Living With Promises Of Success

Do you desire to succeed in life?  To experience blessings and prosperity?  To know that there are possibilities ahead of us that leads to success?  What assurances do we have that God will help us gain success?

For Christians, God has already given promises of success.  What we must discover is how to live with those promises of success!  For while it is tremendous to have success promised us, we need to understand more about the promises and how to walk into it and with it.  For it is possible to have such promises but fail to grasp it for our personal situations.

This article will examine Joshua 1:1-9 and identify 3 major keys to living with promises of success.  This context of this passage is the immediate period after the death of Moses where the Israelites were challenged to move on by God who offers promises of success.

MOVE FORWARD AND LEAVE YOUR PAST BEHIND

How can we do so?

Reckon the past as dead

Joshua 1:1–2 (NIV) 1 After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ aide: 2 “Moses my servant is dead.

Moses was the mighty servant of the Lord. Unparalleled in His encounter with God, in the divine revelations given him and scale of miracles done through him.  Moses was the greatest prophet of God that ever was!  Joshua was only Moses’s aide, still unproven.

Everyone, including Joshua, had looked to Moses to lead them in God’s ways.  But now Moses is no more.  In such times, there is often a crisis.  Do we continue looking back to Moses or do we look forward with Joshua?  There could be a crisis of leadership.  “We knew Moses but not Joshua!  We dare not move on now!”  As long as we continue to look to past leadership and compare new leaders poorly with past leaders, we will be stuck! Or there could be a crisis due to past relationships.  Perhaps some might think, “I was totally secure in my friendship with Mary and John.  But in this new care group – I feel lost!”  Many struggle to move forward when they continue to hark back to the past, whether good or bad.

God was very direct with Joshua and the Israelites.  Moses His servant is dead.  The time of mourning has passed.  It is time to move on.

What can we learn from God’s actions?  We must not let our past hold us back.  Our experiences: whether it be our past failures, past hurts, past fears, past mindsets, even past glories.  Do not live in the past!  Do not be chained to the past.  Apostle Paul understood this.  Philip 3:13-14 (NIV) 13 "Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."

We attain success not by clinging to what was, but by embracing what could be. 

Do not let the past dictate our promised future.  God has promised us success.  We attain success not by clinging to what was, but by embracing what could be.  Our past should inform us.  We can learn from the past mistakes and successes.  But never let our past constrain us from God’s promises! 

Reckon the future is ours to take

Joshua 1:2b (NIV) …Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites.

The death of Moses marks a new era and a new leader. God has given Joshua a three-fold vision: lead the people into the land, defeat the enemies of the land and claim the inheritance of the land.  It was the same God and same vision as was given to Moses.  We must understand that God will at times raise up new leaders to take over from past leaders.  For it took a Moses to get to the Jordan River.  And will take a Joshua to cross the Jordan River.  If we were chosen like Joshua, we need to rise up to take the mantle that God gives to us.   If we have new leaders over us, accept them as we had accepted past leadership.

The future is ours to take.  But we need to both let go of the past and choose to move on. 

The principle is this.  The future is ours to take.  But we need to both let go of the past and choose to move on.  Imagine driving a car.  To let go without choosing to take the future, is like releasing the handbrake without turning the engine on.  We will be dependent on the slope of the road. We will not have the drive, the momentum to go anywhere meaningful.  On the other hand, if we choose the future without letting go of the past, is like leaving the handbrakes on while we turn on the engine.  The car will struggle to move forward.  What we ought to do is turn on the engine and release the handbrake, then we drive forward easily.

Determine today to let go of the past and move on in God.

EMBRACE GOD’S PROMISES

We are a special people, chosen of God.  A people who has been given many wonderful promises from a covenant-keeping God. Ephesians 1:3 (NIV) "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ."  These are incredible promises.  Yet what good are these promises if we are ignorant of them? If we fail to accept them?  Or fail to claim them?  So what do we need to do?

Embrace God’s will for our lives

Joshua 1:2-4 (NIV) 2 “Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites. 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.

God had His purposes for Joshua and the Israelites, and they had to accept it.  Similarly, God has promised us “territories” to inherit. We are no longer to be grasshoppers. People who are trampled by others, or by Devil.  Some Christians have a poor self-image, thinking, “I will amount to nothing.”  Or think, “That is all I am good for.”  In Christ, we should no longer live in defeat nor in mediocrity.  We are the children of light; we are called to shine forth and there must be an element of excellence. After all, God has called us to be overcomers and conquerors. Romans 8:37 (NIV) "… in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us." 

We must agree with God. Amos 3:3 (NIV) "Do two walk together unless they have agreed to do so?"  We must accept God’s will for our lives in order to walk in it.  Imagine if Joshua had said, “All I want to be is a blacksmith”?

Smith Wigglesworth was a plumber by trade.  At one stage his business was so good his love for God grew cold.  But in the end, he decided to accept God’s will for his life and became a preacher.  God used him greatly to heal multitudes and lead thousands to Christ.

Are you willing to embrace God’s will for your life? 

Embrace God’s promise of power and presence

Joshua 1:5 (NIV) “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.”

God did not tell Joshua to take the land with his own strength.  But with God’s.  Isaiah 41:10, 13 (NIV) "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. … For I am the LORD, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you."

