Holy Cow! - #257

How much time do you invest actually “chewing” on God’s Word each day? 

Learn more about the ministry of The Purity Coach at  http://www.thepuritycoach.com

Transcript

True success isn’t measured by climbing some ladder or gaining applause from the world. It’s found in knowing God more deeply and making choices that honor Him. When you do that, you’re succeeding at the very thing you were created to do. That’s the kind of success that sticks, the kind that fills your life with purpose and peace because it’s rooted in God’s plan, not your own hustle.

Welcome to The Point of Purity Podcast. A powerful weekly study filled to the brim with the all the tools from Scripture you will ever need to build a lasting life of Biblical purity and godliness. I’m your host Steve Etner – author, National Speaker, Certified Professional Mentor TM and Purity Coach for The Pure Man Ministry and this is Episode #257 entitled “Holy Cow!” 

Joshua 1:8 God says “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”

I want you to catch something really important in this verse. There’s an order there. It’s not random. It’s not accidental. God doesn’t start with success. He starts with Scripture. In other words, the lifestyle change doesn’t begin with trying harder or setting better goals. It begins with filling your mind and heart with God’s truth. And not just reading it quickly and moving on—but actually meditating on it. Turning it over in your mind. Letting it challenge you. Letting it correct you. Letting it shape how you think about your day, your relationships, your decisions.

And here’s the key: it’s only when we meditate on God’s Word and actually apply it to our everyday lives that real change happens. When you choose to obey what God says—especially when it’s inconvenient or uncomfortable—you’re choosing your course of life. You’re deciding the direction you’re going to walk.

God tells Joshua that then he will make his way prosperous. That word “prosperous” isn’t about money or status or climbing some ladder. It carries the idea of accomplishing your purpose—reaching the goal. So, let’s think about that for a minute. What’s the goal for every born-again believer? It’s to know God more deeply and to glorify Him in everything we think, say, and do.

So, when you meditate daily on Scripture, and then you choose daily to live it out—when you forgive because God says forgive, when you trust instead of panic, when you obey even when it costs you—that’s when your life starts moving in the right direction. That’s when you’re actually achieving your ultimate goal. That’s real prosperity.

We’ve been conditioned to think prosperity means the American dream—house, success, recognition, comfort. But biblical prosperity is different. It’s about alignment. It’s about your life lining up with God’s will. It’s about walking so closely with Him that your thoughts, your reactions, and your priorities begin to reflect His heart.

And here’s the beautiful part: when you live that way, you begin to experience the contentment, peace, and godliness God has already promised. Not because everything around you is perfect—but because your life is anchored in Him. That’s good success. That’s a prosperous way.

So, prosperity isn’t about having it all. It’s about glorifying Him in it all. And when that becomes your daily pursuit, you’re not just surviving life—you’re living exactly the life God designed you to live.

Alright, check this out—here’s another amazing thing that comes from meditating on God’s Word: according to Joshua 1:8 you’ll “have good success.” And the word God uses for “success” here is interesting. It’s not about getting a fancy job, a raise, or checking off some life goal on a bucket list. The original meaning points to having real insight—understanding who God is and what He’s called you to do. It’s about comprehension, not just knowledge.

When you really get God’s heart and His plans for your life, something incredible happens: your choices start to make sense. You start acting with wisdom, not just reacting. Every decision, every little moment, starts to line up with His will. That’s the kind of success that actually lasts.

Think about it like this: true success isn’t measured by climbing some ladder or gaining applause from the world. It’s found in knowing God more deeply and making choices that honor Him. When you do that, you’re succeeding at the very thing you were created to do. That’s the kind of success that sticks, the kind that fills your life with purpose and peace because it’s rooted in God’s plan, not your own hustle.

It’s a simple but powerful shift—focus on God, know Him, follow Him, and success naturally flows out of that. Everything else? That’s just icing on the cake.

So, let me repeat here that being truly prosperous and successful—at least the way God defines it—doesn’t start with chasing promotions, money, or accolades. It starts with the simple, daily practice of investing time in His Word. When we take the time to meditate on Scripture and then choose to live it out, that obedience itself becomes our act of worship. It’s not just reading for knowledge or habit—it’s reading with the intention of letting it shape us, guide us, and change how we live – all for the ultimate goal of glorifying our Heavenly Father.

