Sermon: "God Will Not Let You Prosper" - True Success in God's Eyes
Text: Joshua 1:1-9
Memory Verse: "Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your 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 successful" (Joshua 1:8, NIV 1984).
Section 1: The Deception of Worldly Success
Historical Story: The Rise and Fall of Ivan Boesky - Wall Street's Golden Boy
In the glittering world of 1980s Wall Street, few names commanded more respect and envy than Ivan Boesky. Born to a modest family of Russian immigrants in Detroit, Boesky embodied the American dream of climbing from humble beginnings to extraordinary wealth. By the mid-1980s, he had become the undisputed king of risk arbitrage, a sophisticated form of stock trading that required enormous capital, nerves of steel, and an almost supernatural ability to predict corporate takeovers.
Boesky's rise seemed meteoric and unstoppable. He controlled a fortune estimated at over $200 million, lived in a sprawling 10-bedroom mansion in Westchester County, and owned a 180-foot yacht. His wife enjoyed a lavish lifestyle, and his children attended the most prestigious private schools. The financial press hailed him as a genius, and business schools invited him to lecture on the art of making money. In 1985, he delivered a now-infamous commencement address at UC Berkeley's business school where he declared, "Greed is all right, by the way. I want you to know that. I think greed is healthy. You can be greedy and still feel good about yourself."
Boesky had seemingly mastered the art of success as the world defined it. He commanded respect in boardrooms, his opinions moved markets, and his wealth opened every door in high society. Politicians courted his favor, celebrities sought his company, and aspiring financiers hung on his every word. He had achieved what millions dreamed of – the ultimate American success story of a man who had transcended his modest origins through sheer brilliance and determination.
But beneath the veneer of legitimate success lay a dark secret that would ultimately destroy everything Boesky had built. His extraordinary returns weren't solely the result of brilliant analysis or market intuition – they were the product of an elaborate insider trading scheme that violated the very foundations of fair market practices. Boesky had cultivated a network of corrupt informants within major corporations and investment banks who fed him confidential information about pending mergers and acquisitions. Armed with this illegal intelligence, he could position his trades with virtual certainty of enormous profits.
The scheme was breathtaking in its scope and audacity. Boesky would receive tips about companies that were about to be acquired, purchase massive positions in their stock before the public announcement, then sell at huge profits when the news broke and share prices soared. He paid his sources handsomely – sometimes hundreds of thousands of dollars for a single tip – but the profits were so enormous that these payments seemed insignificant.
For years, Boesky's insider trading network operated with impunity. The Securities and Exchange Commission's surveillance technology was primitive compared to today's standards, and the sheer volume of legitimate arbitrage trading provided perfect cover for his illegal activities. He grew increasingly bold, accumulating positions worth tens of millions of dollars based on stolen information. His success bred arrogance, and he began to believe he was untouchable.
The beginning of the end came in 1986 when federal investigators, pursuing a separate case against another Wall Street figure, uncovered evidence of Boesky's illegal activities. The investigation revealed a web of corruption that reached into the highest levels of American finance. When confronted with overwhelming evidence, Boesky agreed to cooperate with authorities, hoping to reduce his sentence by exposing other participants in the scheme.
The fall was as spectacular as the rise had been. In November 1986, Boesky was arrested and charged with securities fraud. He agreed to pay $100 million in penalties – the largest such fine in Wall Street history at that time – and received a three-year prison sentence. But the financial penalties were just the beginning of his losses. His reputation was destroyed overnight, his business empire collapsed, and his personal relationships crumbled under the weight of scandal and shame.
The man who had once been celebrated as a financial genius became a symbol of greed and corruption. His mansion was sold to pay legal fees and penalties, his yacht was auctioned off, and his marriage ended in a bitter divorce. Former friends and associates distanced themselves, and his name became synonymous with everything that was wrong with 1980s excess. The Ivan Boesky who had once commanded respect in the highest circles of American finance now found himself a pariah, his legacy forever tainted by his pursuit of success at any cost.
