Making Your Way Prosperous

(Prov 12:2 TNIV) Good people obtain favor from the LORD, but he condemns those who devise wicked schemes.

This morning we continue our series, In this verse Solomon contrasts what God does for those who seek to walk in His way (the good) with what He does for those who do not (the wicked). To understand what makes the good people in our text fall into the “good” category, we can simply contrast them with what Solomon tells us about the wicked. Solomon is the clear that the wicked are in the practice of devising wicked schemes.

I believe it is safe to make the assumption then – even though Solomon is not explicitly clear on what makes the good people good – that, at a minimum, the good in the text are in the practice of devising good schemes (or plans). In other words, they spend their day seeking for ways to be a blessing to others. They know that they are in the earth to make a positive impact in the lives of others, so that they can bring glory to God. To that end, they meditate on ways to do good, the devise plans to do good, and they put action to those plans; becoming the light and salt the Father desires for them to be.

To further explain this point, let’s look at something the Father said to Joshua, as he prepared to lead the people into the Promised Land. Jehovah knew that Joshua and His people were going to face great opposition and He wanted to make sure that THEY DID all they were supposed to do, so that He would have NOT have a reason to withhold His blessing. This is what He said to Joshua: “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth (they were to speak God’s Word and His blessing continually); but thou shalt meditate therein day and night (they were to think about the Promises of God non-stop, as they prepared for battle), that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein (not only were they to speak good and think good, but God is a God of action; He expected them to DO good as well): for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.” (Joshua 1:8 my comments added in parenthesis).

Take another look at the latter portion of Joshua 1:8. After Joshua and the people mastered their mouth (speaking the Word), their minds (thinking the Word), and their methods (doing the Word), it is clear that they would experience success; but to whom does God attribute the cause of the success? Jehovah said, “Thou shalt make.” In other words, we you speak, think, and do according to according to God’s will, then we will experience God’s best. If not, we won’t, but it will not be God’s fault. The onus is on us.

So what does Solomon tell us about those that devise wicked schemes? He tells us that God condemns them, but really, as we have learned, they bring the condemnation upon themselves. Hebrew word for “condemns” in this text is the word rasha. This word means: to condemn as guilty; to be causatively wrong. In other words, it means to be wrong because of one’s actions. Later in Proverbs Solomon said, “The curse does not come without a cause” (26:2).

So what does this mean? It means that the law of cause and effect will be in operation in your life today, as it is everyday. I am sure you have a laundry list of things you need to get done, but how you go about doing those things matters. Your words, thoughts, and actions matter to God. Seek to do things God’s way today, so that His favor can be upon your life. Favor can do more in a minute, than labor can do in a lifetime! So do things God’s way today. Give Jehovah a cause to bless you and you will experience what I call “Sweatless victory!”

Father, I declare, by faith, that I master my mouth. I line up my words with Your Word. I speak life and blessing, never death and cursing. I master my mind. I cause my thoughts to align with Your thoughts. I take captive every thought that is not pleasing to You. I also master my methods. Not only to I speak and think as You desire for me to, but I am a person of action. I put action behind my words and thoughts. I DO all that You desire for me to DO and therefore, I declare, that I make my way prosperous and I experience good success today. Favor me Father as I enter this day, by faith! In Jesus’ name. Amen!