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KEY SCRIPTURE: "Make sure you carry out The Revelation that
Moses commanded you, every bit of it. Don’t
get off track, either left or right, so as to make sure you get to where you’re
going. And don’t for a minute let this Book of The Revelation
be out of mind. Ponder and meditate on it day and night, making sure you
practice everything written in it. Then you’ll
get where you’re going; then you’ll
succeed. Haven’t I commanded you? Strength! Courage! Don’t be
timid; don’t get discouraged. God, your God, is with you
every step you take.” Joshua 1:8, The Message
POWER POINT:
Have you ever had to make a choice between two
very good options? As you think about
the direction your life is taking right now could you say that you are
concentrating on what really matters? Is
your life taking you in the direction of what really matters to God?
Did
you know that your success matters
to God? In fact, I guess you could say, that God
loves to prosper His people. In fact, in Psalm 35:27,
He says that "He delights in the prosperity of His children." Our prosperity makes God happy!
And yet we also need to look at exactly what He means by that
don't we? Success can be a hollow
victory if we are more motivated by the outer trappings of success rather than
the inward contentment contained in the pathway to success. By that I mean, God is as concerned with HOW
we deal with obstacles and tests as He is in the final outcome. Yes, He intends to bring us to a flourishing
finish, but He is even more intent on the inner successes of love, joy and peace,
patience and kindness, honor and humility that He plans
to teach us on our journey to success. Humility really matters to Him.
Many years ago my husband and I were praying
about starting our own company. One
morning, as we were praying, we were led to examine
"to prove us to know what was in our mind and in our heart, whether we
would really keep His words front and center."
In fact, God said, "I want you to come
to the point of understanding that man does not live (survive) by the exterior
things like bread, but he survives by the power of the Word of God."(Deuteronomy
8:3, Suzanne Version).
Why?
the next verses promised that God was bringing us into a good land, but along
the way we would be disciplined and instructed by God Himself. We would learn the truth about what really mattered
to God.
Was
the company successful. Yes. Far beyond our highest dreams. And that was
important, but I think that the things that God worked in our hearts during
that time; things like how to treat people respectfully, how to work together to
reach a Godly goal, how to deal with honor in business relationships; those
things were the real gold. He led us
through that wilderness, letting us see what was tucked away in our hearts, and
bringing our less than godly attitudes to the top so that we could be free of
them.
We
are successful in God's eyes, when our hearts are centered on His counsel and
instruction.
We
are successful in God's eyes when we allow ourselves to be transformed by His
thoughts and intentions toward us.
We
are successful in God's eyes when the Holy Spirit is allowed to lead and the
fruit of His presence and the power of His gifts build the foundation for real
success.
We are successful in God's eyes when what we do honors and glorifies Him.
Jesus is very clear
about what true success is. He told us that if we are seeking God's
kingdom, God's wisdom, God's thoughts, everything else will be
added to us. He is the perfect example of living a successful life, wouldn't you
say? His life was carefully focused on
what mattered to His Father.
So how are you doing on your journey to
success?
Power Thought:
Your Father is delighted to prosper you!
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