Living a successful life is the result of taking consistent steps in the direction God has set before you in His Word, the Bible. Joshua 1:1-11 tells about the steps that Joshua took to lead God’s people into the place of promise. God has a great promise for your life that He’s placed in your heart to step into freedom, and peace, and joy. Even though we can’t see every step ahead of us, we can take what God has given us today and leverage it for tomorrow’s steps.

Joshua 1:1-11 says, After the death of Moses the Lord’s servant, the Lord spoke to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ assistant. He said, “Moses my servant is dead. Therefore, the time has come for you to lead these people, the Israelites, across the Jordan River into the land I am giving them. I promise you what I promised Moses: ‘Wherever you set foot, you will be on land I have given you— from the Negev wilderness in the south to the Lebanon mountains in the north, from the Euphrates River in the east to the Mediterranean Sea in the west, including all the land of the Hittites.’ No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you. “Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do. Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua then commanded the officers of Israel,  “Go through the camp and tell the people to get their provisions ready. In three days you will cross the Jordan River and take possession of the land the Lord your God is giving you.”

STEP 1: Step away from the mistakes of your past. (1:2a)

Moses, their great leader, was gone. In our lives, a big loss is sometimes necessary for us to stop, wake up, and say, “I’m ready now to move forward in my life.”

He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west. Psalm 103:12

Let God remove your sin, along with all the missteps of your past so it doesn’t keep coming back up.

STEP 2: Step up to God’s plan.

Nothing great happens until you are ready to make a commitment. You make commitments and your commitments make your life.

Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed. Proverbs 16:3

When you add up the total of your commitments, you’ll see the potential of your maturity.

 STEP 3: Step by step, follow God’s instructions.

Consistency is the key. Consistent actions produce consistent results.

“Just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to live in obedience to Him.” Colossians 2:6

Your success in life is the combined result of what you do regularly.

But he who looks carefully into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and faithfully abides by it, not having become a [careless] listener who forgets but an active doer [who obeys], he will be blessed and favored by God in what he does [in his life of obedience]. James 1:25 (AMP)

The secret of success is to consistently keep stepping forward in the right direction.

STEP 4: Have a spring in your step!

Don’t forget to pause and celebrate the victories! Remember, you’re not all you’re going to be, but you’re not who you were. Look at how far God has brought you along the way.

 Yes, the Lord has done amazing things for us! What joy! Psalm 126:3

 Your small victories motivate you for the next steps.

 STEP 5: Step on the gas as you continue to the prize.

God always finishes whatever He starts. He reminds us not to get discouraged but to pursue His purpose with passion in every step.

Questions to Consider:

  1. When have you made progress in a situation, struggle, obstacle, challenge, or success over a long period of time. What happened?
  2. How can the principle of persistence and sustained effort help you reach where you need to go?
  3. In Joshua 1:1-11, how do you think the people felt about the “vision” God had given to Moses, now that Moses was dead?
  4. What encouragement do you gain from Joshua 1:9? What areas of your life can you apply this to today?
  5. What next step do you need to take?
    1. Step 1- Connect with Jesus.
    2. Step 2- Connect with God’s people through church partnership and a Connection Group.
    3. Step 3- Take the message of Hope to the world around you. How will you continue to share the hope and love of Jesus?
    4. Step 4- Step into the life God has planned for you- what next step will you take to continue pursuing God’s plan?