Even more tragic was the realization that Boesky's hunger for more had cost him everything that truly mattered. In his relentless pursuit of wealth and status, he had compromised his integrity, destroyed his family relationships, and ultimately lost not just his fortune but his freedom. The success he had chased so desperately proved to be an illusion – a hollow achievement built on lies and deception that crumbled the moment it was exposed to the light of truth.
Application: The Mirage of Worldly Prosperity
Like Ivan Boesky, many of us have been seduced by the world's definition of success and prosperity. We measure our worth by our bank accounts, our status by our possessions, and our success by how we appear to others. This worldly pursuit of prosperity often becomes the driving force behind destructive choices – choices that may have led some of us to where we are today.
The desire to "make it" in the world's eyes can become so consuming that we lose sight of what truly matters. We compromise our values, damage our relationships, and sometimes break the law in pursuit of a success that ultimately proves hollow and temporary. Boesky's story reminds us that worldly success without moral foundation is like building a house on sand – it may look impressive for a time, but it cannot withstand the storms that inevitably come.
God's definition of prosperity is fundamentally different from the world's. While the world measures success by accumulation, God measures it by obedience. While the world values appearance, God values character. While the world seeks temporary gain, God offers eternal reward.
Reflection Activity: Examining Our Definition of Success
Take a few moments to honestly examine your own relationship with success and prosperity:
Write down what "success" meant to you before your current circumstances
List the specific ways you pursued that success
Identify any compromises you made in pursuit of worldly prosperity
Consider how those pursuits affected your relationships, your character, and your spiritual life
Challenging Questions:
What drove your pursuit of worldly success, and how did it influence the choices that led to your current situation?
How has your understanding of true prosperity changed through your experiences?
What would it look like to pursue God's definition of success instead of the world's?
How might your life be different if you had measured success by obedience to God rather than worldly achievement?
Section 2: God's Unshakeable Promises and Faithfulness
Historical Story: Hudson Taylor and the China Inland Mission - Faith in God's Provision
In 1865, a young Englishman named Hudson Taylor sat on the beach at Brighton, England, wrestling with what seemed like an impossible calling. At just 33 years old, Taylor had already spent seven grueling years as a missionary in China, witnessing firsthand the spiritual darkness that engulfed the world's most populous nation. During his time there, he had seen the devastating effects of the Opium Wars, experienced the suspicion and hostility of local populations, and struggled with inadequate resources and support from traditional missionary societies.
What burdened Taylor most deeply was a staggering statistic that haunted his every waking moment: over 400 million Chinese people lived and died without ever hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Existing missionary efforts were concentrated almost exclusively in the coastal cities, leaving the vast interior of China – eleven entire provinces – completely unreached. Traditional missionary societies were reluctant to venture into these remote, dangerous regions, citing the enormous costs, logistical challenges, and very real threat of persecution and death.
As Taylor walked along that beach in Brighton, he carried with him a vision that seemed humanly impossible. He believed God was calling him to establish a new kind of missionary organization – one that would penetrate deep into China's interior and reach those unreached millions with the Gospel. But the obstacles were overwhelming. He had no wealthy sponsors, no denominational backing, and no guarantee of financial support. The few people he had shared his vision with thought he was either naive or delusional.
The traditional missionary societies of his day operated on solid financial foundations, with guaranteed funding from wealthy donors and established churches. They sent missionaries only after securing adequate financial backing and maintaining comfortable reserves. Taylor's vision, by contrast, would require sending missionaries into the most remote and dangerous regions of China with no guaranteed income, no emergency funds, and no earthly security except faith in God's provision.
On that pivotal day in Brighton, Taylor made a decision that would seem foolhardy by any worldly standard. He knelt on the beach and prayed a prayer that would echo through missionary history: "Praying for twenty-four willing, skillful laborers at Brighton, June 25, 1865." With no money in hand, no organizational structure, and no human promises of support, Hudson Taylor founded the China Inland Mission based solely on his belief that the same God who had called him would also provide for the mission.
What followed was a remarkable demonstration of God's faithfulness that would span decades and transform countless lives. Taylor's approach was revolutionary – instead of waiting for adequate funding, he would trust God to provide day by day. He refused to make public appeals for money, instead believing that God would move the hearts of donors as He saw fit. Missionaries would receive no guaranteed salary but would trust God to meet their needs through the generosity of believers who felt called to support the work.
