Zion Church | The Pathway to Success Part 7 | Pastor Keith Battle

Devotional

Day 1: Meditate on God's Word for consistent, godly success.

This verse sets the roadmap: keep God's Word on your lips and in your heart so your actions line up with His instructions. Meditating day and night is a daily discipline that shapes decisions, steadies grief, and redirects focus back to God's plan instead of what was lost. Commit to small, consistent moments with Scripture so the promise of "good success" becomes the pattern of your life. [00:35]

Joshua 1:8 (ESV) — This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, 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.

Reflection: What is one concrete 10–15 minute habit you will start this week to meditate on Scripture day and night (for example: morning reading, midday verse memorization, or an evening reflection), and how will you protect that time from being squeezed out?

Day 2: Grief has its season; don't stay there.

There is a God-ordained season for mourning and a time to move toward the plan God still has for life. Staying in the grief season longer than necessary can keep a person from stepping into their assignment, so learning the rhythm of grieving rightly matters. Take permission to mourn, then identify one next step that honors the loss but also honors God's ongoing purpose for you. [08:26]

Ecclesiastes 3:1-4 (ESV) — For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance.

Reflection: Which specific area of loss are you still stuck in, and what is one practical, time-bound step you can take this week to “arise and go” toward the plan God is calling you to?

Day 3: Wait on the Lord; receive renewed strength.

When weariness comes, the spiritual response is not only physical rest but a return to God where weakness is braided to His strength. Waiting for the Lord—being still, trusting, and drawing strength from Him—creates a pattern of renewal: you receive strength, and when you tire again, you return and are renewed. Practice small regular rhythms of waiting so God refills you before exhaustion leads to poor choices. [15:46]

Isaiah 40:28-31 (ESV) — Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

Reflection: Name one sign you notice when you are spiritually or physically running on empty; what is one specific practice (a daily 10-minute quiet time, an evening “unplug,” or a midweek retreat) you will begin to braid your weakness to God’s strength?

Day 4: God desires your health and overall prosperity.

God’s care is holistic—He wants spiritual flourishing to be accompanied by physical and emotional well-being, not separated from it. Prosperity in God’s economy includes healthy habits, wise stewardship of the body, and spiritual growth so that material blessings can be truly enjoyed. Work with the Lord: pursue natural wisdom (rest, nutrition, rhythm) and trust Him for healing and provision. [12:07]

3 John 1:2 (Amplified Bible) — Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers.

Reflection: Which one health habit (sleep schedule, hydration, movement, or medical check-up) will you commit to this week to align your physical life with the spiritual flourishing you seek?

Day 5: Don't sacrifice health chasing earthly wealth.

Relentless hustle that ignores rest and Sabbath can lead to illness and derail the very success being pursued. The wisdom of Scripture calls for discernment: work diligently, but do not toil to the point of harming your body or soul. Reclaim rhythms of Sabbath and margin so work serves life, not destroys it—give yourself permission to rest without guilt. [34:17]

Proverbs 23:4 (ESV) — Do not toil to acquire wealth; be discerning enough to desist.

Reflection: What specific boundary will you set this week to protect rest (for example: one no-work day, a bedtime cutoff, or a weekly unplugged evening), and who will you tell to help you keep that boundary?

Sermon Summary

Joshua 1:8 gives a clear pathway to good success: keep God’s word in your mouth, meditate on it day and night, and obey it. But to live that out, we have to address what Joshua faced in verses 1–7—real grief and the temptation to stop. God said to Joshua, “Moses my servant is dead… now arise and go.” That’s not harsh; it’s holy direction. Pain is part of our process, but it’s not permitted to halt our purpose. I shared how, after my mother passed, I chose not to go down the hole of bitterness. The plan of God did not die with her, and the plan for your life didn’t die with what you lost either. There’s a time to grieve and a time to move on—wisdom is knowing which time it is.

Another barrier to living in God’s plan is neglecting health. Whatever you do in life, you must do it in your body. Scripture prays that we prosper and be in health as our soul prospers. One of the most neglected forms of wisdom is rest. God isn’t lazy, yet He modeled a rhythm of rest. Rest renews clarity, steadies emotions, helps your body repair, and can literally save lives. Beyond physical sleep, there’s a deeper rest that comes from waiting on the Lord—braiding our weakness into His strength. Soul-tired people don’t need more caffeine; they need the Shepherd who makes us lie down and restores our souls.