God will give the necessary power to accomplish what He calls us to.  For we will face challenges, even opposition as we carry out God’s will. But whatever He calls us to – He has promised to empower us for it. Empower for success! With the power of God – we will succeed.  Romans 8:31 (NIV) "What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?"

Without God we will fail. We need God’s approving, supportive presence. We are not speaking here of the Holy Spirit residing in us.  But about God being there to back us up!   That is why God’s promise of presence is so assuring.  Matthew 28:20 (NIV) "… And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.""

As we embrace God’s power and presence with us – we have the ingredients to succeed like Joshua did.

Receive God’s promise of prosperity and success

Joshua 1:8 (NIV)  …then you will be prosperous and successful.

God wants us to prosper and succeed.  That is why we should not have a poverty-mentality.  Failure, mediocrity, poverty is not God’s intention for our lives.  I believe for prosperity amongst the members of our church.  Success in marriages, in family, in work, in ministry, in personal development, etc.  In our personal situation, when our second son was coming, we knew that we had to get a house rather than remain in our little 2-bedroom apartment because our eldest son was already over-growing it.  We knew we needed some decent garden space for energetic boys.  As we searched, we discovered how expensive it was and would really stretch our budget.  Yet God miraculously provided a land so cheap that even after building a brand-new house it would be cheaper than 10-year old houses around there.

But we must realize that prosperity and success should not be measured by temporal means alone, such as in finance, status, career.

But we must realize that prosperity and success should not be measured by temporal means alone, such as in finance, status, career.  These are the typical the prosperity doctrine of health and wealth measure.  In fact, the eternal measures are more important such as character, right-standing before God, fulfilling God’s purposes. Of course, it is great to have all these aspects!

By the health and wealth measure we have Abraham, Job, Joseph, David, etc.  On the other hand, we have Paul, Peter, Moses, Samuel, Isaiah, Elijah who did very poorly on the wealth measure.  Yet they were all great man of God!  It is worth noting that God’s servants with primarily spiritual ministry calling usually do not do so well in the wealth department.  In contrast, those with governance or business calling tend to do well.  Yet those who made much sacrifices on earth will receive greater heavenly rewards.   

Even then, must of them realize that prosperity and success is not for personal gain. But rather for the Kingdom. Personal success and prosperity should be a by-product, not the main aim.  For example, God’s blessing is directed towards the whole nation, not just talking about Joshua (v2).

Lai Ling and I have been blessed.  Not because we chased for temporal blessings, but it was a by-product of putting God first! 

MEET GOD’S CONDITIONS TO APPROPRIATE HIS PROMISES

God’s promises can be categorized into 2 kinds: Unconditional and conditional.  Unconditional promises will occur regardless of our response.  For example, God will not flood the world again, Jesus will return again and the judgements of God.  Conditional promises are dependent on our responses and the context.

The promise of success is often conditional.  Such promises are like a coin – one is blessing and the other is responsibility.  We have to fulfil certain criteria because He wants us to take responsibility and to mature as well.  Even as He gives us the grace as well.

Here are some key conditions we observe from the passage:

Master God’s Word (v8a) “Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night…”

To meditate means to ponder and consider over.  Day and night means couple of times daily, to the extent that it is on the tip of our tongue!  If we do not understand God’s Word adequately, how can we understand the principles that God operates by and to abide by it?  Hence it is crucial to memorise God’s Word, consider it carefully until we are familiar with it.

Often Christians lack success because they lack understanding of God’s ways. It is like expecting to win the tennis competitions without attempting to master the finer skills and techniques of tennis.

Obey the whole counsel of God’s Word (v7) “…Be careful to obey all the law…”.

It is important not to understand intellectually but to live it out.  And to obey all of it, not selectively.  Selective obedience reveals that we only obey the parts we agree with.  God’s challenge is to be diligent in obeying all of God’s commands.

Such diligent obedience brings blessings from God.  Yet many Christians are complacent about the little things in life where they compromise.  These compromises often undo us.  Song 2:15 (NIV) "Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards, our vineyards that are in bloom."

Let’s be a people who obey God all the way. 

Be strong and courageous in God (v6-7,9) “Be strong and very courageous…”

The roadblocks that exist between you and your Promised Land may appear insurmountable.  Do not be discouraged but be strong in God. 2 Timothy 1:7 (NIV) "For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power..."

Sometimes, it takes courage to press on to see God’s promises come to pass.  Joshua had to courageously overcome many obstacles.  We can become courageous when we chose to trust God.  When we rely on God to strengthen us.

Apply ourselves fully to the task of promise (v2-3, 5) “every place where you set your foot…”

Joshua and the Israelites were not to just claim God’s promises till they were blue in the face.  They had to go forth and apply themselves fully to the task.  They had be responsible to take the land.  As they applied themselves, the promise of God began to come to pass.  God has given His promises of success.  Now let’s get a hold of it!

CONCLUSION

God has promised us success.  On our part we need to leave the past behind and move on in His promises.  We must understand and receive His promises.  We should appropriate God’s promises by meeting key conditions required by God.  As we do so, we will begin to see the success promised by God.

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Copyright©️2025 by Wilson Lim & Lai Ling Lim. All rights reserved. Materials are free to be distributed in whole or part as long as proper acknowledgement is given to the author and not sold for profit.