yet too often we lose sight of our nobility and we think we are Prairie Chicken. 

We follow after the world’s idea of success, we’ve all heard the formulas and strategies; work harder, be smarter, bend the rules, get the promotions, make the money, showcase the house, manicure the yard, go to the right schools, get the right degree, acquire a trophy wife, a trophy husband, dress for success, associate with certain people and dis-associate with others. Shop at the right stores, and on-and-on it goes.

But there is a place where you can find the success rules for spiritual eagle. God told Joshua the new leader of Israel, the four rules, at the beginning of his leadership career, just before he led the nation of Israel to conquer and inhabit the land of Canaan. 

1. Rule: Be Strong:

The word “Strong”, here means to Fasten upon; we are to stay fasten to something that has strength and reliability; stay tied to something that goes deep. We are to stay tied to complete faith in Jesus Christ for the bible says that without faith it is impossible to please Him for he that cometh to Him must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. We are to stay fasten to His Word which will not come back to Him void, but will accomplish all that He sends it out to accomplished and will prosper wherever it goes. We are to hide the word in our hearts that we might not sin against Him , we are to keep our mind stayed on Him and He will keep us in prefect peace.

2. Rule: Be Courageous:

The Hebrews word for Courage is “be alert to what’s going on around you.” The bible says we are to watch as well as pray, we are to seek the Lord for answer to our situations, we are to turn our eyes toward Jesus, we are to depend on Him, we are not to get off track, do not look to the left or to the right, but we are to stay focus, keep your eyes on the prize. And know that God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

3. Rule: Be Obedient to God’s Word:

This book of the Law shall not depart out of thy 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 have good success. God is telling us that we cannot pick and choose the part of His word we want to obey. We must be consistently careful, as we come to understand God’s word, to consistently look for ways to apply it, and not violate it. 

4. Rule: Be Dependent on God:

God is telling us as He told Joshua; I am with you always as I was with Moses so I will be with you. You must always remember what the word of God says; you must meditate on it day and night, making sure that you practice the word. The enemy says you can’t, but the word of God says I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. God is saying, when the major difficulties of life hit you; when challenges that are beyond your scope of endurance, are put in your path. When you look at the major issues of your life -not just the little irritants-and you don’t know what to do…

Don’t fall apart!

Don’t Be Afraid; did you know that God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. The bible also tells us that prefect love cast out all fears

Remember who loves you and care for you through all these situations….

We are not to be discouraged, or shattered, or dismayed, but you are to be strong in the power of His might.

Do you want to be a success; of course we do…If you want to be a successful spiritual eagle. A successful heir to the promises of God. A successful son or daughter of God. Then there is just one authority you need to pay attention to that’s God, Himself. He old Joshua and He tell us, how to be successful in advancing the Kingdom of God and receiving an abundant life…

You Must Be Strong

Be courageous, letting the small irritants of life build your character; “don’t sweat the small stuff.”

Be obedient to God’s word; obedient is better than sacrifice.

Be Dependent on God in the big issues of life. The word of God tells us that we are to trust in the Lord with all our hearts, and lean not to our own understanding, in all our ways we are to acknowledge Him and He will direct our path.

We must read and study the word of God constantly to know the things that are written there in and then we will make our way prosperous and we will have good success. God’s desire is that we be successful in conquering the (Land) the neighborhood, the community for Him.  Our success is conditional; we must be available to serve, we must follow God’s rules, must keep God’s word in our hearts; if we do according to God’s word, then God will cause our ways to be prosperous and we will have good success.  Not only that but we will be able to conquerors the land as God told Joshua so He says to us as well: “don’t let this book of the Law depart out of your mouth, meditate on it day and night; that you may observe to do according to all that is written therein and then you shall make your way prosperous and you will have good success.

GOD BLESS AND KEEP YOU

 

*notes taken from www.pastortom.org