Good Success

Greetings and Happy New Year!
May your year be a successful one by the power of the Lord!

People have different ideas of what "good success" is. Wall Street has an idea, the New England Patriots football team has an idea...you and I even have an idea of what good success is. However, I'd like for you to follow me for a short few moments as I try and think about "good success" as the Lord would see it.

Joshua 1:6-9 - "Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. 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.''

Notice that the Lord told Joshua to be strong and of good courage. Have you wondered why He told Joshua that? The main reason is because it takes strength and good courage to-

1) "Observe, or pay attention, to DO what He's already said to do"
2) "To not turn from what He said (either to the right or the left)"
3) "To keep His instructions IN YOUR MOUTH continually"
4) "To meditate in His instructions day and night, so we'll know WHAT TO OBSERVE"

As this year progresses each of us will have things the Lord is leading us to do, just as the Lord was leading Joshua and the children of Israel into the land of promise. Joshua knew that even though they were going to a land that "flowed with milk and honey" it wasn't going to be a cake walk. He knew of the giants and walled cities that were before him. He knew that the people he led were prone to doubt, unbelief, and even rebellion. Yet he still knew he had an assignment from the Lord. He understood what good success was - knowing, doing, and finishing the will of God. God promised to supply whatever Joshua needed to accomplish the task - but Joshua had to be strong and of good courage. Joshua had his part and God had His.

I ran across 2 verses yesterday that really got me thinking about this. Ecclesiastes 10:9,10 - "He who quarries stones may be hurt by them, and he who splits wood may be endangered by it. If the ax is dull, and one does not sharpen the edge, then he must use more strength; but wisdom brings success."

Say, for instance, you had an assignment or a responsibility to build a home. You had the resources all around you; all you needed to do was have the wisdom necessary to take the resources and work them, fit them, size them, etc. until your assignment was finished. You look all around you and see huge rocks and trees. Plenty of materials necessary to build a strong house, except they must be BROKEN before they can be FIT TOGETHER (like the Body of Christ, "fitly joined together" and "assembled together"). But, without strength and good courage, you may not attempt the work at hand. Notice the risk that Solomon wrote about - "...may be hurt by them...may be endangered by it..." If you've ever been injured while attempting to work with rocks or wood (or known someone who's been hurt) you'll agree that it can take a great deal of courage to do what needs to be done.

Working in the Kingdom of God is "risky" business. Any time you build relationships, it's risky business. Anytime you take a sledge to a rock you run the risk of being hit by some of the pieces. But the reward is worth the risk!

You see, the Word calls us "living stones" and "the house of the Lord", but the Lord only uses broken pieces and those which will fit with others. It is very easy to allow the hurts we endure from the tasks we're called to do to keep us from being strong and of good courage - which will keep us from good success.

May you be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. May He have complete freedom to do all He wants to do through you this year. May you and I not be so worried about the "pieces of rock" or the "splinters in the fingers" that we take our eyes off the prize and miss out on His true "good success".

Remember James 1:5 - If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

Blessings,
Pastor Jan