Jim
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 Posted: Sat Apr 22, 2006 6:58 pm Post subject: what does the Bible have to say about success? |
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Quick Notes on Success from the Bible
Know and Follow the Word of God
Joshua 1:8 (NKJV) "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.
Isaiah 48:18 (NRSV) O that you had paid attention to my commandments! Then
your prosperity would have been like a river, and your success like the
waves of the sea.
2 Chronicles 24:20 (NKJV) Then the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son
of Jehoiada the priest, who stood above the people, and said to them, "Thus
says God: ‘Why do you transgress the commandments of the LORD, so that you
cannot prosper? Because you have forsaken the LORD, He also has forsaken
you.’"
Follow God's Wisdom (the Fear of the Lord)
Proverbs 15:22 (NRSV) Without counsel, plans go wrong, but with many
advisers they succeed.
Ecclesiastes 10:10 (NKJV) If the ax is dull, And one does not sharpen the
edge, Then he must use more strength; But wisdom brings success.
Ecclesiastes 7:16-19 (NRSV) Do not be too righteous, and do not act too
wise; why should you destroy yourself? Do not be too wicked, and do not be a
fool; why should you die before your time? It is good that you should take
hold of the one, without letting go of the other; for the one who fears God
shall succeed with both. Wisdom gives strength to the wise more than ten
rulers that are in a city.
Ecclesiastes 11:6 (NKJV) In the morning sow your seed, And in the evening do
not withhold your hand; For you do not know which will prosper, Either this
or that, Or whether both alike will be good.
Avoid Secret Sin
Proverbs 28:13 (NKJV) He who covers his sins will not prosper, But whoever
confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.
It is Right to Pray for Success
Genesis 24:12 (NRSV) And he said, "O LORD, God of my master Abraham, please
grant me success today and show steadfast love to my master Abraham."
Psalms 118:25 (NRSV) Save us, we beseech you, O LORD! O LORD, we beseech
you, give us success!
Nehemiah 1:11 (NRSV) O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your
servant, and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your
name. Give success to your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight
of this man!" At the time, I was cupbearer to the king.
Romans 1:10 (NRSV) asking that by God’s will I may somehow at last succeed
in coming to you.
Have Faith in God (Believe God)
2 Chronicles 20:20 (NKJV) So they rose early in the morning and went out
into the Wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and
said, "Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the
LORD your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you
shall prosper."
2 Chronicles 26:5 (NKJV) He sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had
understanding in the visions of God; and as long as he sought the LORD, God
made him prosper.
True Success Comes from God
1 Chronicles 22:11 (NRSV) Now, my son, the LORD be with you, so that you may
succeed in building the house of the LORD your God, as he has spoken
concerning you.
Nehemiah 2:20 Then I replied to them, "The God of heaven is the one who will
give us success, and we his servants are going to start building; but you
have no share or claim or historic right in Jerusalem."
Isaiah 54:17 No weapon formed against you shall prosper, And every tongue
which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn. This is the heritage
of the servants of the LORD, And their righteousness is from Me," Says the
LORD.
Gospel of John 3:27 (NKJV) John answered and said, "A man can receive
nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven."
God Granted Success to David
1 Samuel 18:14 David had success in all his undertakings; for the LORD was
with him.
1 Samuel 18:15 When Saul saw that he had great success, he stood in awe of
him.
1 Samuel 18:30 Then the commanders of the Philistines came out to battle;
and as often as they came out, David had more success than all the servants
of Saul, so that his fame became very great.
Comments:
The Bible makes it very clear that God grants success to those who trust in
Him. But we should also understand that real and eternal success is greater
and more important than having things go our way every single day. In other
words, we may be well on our way to genuine and lasting success even when
everything seems to be blowing up in our face.
Was Jesus successful as the Messiah and King of Israel? We must agree that
He was, even though, so far as most people knew at the time, He died,
stripped of everything, beaten physically beyond recognition, and left to
hang on a cross, mocked by those who hated him. What was the goal? What
was the price of that kind of success? What was the final prize?
Likewise, many of God's people have endured imprisonment, unfair treatment,
mocking, beatings, and all kinds of misery. Some have died all alone in
prison. Some have suffered terrible illnesses from which they never
recovered. Some lost great material wealth and possessions. But the Bible
makes clear that, even is these extreme circumstances, we are more than
winners and champions if we know and love the Lord.
In today's fast-paced society, we don't talk as much about heaven's glory
and the wonders to be experienced in that eternal realm. We want what we
can get right here and now. We want a bigger house, a better car, a bigger
expense account, and more recognition. We want what the world calls
success: money, power, comfort, and carefree living.
It's perfectly natural to want such things. But it is wise for us to
understand that every success carries a price tag. No one can earn a
degree, for example, without putting in years of study, learning, and
testing. No one achieves real success at anything without putting in the
time and effort. There is always a measure of sacrifice for every real
gain.
I met a man, locally, who already had plenty of business success. He had a
very big house, new cars, lots of money, a new baby, and several successful
businesses. But he was willing to sacrifice the material things he had
earned in order to have more of what God offers us in Jesus Christ. Most of
his money had come from gambling businesses and from the sale of alcohol in
bars. He was giving up that kind of income and business because he had met
Jesus. He quote from Scripture (from the very words of Jesus): "What does
it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his own soul?"
Work and pray for success in life. There is no sin in achieving good goals,
in having a nice home, in being able to provide for your family, and in
being able to help others who may be less fortunate. Health and wealth and
happiness are nice things to have. But don't get so caught up in the
accumulation of earthly things that you lose site of what really matters:
love of family, good friends, peace with God. Never sacrifice success with
God in your efforts to achieve temporary success with the world.
Jim
www.goodwordusa.org |
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