Have you been successful in the things of this life? If not, why not? A couple of good questions aren't they? I have been successful in a few things and it always feels good to accomplish your goals. One of my goals, probably the biggest one I ever attempted was passing the test of a Nursing Home Administrator. I wasn't a nurse or have a degree so it was a challenge but with God's help I passed, strictly God's help, because I was totally at a loss to answers on the test and it was multiple choice and I prayed over each question and checked the box I thought was right and that's the way the whole test went and it was a long one and I passed. As I said with God's help.
There are several rules for success in the Bible and several reasons why there is no success, so let's study it out, I didn't know these things when I passed my test, God is so merciful when we are ignorant.
Matthew 6:32-34 "For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.'
The first thing we need to do to be successful is seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. A very simple rule.
Joshua 1:7-9 "Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe 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. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid nor be dismayed for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."
The second thing we need to do to be successful is to be strong and courageous because it takes strength and courage to keep God's law and not turn from it. He wants us to obey so He can bless us.
Philippians 3:13,14 "Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."
The third thing to be successful is to forget the past and press toward the goal that God has set before us.
Galatians 6:9 "And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we don't lose heart."
The fourth thing to be successful, is to not lose heart, don't get discouraged.
Then there are reasons that we are not successful.
Hebrews 4:6 "Since therefore it remains that some must enter it, and those to whom it was first preached did not enter because of disobedience."
One reason for not being successful is disobedience, God wants us to obey His instructions so He can bless us.
Nehemiah 4:1-23 (I don't want to type out all those verses, but it is an interesting story of how satan stirred up enemies to try to hinder the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem and Nehemiah was strong in the Lord and did not let them scare him. This is the way we have to be in order to resist the devil in his traps to get us to be disobedient. Read the story, you will be blessed.)
Proverbs 24:30-34 "I went by the field of the lazy man, and by the vineyard of the man devoid of understanding; And there it was, all overgrown with thorns: Its surface was covered with nettles; Its stone wall was broken down. When I saw it, I considered ti well; I looked on it and received instruction; A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to rest; So shall your poverty come like a prowler, and your need like an armed man.
Laziness causes a lot of people to lose out in life when it comes to success.
Matthew 16:26 "For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?
Worldliness can keep us from being successful. We can apply these rules to our spiritual life's success or we can apply them to our material success and physical success. Either way we apply them, they tell us exactly what God wants us to do to be successful. I want to be blessed with Spiritual success more than anything, I don't have many years left for material success but if God blesses me in that way, I will praise Him, also with physical success, I really am trying to get my health back as much as is possible and pray that He will bless my efforts in that also.
I hope and pray that your life will be very successful in all these ways and that you will be happy in the Lord.
Grandma Joan
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