Some of us are exhausted because we’re working past God’s limits—up late, up early, living on vending machines and drive-thrus, calling it hustle when it’s actually unbelief. Scripture says it’s vain to rise early and stay up late “eating the bread of anxious toil,” because God gives to His beloved even in sleep. Jesus Himself stopped to rest, took naps, and said to His team, “Come away… and rest a while.” Caregivers and parents, especially, need to hear this: you may need to step away from the people you serve so you don’t fall apart. And honor a Sabbath rhythm—if we refuse rest, our bodies will take it for us through illness.

Give yourself permission to rest without guilt. Give yourself permission to move forward without shame. The plan is still intact. Arise and go.

Key Takeaways

1. Pain cannot cancel your calling Pain must be acknowledged but not enthroned. If loss becomes the lens for every decision, purpose gets postponed indefinitely. God’s directive to Joshua was compassionate and clear: arise and go. Honor your grief, then honor the plan. [03:19]
2. Grief has a season, not a schedule Scripture marks a time to weep and a time to dance. Healthy grieving is honest but not endless; it releases us to re-engage life with gratitude for what remains. Refusing to move forward isn’t loyalty; it borders on idolatry. [09:05]
3. Rest is a spiritual discipline God modeled a rhythm of rest, and Jesus practiced it. Waiting on the Lord braids our weakness into His strength and restores the soul. Without rest, judgment blurs, anxiety spikes, and we become vulnerable to unwise choices. [15:46]
4. Overwork is often unbelief in disguise “Team no sleep” looks productive but slowly erodes health, clarity, and joy. Scripture calls the cycle of late nights and early mornings “vain,” because God can provide even as we sleep. Trust expresses itself in boundaries, margins, and Sabbath. [21:01]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:35] - Joshua 1:8: Pathway to Good Success
[00:56] - Opening Prayer
[01:41] - Moses Is Dead: Confronting Grief
[04:04] - Personal Loss and Refusing the Pit
[08:26] - A Time to Grieve, A Time to Dance
[11:43] - Health Matters to Your Calling
[13:42] - Rest Is Not Lazy
[15:46] - Renewed Strength from Waiting on God
[21:01] - “Team No Sleep” Is a Trap
[24:49] - Even Jesus Took Naps
[27:44] - Come Away and Rest a While
[29:06] - Caregivers and Parents: Take a Break
[31:57] - Quiet Place and Sabbath Rhythm
[34:17] - Don’t Work Yourself Sick

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading
- Joshua 1:8 (ESV)
"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."

Observation questions (3–4)

Read Joshua 1:8. What are the concrete actions commanded in this verse (the “book of the law,” meditation, careful doing)? Which of those three feels most natural to you right now, and which feels hardest? [00:35]
In Joshua 1:1–7 God tells Joshua, “Moses my servant is dead… now, therefore, arise and go.” What specific obstacle (or pattern of thinking/feeling) in those opening verses would most likely keep someone from obeying verse 8’s pathway to success? [01:41]
Ecclesiastes 3 lists seasons—“a time to weep, a time to dance.” What practical signs indicate a person has stayed too long in the season of grieving (i.e., grief becoming the default lens for decisions)? [08:26]
Isaiah 40 and Psalm 23 describe God renewing strength and restoring the soul. Which descriptions of rest or restoration stand out to you, and why? How do they differ from merely sleeping? [15:46]

Interpretation questions (3–4)

How does the command to “meditate on the law day and night” function for someone in active grief—does meditation invite staying with the pain, or does it create the clarity needed to “arise and go”? Be specific about the connection. [00:35]
The claim that “pain cannot cancel your calling” rests on the idea that loss is part of the process but not the end of the plan. How do Joshua’s circumstances illustrate that theological point, and what assumptions about God’s sovereignty and human responsibility are at work here? [03:19]
The teaching connects overwork with a lack of trust (Scripture calls late nights and anxious toil “vain”). How does the instruction in Psalm 127:2 and the example of Jesus taking breaks reshape the group’s understanding of diligence versus trust? [21:01]
Scripture prays for prosperity and health (3 John 2) while the sermon also urges wise habits. How should the promise of God’s provision in sleep be balanced with disciplining habits that protect physical health? [12:07]

Application questions (4–7)

