Finding true success through the Word of GOD
Joshua 1:8 This Book of the Law must not depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. For then, you will prosper and succeed in all you do.
All roads might lead to Rome, but there is only one way that leads to prosperity and success. Some might think it is through hard work, creativity, perseverance or any positive traits. They are definitely good attributes, but they are not the way. As conceited as it may sound, we have only one option to ironclad achievements and successes so that they will be everlasting, not something that comes by day and flies by night. That way is through the Spiritual way of GOD, according to the Book of the Law. In other words, nothing we do is good enough to give us true success unless we follow His way. Only that will make a difference. Unbeknownst to many, this is where many fail. Why?
We do not know the way. Jesus has cautioned us that the way that leads to life is narrow, and the gate to it is small. Unlike the wide is the gate and broad is the way, few will find it. Therefore, we might think we know the way, but we might be wrong. Our failures prove that we do not know the way. Our weakness is we know far too little of the Bible while assuming we know enough to be right with GOD. Once we are not careful, we might end up like the foolish virgins in the parable of the ten virgins, being locked out of the wedding feast. The difference between the wise virgins and the foolish virgins is that one group has more oil-nointing than the other. Presumably, the foolish virgins knew GOD's promises and claimed them in faith without working out their salvation. Unlike the foolish virgins, the wise virgins not only knew GOD's promises but also the terms and conditions to fulfil them. They worked out their salvation. One group fulfilled the requirements and made it to the wedding feast, while the other did not. Therefore, knowing GOD's promises is not enough. We need to meet the conditions. Jesus is no exception, and He met GOD's condition before He was given a name beyond others.
Many of GOD's promises are conditional, meaning we must pay a price for them. In other words, they require sacrifices. Without doing so, we cannot claim the promises. Even though Jesus paid the price for our salvation, it does not mean it is free. To claim it, we must repent from our sins. That is to mean we must sin no more. We are not free to do as we wish but what GOD wants of us. Many know the promise of salvation, but a few are aware of the condition that they have to sin no more. If they had known, many would not have jeopardised their eternal life for eternal condemnation by sinning. Sinning gives us temporary gratifications but eternal sorrows. Therefore, it is not worth the indulgence.
Living in GOD's promises is like enjoying the breathtaking mountain view. However, to enjoy the view, we must scale the mountain. Realistically, without scaling the mountain, there will be no view. If we do not scale, we remain like chickens that peck the ground instead of eagles that soar into heaven. As much as we might be acrophobic, remember, when Adam and Eve fell, GOD cursed the ground, and the consequence of that is we must toil to eat off the ground all the days of our lives. Both thorns and thistles will make the ground yield for us. Instead of eating from the sweetness of the fruits, we eat the blandness and bitterness of the plants of the field. Today, if we think that our lives lack sweetness, we can change it by scaling the mountain of GOD's Word. Only then can we distance ourselves from the cursed ground and soar in the blessings of GOD.
Yes, as long as we do everything written in the Book, all His promises are always yes and amen to us because GOD rules heaven and earth according to His Word. As simple as it might sound, many do not know its implications. We must become slaves to the Word or slaves to righteousness, as Apostle Paul phrased it. Ultimately, it means we must, according to the Book of Deuteronomy, faithfully obey the voice of the LORD our God and be careful to follow all His commandments. No matter how we choose to understand it, we must be obedient to His Law 100%. Where He leads, and we must follow. When He says yes, we will not say no. We willingly relinquish our rights to be under His sovereignty as Christ did for the Kingdom of Heaven.
In truth, GOD holds sovereignty over heaven and earth because He is the creator of them. Everything in the universe revolves around Him, whether we want to acknowledge it or not. His kingdom comes, and His will be done on earth as in heaven. As much as we want, nothing revolves around us - our wishes, hopes, or purposes. We are not the centre of anything, not by our will, our might or our strength. Nothing happens unless GOD permits it. If our lives ever turn out well, it is that we first seek the kingdom of GOD and His righteousness because GOD does not bless unrighteous people. For the righteous, He ensures that we are the head and not the tail; we will only move upward and never downward. Only when we recognise we are nothing without Him will we be willing to align ourselves according to His will so that we may bear much fruit. It is not without reason that the Bible writes, 'Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven'. Only those who are not blinded by their self-centredness know they are poor in spirit. They recognise their spiritual emptiness and the need for GOD, seeking Him with all their hearts. Only they will find Him.