God even gives us a blueprint for this. In Deuteronomy 17:19, He tells us to read His Word all the days of our life, so we can learn to revere Him and follow His commands carefully. And in Psalms 1:2-3, He paints this beautiful picture of what happens when we do: we delight in His Word, meditate on it day and night, and we become like a tree planted by streams of water—strong, fruitful, thriving. Our lives begin to bear fruit in the right season, our “leaves” don’t wither, and whatever we do prospers.

So, real prosperity in God’s eyes starts with meditating on Him, letting His Word sink into our hearts, and then living it out daily. It’s not complicated, but it’s powerful—and it works. When we make God’s Word the rhythm of our life, success and prosperity aren’t just possible—they almost become a natural by-product of walking with Him.

Let’s bring our focus back to Joshua 1:8 for a minute. Look at what God tells Joshua: “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.” There’s a pattern here—a kind of roadmap—for experiencing true prosperity and success, not just for Joshua, but for us too. God is laying out three key things we need to do, and the first one is all about feeding our souls.

Think about what Paul tells Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:8: physical training has some value, sure, but godliness has value for everything. We all know our bodies need good food, right? Not just any food, but the right kind. The same principle applies to our spiritual lives. We need to feed our souls daily—and we need to do it the right way.

God tells Joshua to keep His Word on his lips. That’s like saying, “Don’t just read it. Feed on it. Meditate on it. Let it sink in.” We need a daily diet of Scripture—something that nourishes, strengthens, and guides us. Jeremiah put it beautifully in Jeremiah 15:16: “When God’s Words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight.” That’s exactly the kind of hunger we need.

So, here’s the truth, my friend: if you want to live a life that’s truly prosperous and successful in God’s eyes, there’s no shortcut. You have to be in His Word every day, listening to Him speak, letting His truth sink deep into your heart. It’s the foundation. Without it, everything else can feel hollow—but with it, you’re feeding your soul in a way that sets the course for the rest of your life.

Alright, let’s talk about the second thing God calls us to in Joshua 1:8: meditation. And I want to be real with you—meditation here doesn’t mean just a quick devotional at breakfast or flipping through a verse right before bed. It’s not just showing up for Sunday service, hearing a great sermon, and thinking you’re done for the week. Nope. God’s talking about getting in His Word every single day—reading it, studying it, letting it sink in, letting it shape your thoughts, decisions, and actions.

And here’s the kicker: it’s not a one-time thing. Meditation means carrying it with you throughout the day. Thinking about it, asking yourself how it applies to your work, your relationships, your conversations. Letting God’s truth steer your steps in real time.

So, let me ask you—have you really read your Bible today? I mean read, not just glanced at it or scrolled through a verse. And when you read it, did it stick? Do you remember what God was trying to show you? Were you asking Him, “God, how do I live this today?” That’s what meditation is—taking what you read, chewing on it, praying through it, letting it guide your choices and shape your heart.

It’s daily. It’s intentional. And yes, it’s life changing. Because when your mind and heart are tuned to God’s Word day and night, that’s when your actions start to line up with His purposes—and that’s when real success, the kind God calls prosperity, begins to show up.

Let’s take a closer look at what God means when He tells us to meditate on His Word. And I want to clear something up right away—this meditation isn’t some mystical, exotic thing where you’re sitting cross-legged on the floor, eyes closed, tip of your finger touching your thumb, chanting over and over. That’s not what God has in mind.

The word “meditate” in Joshua 1:8 actually has a much more practical picture. It’s about taking God’s Word and breaking it down into small, chewable pieces so it’s easy to digest, easy to take into your system, and able to give you nourishment and strength. Imagine a cow chewing her cud. That’s exactly the picture God gives us.

But here’s the key: a cow can’t chew cud unless she’s already eaten some grass. Makes sense, right? No grass, no cud. In the same way, you can’t meditate on God’s Word if you haven’t first fed on it. You’ve got to take it in, study it, read it, let it sink in during your devotional time, or while following along in church, or any time you’re reading Scripture. That’s the first step—chewing and swallowing the Word, storing it in your heart for later use.

