When we hear prosperity, we think rich. When we think rich, we think opulence, which is luxuriant. But prosperity means successful, not necessarily rich.

Success is a solid, biblical word. God promised it to Joshua, as recorded in Joshua 1:8, when He told him to meditate on the Word of God day and night.

Success or prosperity should be the goal of every person.

The writer of Psalm 1 couples the concept of "blessed" with "prosper" in verses 1 and 3. Psalm 1 describes the way to prosperity or success.

First of all, it says, "Do not walk in the counsel of the wicked." The counsel of the wicked is aptly described in Proverbs 1:11-13. Verse 11 says, "Let us lie in wait [wait meaning sneaky and invasive], let us waylay some harmless soul." It is the way of the thief to strike the unsuspecting.

The counsel of the wicked is to lie, cheat, and steal. Proverbs 11:1 declares, "The LORD abhors dishonest scales." When people have power over us, they can act wickedly when they use that power to advance themselves in dishonesty.

Psalm 1 also speaks of the way of the sinner. The sinner and the wicked are hand in hand. Both readily violate God's ways, for temporary profit or pleasure. Both fulfill the role of a fool, which God describes in Psalm 14:1: "The fool says in his heart, 'There is no God.'"

The wicked and the sinner both could be rich in the world's goods temporarily, but that is far from biblical success.

Psalm 1 also speaks of the mocker or scoffer. These are the cynical ones. They possibly tasted of the ways of God but did not persevere in the steps laid out by God, and they were turned aside by wrong expectations or a time of testing brought about by God.

The mocker can be more dangerous than one who is merely wicked or sinful. The mocker doesn't just prey on good people; he seeks to destroy them. God says, "Do not go that way!"

If people are going to be blessed by God and have success, they need to immerse themselves in the Word of God. God's Word speaks in principles that never change. Every legitimate means of "success" touted by all the gurus is rooted in God's Word. Why not bypass all the gurus and go straight to the source?

God promises that the one who is seeking Him in His Word will be like a tree planted by a river--a tree set in a good spot, with plenty of water and nutrients to sink its roots into.

God doesn't promise an absence of storms or drought; they will come. But the person planted in the Word of God will have the wisdom and strength to weather any storm and be sustained in the drought.

There is nothing quick about success or true prosperity. The analogy of the tree applies well. It takes time to grow a tree. It takes time to achieve true success.