THE WAY OF SUCCESS

Pastor Dean Rosin Christian Fellowship Potchefstroom The Word of God is clear in its teaching about God’s desire for us to be successful. The Scripture tells us in Jeremiah 29:13 that God’s plans for us are good, not evil, to give us peace as well as a hope and a future. The issue that we all need to understand though, is that just because God has purposed and planned success for us doesn’t mean that we will be successful! Our success depends not just upon God’s will for our lives but on our own actions as well. Proverbs 4:18 declares that “the path of the righteous is like the shining sun, that shines ever brighter unto a perfect day”. Clearly we see in this Scripture that things are supposed to get better for the righteous, not worse! So my question is why only a few Christians are progressing in their Christian walk and lives and why many are regressing when it is the heart of God that we should all be successful and blessed? Let’s look at two Scriptures, which will help us understand this question: Psalm1:1-3 “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of mockers: but his delight is in the Law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.” If you would take the time to read this Psalm you will observe a number of clues as to how one can either progress or regress. Take note of these words: walks, stands, sits. This person was clearly progressing (walking) but is currently in a place of discouragement (sitting). How did this happen? Simply by the person agreeing with (taking advice), “hanging out with” ungodly people. It all started out by listening to them, and then agreeing with them until he began to sit with them in the seat of the mockers and became like them. How can I as a person progress in life? By applying God’s Word to my life. Two key words are: delight and meditate. We all have many delights, but is the Word of God one of them? Are we willing to meditate upon it day and night? Only after doing this will we be blessed. Note the progression in the simile of the tree and the statement “whatever he does will prosper”. God desires for our whole life, every aspect of it, whether it's our finances, studies or marriage, to be blessed. It depends on us whether we will progress or regress. If we listen to ungodly advice it will surely result in bad decisions and a negative lifestyle. But if we choose to live by the counsel of the Lord, we shall most definitely prosper! Joshua 1:8- “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.” This Scripture also teaches us that it is the Word of God, which plays a major role in our prospering. We need to see the relationship between meditating on and speaking the Word, and doing it. God wants His Word to be part of our daily lives. The Word of God needs to become our daily confession and not the negative things we see and hear. When we make the Word of God our daily confession, we will begin to live the Word of God and make our way prosperous. Notice how the Word says that it is “we” who will make “our way” prosperous and not God. Jesus desires for you to prosper. He’s just waiting for you to begin to live the Word of God so that you may prosper. It's time for us to rightly apply God’s Word in our lives and to reap the rewards!