Now here’s the really interesting part: cows chew their cud mostly when they’re resting. They bring up the grass they ate earlier and chew it again, breaking it down even further. Every time they do this, it goes deeper into their system so they can fully digest it. That’s exactly what God wants for us. Meditation is like bringing up what we’ve read, thinking about it again, letting it sink in, asking God what it means, asking Him how to live it out. It’s chewing on the Word over and over until it’s fully part of us, fully digested, ready to give us strength, guidance, and nourishment for our everyday lives.

It’s not complicated, but it’s intentional. Daily reading, daily thinking, daily asking God, “How does this shape me today?” That’s meditation—and that’s where true spiritual growth, prosperity, and success start to happen.

Think of this illustration of a cow as a really simple way to understand what meditating on Scripture actually looks like. It starts with reading the Word—really feeding on it. You take it in, chew on it, let it settle in your heart. Then, as your day goes on, you bring it back to mind again and again. You think about it, ask questions, wrestle with it a little, and look for how it applies to your life. That’s the “chewing” part.

While you’re doing this, you keep your heart and mind open to the Holy Spirit, asking Him to guide you into God’s truth. As you meditate like this, the principles start to click. You begin to see not just what the Scripture says, but how it should shape your thoughts, your choices, your reactions, your whole day.

And here’s the beautiful part: once you’ve chewed on it and understood it, God starts bringing real-life opportunities for you to put it into action. You might have a conversation that requires patience, a decision that calls for integrity, or a moment to show love where it’s hard—and there you go, the Word you’ve been meditating on comes alive. That, right there, is what meditation really is: reading, thinking, listening, and then living it out. It’s simple, but it’s powerful, and it transforms your life one choice at a time.

Let’s circle back to that cow chewing her cud for a minute—it’s actually a perfect picture for us. Did you know that dairy cows spend nearly 8 hours a day just chewing their cud? That adds up to almost 30,000 chews in a single day! That’s a lot of work just to get their food fully digested.

Now think about yourself: how much time do you actually spend “chewing” on God’s Word each day? How many spiritual chews are you taking? It’s easy to read a verse in the morning and then move on, but meditation is about bringing it back over and over, letting it sink in, letting it shape your thinking and your actions.

There’s a saying that a contented cow is a cow chewing her cud. And I think the same can be said about Christians: a truly content and spiritually healthy believer is someone who is constantly meditating on God’s Word, day in and day out. God tells Joshua—and He’s telling us the same thing in Joshua 1:8: “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.” The meditation—the chewing—isn’t optional. It’s how we grow, how we prosper, and how we experience success that lasts.

So, here’s the challenge: are you taking enough “chews” on God’s Word every day? The more you meditate, the more nourishment you get, and the more your life starts to reflect the God who wrote it.

Alright friends, I’m going to hit the pause button here until next week’s episode. But before we go, I want to make sure you know there’s plenty more you can dive into if today’s study sparked something in you. If you want to dig deeper, or if you’re curious about what we do through The Pure Man Ministry—helping men all over the world find freedom and victory over sexual sin—you can check out our website at ThePurityCoach.com. We’ve got a ton of resources waiting for you there.

One resource I really want to remind you about is my book, “Living Free: Victory thru Surrender” available on Amazon right now. Life can feel like a constant battle for the heart, and this book is designed to help you face that head-on. It challenges you to examine your worship, your focus, your desires, and even the very foundation of your faith. In short, it’s about learning how to live in victory over sin by fully surrendering to God.

So here’s my invitation: head over to Amazon and grab your copy of “Living Free: Victory thru Surrender” Join me on this journey of transformation—learning what it really looks like to live free, not by chasing the fleeting desires of the flesh, but by giving your whole heart to the only One who can truly satisfy your soul. This is where lasting freedom, peace, and purpose are found—and I’d love for you to experience it for yourself.

And if you have not yet subscribed to this podcast, let me encourage you to do so today so you won’t miss any of our upcoming episodes! So, until next time this is Steve Etner – author, National Speaker, Certified Professional Mentor TM and Purity Coach for The Pure Man Ministry – reminding you that if you are going to glorify God in your everyday living, He must first be glorified in your every moment thinking.