The early years tested this faith repeatedly. There were times when missionaries went to bed not knowing where their next meal would come from, only to find provisions mysteriously appearing at their door. Taylor documented instance after instance of God's precise timing – bills arriving just as funds became available, food delivered exactly when supplies ran out, and medical needs met through unexpected sources.
One particularly striking example occurred during a severe famine in China. The mission's funds were completely exhausted, and Taylor himself was down to his last few coins. The missionaries were facing genuine starvation, and critics were already preparing to say "I told you so" about his reckless faith-based approach. On the very day when the situation seemed most hopeless, Taylor received a letter from England containing not just enough money to meet their immediate needs, but exactly the amount needed to purchase food for both the missionaries and the famine victims they were serving.
But God's faithfulness extended far beyond financial provision. The China Inland Mission grew from Taylor's initial prayer for 24 workers to become one of the largest missionary organizations in the world, eventually sending over 800 missionaries to China. These men and women, following Taylor's example of faith-based living, penetrated regions that had never heard the Gospel and established churches throughout China's interior.
More remarkably, God's faithfulness was demonstrated not just in provision but in protection. Despite operating in regions torn by civil war, bandit attacks, and violent anti-foreign sentiment, the mission experienced God's supernatural protection time and again. While missionaries certainly faced hardships and some even gave their lives for the Gospel, the survival and growth of the mission itself was nothing short of miraculous.
Taylor's later years brought vindication of his faith-based approach. By the time of his death in 1905, the China Inland Mission had established a permanent Christian presence throughout China's interior. The mission had distributed millions of portions of Scripture, established hundreds of churches, and trained thousands of Chinese Christian leaders. All of this was accomplished not through human planning and financial security, but through simple trust in God's promise to provide for those who seek first His kingdom.
Perhaps most significantly, Taylor's example inspired countless others to trust God's faithfulness in seemingly impossible circumstances. His biography became one of the most widely read missionary stories of all time, and his motto – "God's work done in God's way will never lack God's supply" – became a rallying cry for faith-based ministry around the world.
The China Inland Mission's success under Taylor's leadership proved that God's promises are not mere words of comfort but reliable foundations upon which lives and ministries can be built. When human resources seemed inadequate and earthly security was nowhere to be found, God's faithfulness proved more solid than any bank account or human guarantee.
Application: Trusting God's Promises in Our Circumstances
Hudson Taylor's story powerfully illustrates the truth that Joshua discovered – when God makes a promise, He is faithful to keep it, regardless of how impossible our circumstances may appear. Just as God promised Joshua the land and then faithfully provided everything needed to possess it, God has made promises to us that remain true even in our current situation.
Like Joshua facing the daunting task of conquering the Promised Land, we may feel overwhelmed by the challenges before us – rebuilding our lives, restoring relationships, overcoming our past failures, or finding purpose after release. The obstacles seem insurmountable, and our resources feel inadequate. But God's character hasn't changed. The same faithfulness He showed to Joshua and to Hudson Taylor, He extends to us.
God's promises to us include His presence (Hebrews 13:5 - "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you"), His provision (Matthew 6:26 - "Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?"), and His purpose for our lives (Jeremiah 29:11 - "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you hope and a future").
The key difference between worldly security and God's faithfulness is that worldly security can be taken away – as Ivan Boesky learned – but God's promises are unchanging and eternal. While we cannot control our circumstances, we can choose to trust in God's proven faithfulness.
Reflection Activity: Identifying God's Faithfulness in Your Life
Take time to recognize how God has already demonstrated His faithfulness in your life:
Write down three specific ways God has provided for you, even in difficult circumstances
Identify moments when you experienced God's presence during your darkest times
List promises from Scripture that speak directly to your current situation
Consider how God might be preparing you for a specific purpose through your current experiences
Challenging Questions:
How has your current situation challenged or strengthened your faith in God's promises?
What specific promises of God do you need to hold onto as you face an uncertain future?