Be that as it may, many understand that Jesus is the vine, that we are the branch, and that we can do nothing without Him. However, that is not the case when they are in church. Nobody goes to church to pray as the branch for His kingdom to come and His will be done. Few pray to be more like Jesus in obedience to GOD the Father and love others as Jesus has loved us, fulfilling GOD's will on earth. Instead, we pray for ourselves for our kingdom to come so that we can be wealthy and better than most men, winning their admiration. We pray against those who go against us and despise them as they are not like us. We fail to be better persons because we are not like Christ, full of the fruit of the Spirit.
Many times, difficult people are those who are different from us and have different perspectives coming from contracting circumstances. Once we have the patience to understand them, they might not be as obstinate as they seem. Similarly, there are no wayward children, only neglected ones. All we need to do is exhibit the fruit of the Spirit, and many things will change. When we do that, we invite the Holy Spirit to work in our midst. There is no situation that is impossible for GOD to resolve. When a man's ways please Him, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him. GOD will fill our shortcomings with His strength to be what He wants us to be: good children, spouses, parents, friends or enemies. If any of them slaps us on our right cheek, we will turn to him the other. If he forces us to go one mile, we will go with them two. And if he wants to take our tunic, we will let him have our cloak as well.
To meet the unreasonable demand of going a mile is stretching beyond human limits. And to go for an additional mile is inhuman; it requires divine empowerment. GOD is not joking when He asks us to go the extra mile. If we cannot, it only means that we are not empowered to do so and are unable to follow instructions. Therefore, we need to go before GOD on our knees, asking for His divine intervention so that we can do what we cannot. If not, we cannot fulfil the will of GOD.
Many might think GOD is teasing for stating such an OMG request, but He is not. He was also not teasing when He asked the Israelites to conquer the promised land dominated by giants. Though time and situation have changed, GOD has not. Even when there are no more giants to fight, His demands are as impossible as ever. To do His will, we need more than human strength; we need divine empowerment to deny our internal resistance, which is called fallen nature. Only then will we be able to carry the cross and follow the path of Jesus. As ugly as it might sound, if we cannot deny our fallen nature, we cannot embrace GOD will and welcome His kingdom. The big question is: are we still GOD's children if we do not do His will? Can we believe in GOD, do whatever we want and still be called children of GOD? Simply put, can we pass a maths test without knowing how to answer the questions and only knowing the English words? The bottom line is if we cannot do everything written in the Book of the Law, how do we qualify as children of GOD?
Many might argue that the rule has changed, and it is no longer by work but by grace through faith that we are saved. It is a gift of GOD. We do not need to work for our salvation but to believe and have faith. Jesus came to settle all the documentation for us so we could have an unconditional visa to heaven. Yes, it is true, but it is not as simple as what we think. Salvation is a gift only by GOD's gracious invitation and not something that we can buy with our work. GOD is magnanimous and has given everyone an invitation to salvation through Jesus Christ without prejudice. However, if we decide to accept the invitation, we need not do anything except attend the wedding banquet where GOD has prepared for His Son. The condition is we need to dress according to the wedding code. If we do not, we will be thrown out, as illustrated in the parable of the wedding banquet. Even though salvation is not by work, it does not mean we do not need to put any effort into it, as some might assume. The only thing free is the invitation. We are not prequalified to be invited, but anything more than that is not. If we are staying for the banquet, we need to change to wedding clothes. There are expectations to be met. Therefore, we cannot oversimplify things or assume wrongly. No work does not mean no expectations.
When GOD promised Joshua success in all that he did as the next leader after Moses's death, the condition was that he must know the Book of the Law by heart by meditating on it day and night and that he be careful to do everything written in it. Only then, figuratively, will whatever he touches turn into gold, implying that all God's promises are "Yes" and "Amen." He understood the gravity of his situation, as no one was fit enough to fight the giants. In other words, they are digging their graves. GOD did not ask Joshua to hope in Him to deliver them but to do everything written in the Book. If GOD were to save the Israelites regardless of whether they adhere to His Word or not, then it would be redundant to instruct Joshua to mediate night and day in His word. Therefore, knowing the Word is paramount to his success. Likewise, it is paramount to our success, and we should put in every effort to seek it.
Joshua 1:8 This Book of the Law must not depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. For then, you will prosper and succeed in all you do.
