Find Success

We all love to be successful.  We like our lives to be peaceful, happy and productive. “Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and have success.”   (Joshua 1:8)

Success means many things to different people all around the world.  But typically we think success means we have money, prestige, property or varied forms of grand material possessions.  I have found that material blessings are wonderful, but they are certainly not the source of happiness or success.

Joshua teaches that knowing the Word of God and living by its precepts brings success.  Proverbs 16:3 declares, “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.”

Many are in search of finding success, but we look for answers in all the wrong places. We may need to rethink our idea concerning the definition of true success. We are often driven by what pleases others, but our concern should be solely pleasing our Savior.

God wants you to be successful.  He wants the very best for you.  He offers you two ways to travel in life and He lets you know that the straight way, the road of righteousness is the way to blessing and favor and true success.

No Worries

Have you ever heard of those new fangled stain removers that promise their product will dissolve every known stain in America and bring your clothes out of the washer looking more vibrant than ever before?  They are called something like Stain B-Gone.  You and I need that kind of remedy with our worry and everyday cares.

Worry can be huge and feel un-climbable. It can eat you alive. There is a mountain called "worry" and we can easily get into a routine of fear and over concern when we fail to trust God.  Worry is therefore a lack of faith and Scripture teaches, "what so ever is not of faith is sin".  It is a large mountain that we circle aimlessly because we take matters into our own hands. But Scripture declares, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication make your requests known unto God. And the God of peace will keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

It has become a negative habit of ours to worry about everything and pray about nothing.  But on the contrary, God's Word teaches us to worry about nothing and pray about everything.  We just have it all backwards.  

His Word is full of precious promises that God will supply our need.  God will not forsake you but if you are faithful to "abide in Him and His Word abide in you, then you can ask what you will and it shall be done."  And this leaves no room for worry.  We must walk in obedience, let go and totally trust God.

Real Health

There's a lot of talk about being healthy these days. Everyone around you is trying to be healthy, eat healthy and get healthy again.  Everyone is walking, watching their carbs, eating more fruits and vegetables and getting back to nature the way God intended. And God certainly wants us to be healthy but also walk in spiritual health.  God desires to bring healing and deliverance to all who will only ask Him for this blessing - both spiritually and physically. 1 Peter declares, "He bore our sins in His own body on a tree, that we being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes you were healed."

The pain and agony that Christ suffered on the cross for you and me, and the stripes that He suffered on His own body were for our healing. That was one of the reasons He took this suffering.  So if you are afflicted, ask God to show you His Glory by miraculously healing your sick body. Then when you receive your healing, go and tell someone. Testify of the greatness of God and how He has blessed you with good health. He is an awesome God and He is praiseworthy.

However, more than physical health He wants us to be strong and vibrant in spirit. The life He came to give to us is spiritual life. And He desires to set us free of the bondages of spiritual death and help us experience real life and health.

My Praise

Praise is contagious and uplifting to the deep places of your soul.  Did you know that praise can set your feet to dancing?  Praise can lift others around you?  Praise can stem from the deep places of your heart?  We have an incredible reason to Praise God.  So put your praise on just like you put on your shirt in the morning.

In 1 Peter 2:9, Scripture declares, "You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a Holy nation, a peculiar people; that you should show forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light." Here God calls you chosen, royal, holy, and peculiar.  He paid the price that made you a part of something grand. 

He offers you grace.  So when you decided to accept God's redemptive plan and step out of darkness from the old life of sin into His marvelous light, the new life of living right according to God's principles, you found a reason to Praise Him.  And the truth of the matter is: He actually became your Praise. 

There's an old song that is so true.  The words go something like this, "When I think of His goodness, and what He's done for me, when I think of His goodness, and how He set me free, I can praise, praise, praise, praise, praise.......all night." I'm sure you feel as grateful as I do. Thank the Lord today for His wonderful blessings and dance before Him in praise.

Family

Time is required for a group of people to actually become a family. Today, many people are families in name only and spend absolutely no time together. They think that they are family because they bore children and they share the same bloodline and last name. But becoming a family is so much more. Healthy families make a point to spend time together. And strong families consistently reflect three basic traits. They trust in God, they provide teaching, training, and sharpening one another, and they practice togetherness. It's also interesting to note that many strong families are 'advid campers.' They have learned to break away from the noise and tech of society and spend time together in the wilderness, talking and cooking over an open fire.

Deut 6:1-2 declares, "These are the commands the Lord your God directed me to teach you to observe in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess, so that you, your children, and their children after them may fear the Lord your God as long as you live by keeping the commands that I give you, so that you may enjoy long life." Parents need to verbally teach their children about God and spend time with their family speaking of spiritual matters.

Raise your children in the commands of the Lord that you may enjoy long life and happiness. Teach them to love God and honor His Word that they may never depart from biblical truth. Train them up to honor God and their families. The promise is that God will remind them of their upbringing and give them grace to make a decision to follow Him. Even if your kids are now grown, take time to remain a 'family' with your spouse.

First Love

You might remember the first boy or girl that turned your head when you were 12. You drooled every time you saw them coming your direction. Your eyes lit up and sparkled and you had this uncanny grin on your face just thinking about them. You thought, "this is the one for me" and you never thought you would feel this way about anyone else. But as time passed, the love grew cold.

It was kindly the same when you first encountered the Lord.  When you first gave your life to Christ, you were very passionate. Nothing could stop you from praying, loving God, or loving people who were unlovely. You desired to feast on the Word of God daily, you listened to sermons online, the Christian radio station blared each time you started your automobile, and you were always reading good Christian literature. You were definitely "in love" with God.