How might God be using your current circumstances to teach you to depend on His faithfulness rather than worldly security?
What would it look like to live each day trusting in God's provision rather than worrying about tomorrow?
Section 3: True Success - Obedience Over Achievement
Historical Story: Dietrich Bonhoeffer - Choosing God's Definition of Success
In the spring of 1939, Dietrich Bonhoeffer stood at the crossroads of what appeared to be two vastly different destinies. At just 33 years old, this brilliant German theologian had already established himself as one of Europe's most promising young scholars. He held a doctorate in theology, had authored influential books, and was considered a rising star in academic circles. An invitation to teach at Union Theological Seminary in New York City represented everything the world would consider success – safety, prestige, financial security, and the opportunity to build an illustrious career far from the growing dangers of Nazi Germany.
Bonhoeffer had every worldly reason to accept this prestigious position. Adolf Hitler's regime was tightening its grip on Germany, and the Nazis were increasingly hostile toward anyone who dared to oppose their ideology. The German church was fracturing under pressure, with many pastors and theologians either embracing Nazi doctrine or retreating into silence to protect their careers and lives. Bonhoeffer's own theological writings had already put him on the radar of Nazi authorities, and his involvement with the Confessing Church – a movement that rejected Nazi influence in Christianity – made him a marked man.
From a purely practical standpoint, staying in America made perfect sense. Bonhoeffer could continue his theological work in freedom, build his reputation as a scholar, and live comfortably while watching the European crisis unfold from a safe distance. His friends and colleagues urged him to remain in New York, arguing that he could serve God more effectively alive and free than dead or imprisoned in Germany. The world's definition of success and wisdom pointed clearly toward accepting the American position.
But as Bonhoeffer prayed and studied Scripture during his brief time in New York, he became increasingly convinced that God's definition of success was radically different from the world's. He found himself drawn repeatedly to passages about taking up one's cross and following Christ, about counting the cost of discipleship, and about the call to suffer for righteousness' sake. Despite every rational argument for staying in America, Bonhoeffer felt God calling him back to Germany to stand with his people during their darkest hour.
The decision he made would puzzle worldly minds then and now. After just 26 days in New York, Bonhoeffer made the seemingly foolish choice to return to Nazi Germany. He wrote to a friend, "I have come to the conclusion that I made a mistake in coming to America. I must live through this difficult period in our national history with the people of Germany. I will have no right to participate in the reconstruction of Christian life in Germany after the war if I do not share the trials of this time with my people."
What followed was a demonstration of what true success looks like in God's eyes – not the accumulation of worldly achievements, but faithful obedience to God's calling regardless of personal cost. Bonhoeffer returned to Germany and immediately threw himself into the underground resistance against Nazi ideology. He helped establish an illegal seminary to train pastors who refused to compromise with Nazi doctrine, knowing that this work put him in constant danger of arrest.
As the war progressed, Bonhoeffer's resistance activities intensified. He joined a conspiracy to assassinate Hitler, believing that sometimes Christian love requires taking extreme action to protect the innocent. This decision would later generate theological debate, but for Bonhoeffer, it represented the ultimate expression of his commitment to live out his faith in concrete action rather than abstract theory.
The world's definition of success would have kept Bonhoeffer safe in America, building his career and reputation. God's definition of success led him to an underground seminary, then to prison, and ultimately to a Nazi concentration camp. On April 9, 1945, just days before the camp's liberation by Allied forces, Dietrich Bonhoeffer was executed by hanging on direct orders from Heinrich Himmler.
By every worldly measure, Bonhoeffer's choice was catastrophic. He threw away a promising career, abandoned financial security, and ultimately lost his life at the young age of 39. He never married his fiancée, never had children, never built the academic legacy he could have achieved in America. His death appeared to be a tragic waste of brilliant potential.
But God's perspective on success tells a dramatically different story. Bonhoeffer's writings from prison became some of the most influential Christian works of the 20th century, inspiring countless believers to live out their faith with courage and integrity. His example of costly discipleship challenged comfortable Christianity and called believers to take their faith seriously. His theological insights about the church's responsibility to stand against evil became prophetic voices for future generations.