All roads might lead to Rome, but there is only one way that leads to prosperity and success. Some might think it is through hard work, creativity, perseverance or any positive traits. They are definitely good attributes, but they are not the way. As conceited as it may sound, we have only one option to ironclad achievements and successes so that they will be everlasting, not something that comes by day and flies by night. That way is through the Spiritual way of GOD, according to the Book of the Law. In other words, nothing we do is good enough to give us true success unless we follow His way. Only that will make a difference. Unbeknownst to many, this is where many fail. Why?
We do not know the way. Jesus has cautioned us that the way that leads to life is narrow, and the gate to it is small. Unlike the wide is the gate and broad is the way, few will find it. Therefore, we might think we know the way, but we might be wrong. Our failures prove that we do not know the way. Our weakness is we know far too little of the Bible while assuming we know enough to be right with GOD. Once we are not careful, we might end up like the foolish virgins in the parable of the ten virgins, being locked out of the wedding feast. The difference between the wise virgins and the foolish virgins is that one group has more oil-nointing than the other. Presumably, the foolish virgins knew GOD's promises and claimed them in faith without working out their salvation. Unlike the foolish virgins, the wise virgins not only knew GOD's promises but also the terms and conditions to fulfil them. They worked out their salvation. One group fulfilled the requirements and made it to the wedding feast, while the other did not. Therefore, knowing GOD's promises is not good enough. We need to meet the conditions. Jesus is no exception, and He met GOD's condition before He was given a name beyond others.
Many of GOD's promises are conditional, meaning we must pay a price for them. In other words, they require sacrifices. Without doing so, we cannot claim the promises. Even though Jesus paid the price for our salvation, it does not mean it is free. To claim it, we must repent from our sins. That is to mean we must sin no more. We are not free to do as we wish but what GOD wants of us. Many know the promise of salvation, but a few are aware of the condition that they have to sin no more. If they had known, many would not have jeopardised their eternal life for eternal condemnation by sinning. Sinning gives us temporary gratifications but eternal sorrows. Therefore, it is not worth the indulgence.
Living in GOD's promises is like enjoying the breathtaking mountain view. However, to enjoy the view, we must scale the mountain. Realistically, without scaling the mountain, there will be no view. If we do not scale, we remain like chickens that peck the ground instead of eagles that soar into heaven. As much as we might be acrophobic, remember, when Adam and Eve fell, GOD cursed the ground, and the consequence of that is we must toil to eat off the ground all the days of our lives. Both thorns and thistles will make the ground yield for us. Instead of eating from the sweetness of the fruits, we eat the blandness and bitterness of the plants of the field. Today, if we think that our lives lack sweetness, we can change it by scaling the mountain of GOD's Word. Only then can we distance ourselves from the cursed ground and soar in the blessings of GOD.
Yes, as long as we do everything written in the Book, all His promises are always yes and amen to us because GOD rules heaven and earth according to His Word. As simple as it might sound, many do not know its implications. We must become slaves to the Word or slaves to righteousness, as Apostle Paul phrased it. Ultimately, it means we must, according to the Book of Deuteronomy, faithfully obey the voice of the LORD our God and be careful to follow all His commandments. No matter how we choose to understand it, we must be obedient to His Law 100%. Where He leads, and we must follow. When He says yes, we will not say no. We willingly relinquish our rights to be under His sovereignty as Christ did for the Kingdom of Heaven.
In truth, GOD holds sovereignty over heaven and earth because He is the creator of them. Everything in the universe revolves around Him, whether we want to acknowledge it or not. His kingdom comes, and His will be done on earth as in heaven. As much as we want, nothing revolves around us - our wishes, hopes, or purposes. We are not the centre of anything, not by our will, our might or our strength. Nothing happens unless GOD permits it. If our lives ever turn out well, it is that we first seek the kingdom of GOD and His righteousness because GOD does not bless unrighteous people. For the righteous, He ensures that we are the head and not the tail; we will only move upward and never downward. Only when we recognise we are nothing without Him will we be willing to align ourselves according to His will so that we may bear much fruit. It is not without reason that the Bible writes, 'Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven'. Only those who are not blinded by their self-centredness know they are poor in spirit. They recognise their spiritual emptiness and the need for GOD, seeking Him with all their hearts. Only they will find Him.