There is no clearer picture of the question of our love for God than what is found in Revelation chapter 2.  The angel of the Church of Ephesus wrote, "These things saith He who holds the seven stars in His right hand...I know thy works, and thy labor, and thy patience....Nevertheless, I have somewhat against you because you have left thy first love. Remember therefore, from whence thou art fallen and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come quickly, and will remove thy candlestick..." (Rev. 2:1-6)

When you first encountered Christ and surrendered your heart to Him there was a sparkle in your eyes.  There existed this huge, deep longing in your heart for more. This is described by the angel as a "first love" experience. And we are called upon to rekindle this flame, to repent and do our first works over again. God truly wants a people burning with passion to do the work of ministry.  

God desires that we discipline ourselves and follow the precepts of His plan for our lives with purpose and destiny. His will for us is to walk in that love relationship everyday and possess an overwhelming and radical fire of the Holy Spirit. Start today and return to your first love in Christ Jesus.

Draw Nigh

Scripture instructs in James 4:8, "Draw nigh to God and God will draw nigh to you." This means that you and I can choose to either come close to God OR remain in the state we are in. We must make a daily effort to be close to God. 

When your feet hit the floor in the morning, you make a conscientious choice who you will be close to today. You decide. Will you draw yourself up to the coworker in the next office, the daily news, your bible, or who? Let God be your first choice. Crawl up in His lap and talk with Him today.

Remaining close to God requires much effort and a commitment of your time. Just as friendships and marriages require continual discipline and hard work, so does your relationship with God. Today, let us make a viable choice to BE close to God. Let today be the beginning of a fresh new walk with Him. Take time to share your innermost feelings and petitions. Then, wait for God to talk to you. So take time to listen.

God is Faithful and He cares about everything that concerns you. But He desires that you and I maintain a close relation with Him. This takes discipline and a commitment of time. If you truly want God to come closer to you, you must first come closer to God. 

Made New

There's a children's song that speaks of the work God does within us, a continual process of shaping and changing us.  We used to sing it and the lyrics goes something like this:

He's still working on me
To make me what I ought to be
It took Him just a week to make the moon and stars
The sun and the earth and Jupiter and Mars
How loving and patient He must be
'Cause He's still workin' on me

Scripture also bears out the truth of the matter.  God is the Master Potter who places us on His revolving wheel in an attempt to shape us into a useful vessel and smooth out the lumps and imperfections.  We have value in God's sight and He considers us of great worth.

Colossians 3:10-11 declares, "You have begun to live the new life; in which you are being made new and are becoming the One who made you.  This new life brings you the true knowledge of God.  In the new life there is no difference between Greeks and Jews......foreigners, or Scythians.  There is no difference between slaves and free people, but Christ is in all believers, and Christ is all that is important."

The transforming power of the Holy Spirit is radical and real.  God is still working on us and changing us from Glory to Glory.  The more time we spend in His Holy Word, the more we are shaped according to His Will.  Ask God today, "O' Lord, make me new."

Turn Arounds

Today, I would like to remind you that God is a God of impossibilities and miraculous turn-arounds. Throughout history all mankind has heard of incredible events that once seemed impossible come to pass. And it is our God that majors in changing circumstances that have once been seen as unattainable in our mind. He is in the miracle working business.

It was once thought that man could not fly a motorized aircraft up into the sky, much less travel across the ocean, yet one summer in 1903 - what seemed to be impossible actually transpired.  The Wright brothers had invented the first successful airplane.  That summer, Wilbur and Orville Wright made four brief flights at Kitty Hawk, NC with their first powered aircraft.

When Daniel was thrown into the lion's den, the lions were hungry. But God shut the mouths of the lions and Daniel walked out unscathed. Our God is a God of miraculous turnarounds.

When young David was about 11 yrs old, he stepped out into the valley to fight against the giant called Goliath. His brothers and all the people thought this idea was ridiculous and impossible, yet they were not willing to go.  David's armor was so big, it fell to the ground, but in great faith he reached down and grabbed 5 smooth stones. He looked square into Goliath's direction and declared, "You come to me with a sword and a spear, but I come to you in the Name of the Lord." And with one stone, Goliath fell dead to the ground.  Our God is in the miracle working business. Trust Him today.

Pump-Iron Faith

My youngest son was a serious body builder in his younger days and he would tell you that the muscular frame of the body is wonderfully sculpted and developed over time. He started pumping iron with light weight when he was only 13 years old. He worked diligently increasing his weight a little at a time. He took care of his body and ate plenty of vegetables and protein, setting himself up for success. It was no small task. It takes years of hard work and discipline to develop a body fit for competition.

Well, building faith is also a process and is developed by discipline over time. To receive "pump-iron type faith" you must dedicate yourself to the Word of God. Miraculous and strong faith comes by hearing and receiving the Word of God in our daily life, studying the Bible and pondering the pages of Scripture. Faith is the strengthening of our inner man that enables us to conquer fear, doubt, and handle all of life's struggles. It is not confidence in yourself, but unwavering confidence in Almighty God and His ability.

Faith is defined as "the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." So if you could see the result in advance, it would not be called faith. When the storm comes, God is totally trustworthy. He gives us a rope of faith that takes God up on all His promises. Faith is not a blind leap or a lunge out of control but actually faith is a confident jump right into the trustworthy arms of our Heavenly Father.

The only kind of life that is pleasing to the Lord is based on faith (Hebrews 11:6). The secret to experiencing a life that is full of joy is found when we learn to let go of our control and place of life in the hand of God with great faith (Romans 14:23).

God is well able to take care of the problems we face and help us to rise to the occasion.  He is the Almighty and nothing is too hard for Him.  It is not always easy to trust when life throws you trouble, but maintain "pump-iron faith."  Place your trust in Him today and let Him have control of your life.