More importantly, Bonhoeffer achieved what God values most – faithful obedience to His calling. While the world measured success by safety, comfort, and achievement, Bonhoeffer measured it by faithfulness to God's Word and will. His choice to return to Germany demonstrated that he understood true prosperity comes not from accumulating worldly goods but from walking in obedience to God's commands, regardless of the personal cost.
The camp doctor who witnessed Bonhoeffer's execution wrote later: "I saw Pastor Bonhoeffer kneeling on the floor praying fervently to God. I was most deeply moved by the way this lovable man prayed, so devout and so certain that God heard his prayer. At the place of execution, he again said a short prayer and then climbed the few steps to the gallows, brave and composed. In the almost fifty years that I worked as a doctor, I have hardly ever seen a man die so entirely submissive to the will of God."
This was true success – not the accumulation of worldly achievements, but the peace that comes from knowing you have been faithful to God's calling. Bonhoeffer's life demonstrated that prosperity in God's eyes is measured not by what we gain but by how faithfully we follow His Word, even when that path leads through suffering and sacrifice.
His final legacy proves that those who choose God's definition of success over the world's may lose everything the world values, but they gain something infinitely more precious – the approval of God and the knowledge that their lives have been invested in eternal purposes that outlast any earthly achievement.
Application: Redefining Success Through Obedience
Bonhoeffer's story powerfully illustrates the central truth of Joshua 1:8 – that true prosperity and success come through careful obedience to God's Word, not through worldly achievement. Like Bonhoeffer, we face the choice between the world's definition of success and God's definition, and that choice often requires us to embrace what appears foolish by worldly standards.
The world tells us that success means climbing the ladder, accumulating wealth, gaining recognition, and securing our future. God's Word tells us that success means faithful obedience to His commands, regardless of whether that obedience leads to worldly prosperity or worldly loss. The world measures success by external achievements; God measures it by internal faithfulness.
This truth is particularly relevant for those of us who have experienced the consequences of choosing the world's definition of success over God's. Perhaps our pursuit of worldly prosperity led us to compromise our integrity, damage our relationships, or make choices that ultimately brought us to where we are today. But God offers us a different path – one that defines success not by what we accumulate but by how faithfully we follow His Word.
In our current circumstances, we have a unique opportunity to embrace God's definition of success. We can choose to meditate on His Word day and night, to obey His commands completely, and to find our prosperity in fulfilling His purposes for our lives. This may not lead to worldly recognition or financial wealth, but it leads to something far more valuable – the approval of God and the deep satisfaction that comes from knowing we are living according to His will.
True success means that when we are released, we measure our progress not by how quickly we rebuild our worldly status, but by how faithfully we continue to walk in obedience to God's Word. It means finding our identity not in our achievements but in our relationship with God. It means discovering that the prosperity God offers – peace, purpose, and eternal significance – is far more valuable than anything the world can provide.
Reflection Activity: Measuring Success God's Way
Take time to honestly evaluate your current understanding of success:
List the ways you have measured success in the past versus how God measures success
Identify specific areas where you need to choose obedience to God's Word over worldly achievement
Write down one concrete way you can begin to "meditate on God's Word day and night" in your current situation
Consider what "success" would look like in your life if you measured it entirely by faithfulness to God rather than worldly standards
Challenging Questions:
How has your understanding of true success changed through your current experiences?
What would it look like for you to choose obedience to God's Word even when it doesn't lead to worldly prosperity?
How can you begin to find your identity in God's approval rather than in worldly achievements?
What specific steps can you take today to align your definition of success with God's definition?
Conclusion: Choosing God's Path to True Prosperity
As we reflect on these three powerful stories – Ivan Boesky's pursuit of worldly wealth that led to destruction, Hudson Taylor's faith in God's promises that led to miraculous provision, and Dietrich Bonhoeffer's obedience to God's calling that led to eternal significance – we see clearly the fundamental choice that faces each of us: Will we pursue prosperity as the world defines it, or will we embrace success as God defines it?