Be that as it may, many understand that Jesus is the vine, that we are the branch, and that we can do nothing without Him. However, that is not the case when they are in church. Nobody goes to church to pray as the branch for His kingdom to come and His will be done. Few pray to be more like Jesus in obedience to GOD the Father and love others as Jesus has loved us, fulfilling GOD's will on earth. Instead, we pray for ourselves for our kingdom to come so that we can be wealthy and better than most men, winning their admiration. We pray against those who go against us and despise them as they are not like us. We fail to be better persons because we are not like Christ, full of the fruit of the Spirit.
Many times, difficult people are those who are different from us and have different perspectives coming from contracting circumstances. Once we have the patience to understand them, they might not be as obstinate as they seem. Similarly, there are no wayward children, only neglected ones. All we need to do is exhibit the fruit of the Spirit, and many things will change. When we do that, we invite the Holy Spirit to work in our midst. There is no situation that is impossible for GOD to resolve. When a man's ways please Him, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him. GOD will fill our shortcomings with His strength to be what He wants us to be: good children, spouses, parents, friends or enemies. If any of them slaps us on our right cheek, we will turn to him the other. If he forces us to go one mile, we will go with them two. And if he wants to take our tunic, we will let him have our cloak as well.
To meet the unreasonable demand of going a mile is stretching beyond human limits. And to go for an additional mile is inhuman; it requires divine empowerment. GOD is not joking when He asks us to go the extra mile. If we cannot, it only means that we are not empowered to do so and are unable to follow instructions. Therefore, we need to go before GOD on our knees, asking for His divine intervention so that we can do what we cannot. If not, we cannot fulfil the will of GOD.
Many might think GOD is teasing for stating such an OMG request, but He is not. He was also not teasing when He asked the Israelites to conquer the promised land dominated by giants. Though time and situation have changed, GOD has not. Even when there are no more giants to fight, His demands are as impossible as ever. To do His will, we need more than human strength; we need divine empowerment to deny our internal resistance, which is called fallen nature. Only then will we be able to carry the cross and follow the path of Jesus. As ugly as it might sound, if we cannot deny our fallen nature, we cannot embrace GOD will and welcome His kingdom. The big question is: are we still GOD's children if we do not do His will? Can we believe in GOD, do whatever we want and still be called children of GOD? Simply put, can we pass a maths test without knowing how to answer the questions and only knowing the English words? The bottom line is if we cannot do everything written in the Book of the Law, how do we qualify as children of GOD?
Many might argue that the rule has changed, and it is no longer by work but by grace through faith that we are saved. It is a gift of GOD. We do not need to work for our salvation but to believe and have faith. Jesus came to settle all the documentation for us so we could have an unconditional visa to heaven. Yes, it is true, but it is not as simple as what we think.
Salvation is a gift only by GOD's gracious invitation and not something that we can buy with our work. GOD is magnanimous and has given everyone an invitation to salvation through Jesus Christ without prejudice. However, if we decide to accept the invitation, we need not do anything except attend the wedding banquet where GOD has prepared for His Son. The condition is we need to dress according to the wedding code. If we do not, we will be thrown out, as illustrated in the parable of the wedding banquet. Even though salvation is not by work, it does not mean we do not need to put any effort into it, as some might assume. The only thing free is the invitation. We are not prequalified to be invited, but anything more than that is not. If we are staying for the banquet, we need to change to wedding clothes. There are expectations to be met. Therefore, we cannot oversimplify things or assume wrongly. No work does not mean no expectations.
When GOD promised Joshua success in all that he did as the next leader after Moses's death, the condition was that he must know the Book of the Law by heart by meditating on it day and night and that he be careful to do everything written in it. Only then, figuratively, whatever he touches will turn into gold, implying that all God's promises are "Yes" and "Amen." He understood the gravity of his situation, as no one was fit enough to fight the giants. In other words, they are digging their graves. GOD did not ask Joshua to hope in Him to deliver them but to do everything written in the Book. If GOD were to save the Israelites regardless of whether they adhere to His Word or not, then it would be redundant to instruct Joshua to mediate night and day in His word. Therefore, knowing the Word is paramount to his success. Likewise, it is paramount to our success, and we should put in every effort to seek it.
Prayer: Dear God, help us to understand more of your Words through the Holy Spirit so we are equipped to do your Will on this earth and to glorify your Name. Amen
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