Name one personal loss you are still carrying. This week, what is one specific, measurable step that would look like “arise and go” for you (e.g., a phone call, volunteering, returning to work, joining a small group)? Set a day and time. [03:19]
Concretely plan one change this week to protect your physical rest (example: go to bed 60 minutes earlier on three weeknights; take a 30-minute nap after lunch on two days). What exactly will you do, and who will hold you accountable? [21:01]
Who are you primarily caring for right now (children, aging parent, emotionally needy friend)? Identify one way to step away for a real break (a sitter, a swap with another caregiver, an overnight away). When will you take that break and who will cover for you? [27:44]
Pick one Sabbath rhythm you will begin or restore in the next 30 days (a specific day/time and one boundary you will practice—no work email, no unpaid tasks, a family meal, a walk). How will you protect that boundary? [32:31]
Choose a short Scripture or two-minute practice you will use when anxiety or soul-tiredness returns (for example: read Isaiah 40:29–31 aloud and sit quietly for two minutes). Name the verse/practice and when you will use it. [17:37]
Find one person in the group who will help you “get with the plan.” Ask them to check in the week after next and use the phrase “Get with the plan” to encourage you. Who will you ask, and when will they check in? [06:22]

Leader note (brief): keep the time balanced between Scripture reading, personal sharing, and concrete accountability steps. Encourage honesty about grief and exhaustion, and close by inviting members to offer one practical help to someone who names a caregiving need.

Sermon Clips

If God is real and he's real in your life, it doesn't matter who leaves. It doesn't matter who betrayed you, who broke up with you, who left you for somebody else, who died on you, who you had to bury. If God is still in your life, you should be able to keep going on with your life. And some of you need to hear these words, arise and go. Arise and go. Because I still got a plan. [00:05:12] (24 seconds) #GodStillHasAPlan

And Joshua, you need to understand that Moses is actually now in the land of the living. You're in the land of the dying. Think about that. Moses is in the land of the living. Joshua's in the land of the dying. I know we got it flipped because we don't understand death from a biblical perspective. But this is the land of the dying where we are. Moses is in glory in heaven. And God's trying to give Joshua a promised land on earth. But he can't get to the promised land because he's stuck in a grief hole. [00:05:37] (30 seconds) #LeaveTheGriefHole

Now, I'm saying if there's a time to cry, you should not be crying all the time. But if the devil has your focus on what you lost, you can never be grateful enough for what you still have. That's a trick. It's a grief trap. It is a grief trap. And there's a way to grieve rightly. Yes, you have time. There are going to be times, but you can't cry all the time. And if there's a time to laugh, you shouldn't be laughing all the time because everything ain't funny. And anybody that jokes all the time is trying to hide the other side of their life. Ooh, that's therapy right there. [00:09:08] (51 seconds) #GrieveRightly

Now, this is very important because grief and pain is going to be a part of your journey. You have to learn how to manage pain, but not allow it to destroy the plan. Because if the devil can use pain to destroy the plan, he knows he's got you. Oh, she will never fulfill her calling. He will never fulfill his assignment. All I got to do is make sure she hurting. Soon as she hurts or she hurt, tap out. [00:11:02] (27 seconds) #KeepThePlanDespitePain

And a lot of us are sick, we're sick because of our habits. Now, I know you want to rebuke the devil, and you rebuke illness and all that. But sometimes you've got to rebuke yourself. You've got to look in the mirror and say, I'll rebuke me. It's not that God can't heal you, but he can heal you miraculously, but your habits can take you right back to where you need another healing. I'm saying, work with the Lord. Let's work together. That's called wisdom. [00:12:50] (31 seconds) #RebukeYourHabits

Now, a lot of things you can talk about when it comes to health, but I want to talk about rest because I think one of our problems is we don't rest enough. There's a mentality amongst us that rest is for lazy people. How many of y'all know God's not lazy? If you know God, you would never call God lazy. You would never call God lazy, but he took a whole day off to rest. And he wasn't even tired. [00:13:42] (27 seconds) #RhythmOfRest

That word wait in the Hebrew means to braid something together. It's taking my weakness and tying it to his strength. It's taking my inadequacy and tying it and binding it to his all sufficiency. And then we become infused with strength. That's how you get it. You rest in the Lord. It's not just about a nap. It's about talking to God and saying, God, I need your strength. Show me what to do. Give me the right answers. Show me which way to go. And he says, if you do that, you'll get new strength. [00:17:43] (31 seconds) #StrengthInWaiting

Even Jesus got tired, y'all. In John chapter 4, Jesus had to walk somewhere. He's going to a well and he, on his way there, the walk and the journey was so long, the Bible says that Jacob's well was where he went. Jesus, so Jesus, tired as he was from his journey, sat down to what? Watch this, y'all. Jesus was tired, so he rested. [00:24:49] (23 seconds) #RestLikeJesus

Ask a question about this sermon

Chatbot

What makes prolonged grief drift into idolatry?

What does waiting on the Lord practically mean?

Why must rest accompany pursuit of good success?