The lie that "God will not let you prosper" is exposed when we understand what true prosperity actually means. God is not opposed to our success – He deeply desires that we prosper and succeed. But His definition of prosperity is radically different from the world's. While the world measures prosperity by the size of our bank accounts, God measures it by the depth of our obedience. While the world defines success by what we accumulate, God defines it by how faithfully we follow His Word.
Joshua's charge from God reveals the pathway to true prosperity: "Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your 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 successful" (Joshua 1:8). Notice the order – obedience comes first, then prosperity follows. Meditation on God's Word leads to careful obedience, which leads to true success.
This is not a prosperity gospel that promises health and wealth to all believers. Rather, it is the promise that those who align their lives with God's Word will experience the deep satisfaction and eternal significance that comes from fulfilling God's purposes for their lives. This prosperity may include material blessings, but it goes far beyond them to encompass peace, purpose, meaningful relationships, and the joy of knowing we are living according to God's will.
Our current circumstances provide a unique opportunity to embrace this biblical understanding of prosperity. Stripped of many worldly distractions and forced to confront the consequences of pursuing success by worldly standards, we can choose to rebuild our lives on the solid foundation of God's Word. We can learn to meditate on Scripture day and night, to seek God's will above our own desires, and to find our identity in His approval rather than in worldly achievement.
The promise remains as true for us today as it was for Joshua thousands of years ago: If we will be careful to do everything written in God's Word, we will be prosperous and successful by His standards. This prosperity may not look impressive to the world, but it will satisfy our souls in ways that worldly success never could.
As we face the future – whether that involves remaining where we are or preparing for eventual release – we can do so with confidence in God's promises and commitment to His definition of success. We can choose to measure our progress not by how quickly we regain worldly status, but by how faithfully we grow in obedience to God's Word. We can find our hope not in accumulating wealth or impressing others, but in knowing that we are walking in God's will and fulfilling His purposes for our lives.
Final Challenge:
The choice is before you today. Will you continue to believe the lie that God will not let you prosper, or will you embrace His promise of true prosperity through obedience to His Word? Will you spend your time here pursuing worldly success, or will you use this opportunity to learn what it means to prosper in God's eyes?
I challenge you to begin today to meditate on God's Word day and night. Find a passage of Scripture that speaks to your situation and commit it to memory. Begin each day by reading God's Word and asking Him to help you be careful to do everything written in it. Measure your success not by worldly standards but by your faithfulness to God's commands.
Choose to believe that God desires your prosperity – true prosperity that comes through walking in His ways. Trust in His promises, rely on His faithfulness, and commit yourself to obedience to His Word. This is the path to success that the world cannot give and cannot take away.
Closing Prayer:
Heavenly Father, we thank You that You are a God who desires our prosperity and success. Forgive us for pursuing the world's definition of prosperity and for believing the lie that You would withhold good things from us. Help us to understand that true success comes through obedience to Your Word, not through worldly achievement.
Lord, we acknowledge that our pursuit of worldly prosperity may have led us to make choices that brought us to where we are today. We confess our failures and ask for Your forgiveness. Thank You that Your grace is sufficient to cover our past mistakes and that Your plans for us are good, even in our current circumstances.
Give us the strength and wisdom to meditate on Your Word day and night. Help us to be careful to do everything written in it. Transform our understanding of success and prosperity so that we seek Your approval above all else. May we find our identity not in our achievements but in our relationship with You.
Father, just as You were faithful to Joshua, Hudson Taylor, and Dietrich Bonhoeffer, we trust in Your faithfulness to us. Be with us in our current situation. Provide for our needs, protect us from harm, and give us courage to face each day. Help us to see how You might be using these circumstances to shape us into the people You want us to be.
As we face an uncertain future, help us to trust in Your promises rather than in worldly security. Give us peace that comes from knowing we are walking in Your will. Help us to measure our success by Your standards, not the world's standards.
Use us, Lord, right where we are, to bring glory to Your name. Help us to be lights in dark places and to demonstrate to others what it means to find true prosperity in You. May our lives be testimonies to Your goodness and faithfulness.
We pray all of this in the precious name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, who gave up all worldly success to obey Your will and who calls us to follow in His footsteps. Amen.
