Scripture Text: Psalm 1:1-3
by Kemi O.
What is godly success to you?
Success according to the world's view is the favorable & prosperous termination of attempts or endeavours. It is the attainment of wealth, position, honor, prestige etc.
Now unless our success is according to God's plan for our lives, it cannot be true success. The Bible is full of wise counsel, which when we put into practice, could lead to divine success in our lives. We need to search ourselves and figure out what is our primary desire? Is it to achieve earthly prosperity or to follow the Lord and do His will? When we are devoted to the Lord and walking obediently with Him regardless of the consequences, we can be successful not only in the eyes of God but also the world.
after all, the word of God even confirms in 3 John 2 that " Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. KJV. This is what He so desires for His children, to prosper in our health, finances etc, to be successful in every area of life as we follow Him obediently.
Psalm 1 offers a description of how to walk the narrow path of godly success and how do we do this? by following certain biblical principles regularly and of course with the help of the Holy Spirit. The first verse deals with relationships and how to avoid three practices if we want to please God.
i. Do not walk in the counsel of the wicked. We will never be truly successful if we seek direction from those who do not know the Lord. This applies to every area of our lives; Education, finances, marriages, careers , ministry, relationships etc. Someone's impressive qualifications or extensive experience is no guarantee that his or her advice is godly.
We should even be cautious about accepting guidance from other Christians because not all believers are spiritually mature and wise. Having said this, I wont rule out the fact some people in our lives, who are unbelievers may offer one or two advice that seems to make sense or is credible but the bottom life is as a believer, before putting anyone's advice or counsel into action, prayerfully compare them to what the Bible or Scripture says. Allow the Holy Spirit to lead you and if there appears to be any contradiction, or your spirit doesn't seem to be in agreement with the advice, do not use it because it will not lead you to where God wants to take you.
ii. Do not stand in the path of sinners
There is no way we can avoid living or working with those on the wrong path or living in sin, but we do have to learn to live a godly life amongst them by not allowing ourselves to be peer pressured into doing things or going places where we know Jesus, Himself will not go or where we feel convicted in our spirits. Wherever we are, we must stand out in the crowd, The world has its own set of rules for achieving success, but believers are called to a higher standard. Sisters, do not be afraid to stand alone on God's path because a time may come where we will have to. Never compromise for we're called to be the light in the midst of the darkness of this world. God places us among unbelievers so they can see the Savior in us - See Matthew 5:14-16. If He wants to promote you in your workplace, He will do it in His way and time.
iii. Do not sit in the seat of scoffers/of the scornfulWho are the scoffers?
I know that's not a common everyday word. According to the dictionary, scoffers are mockers, those who make jest, ridicule and the word of God reveals that in the last days, there will be a lot of them out there in the world seeking after their own ungodly desires and mocking God and His Church. See II Peter 3:3-9.
They attack with foul language or belittle with intellectual babbles. We don't need to go far to find such people, just turn on your television, radio, go online, they are all there. Unfortunately, many of us, believers watch such shows/programs on TV or listen to their so called intellectual talks, philosophies and down play it to "oh its just entertainment or news, they are just actors playing a role" but a lot of innocent and ignorant people do not see it that way and actually end up emulating what they see or hear. Believers should never get too comfortable with them, hearing such foul language or mocking should immediately stir up something in our spirit that will cause us to avoid such programs and people on contact. Although we're called to be Christ's witnesses to a lost world, it will really be wise to draw lines of protection in our associations so that we're not negatively influenced or led astray.
Psalm 1:1 deals with the negatives- what not to do but verse 2 tells us what positive practices to incorporate into our lives so that we can truly be successful.
Let's also look at these practices:
i. Delight in the law of the Lord
A person who delights in God's word doesn't have to be told to read it, because she longs for it. The Bible contains amazing riches for those who are willing to open it and let divine truth penetrate their hearts. Scripture reveals who God is, it renews the mind, increases our faith, and satisfies our soul just like good food satisfies our body. But if we neglect it, we're going to live like spiritual beggars- always hungry, but never satisfied and another danger of neglect is accepting whatever is preached to us in church or any fellowship we attend because we lack insight, understanding of God's word. Even Scripture tells us in Matt 24:24, that in the last days His chosen, the very elect will be deceived in these last days due to the teachings of False Teachers & Prophets.
ii. Meditate on God's Word day and Night.
Joshua 1:8 "Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do." NLT.
" Here we see how God played an essential role in Joshua's life. He was a successful man.
What does meditating on God's word mean to us?
It means allowing or letting Scripture soak into our souls and change our lives. It's a change that will begin on the inside and begin to manifest outwardly. It's a process where we take our time (no hurry) to think deeply about what a particular passage or verse is saying to you. You're not looking for information but for personal application. It's interactive because while you 're reading and thinking about the verses, you're also talking with the Lord and asking Him questions.
Let's be sincere with ourselves, when last did we really meditate on the word of God, actually study scripture and pondered on it without being conscious of time. I have to confess, I am guilty of being in a hurry a lot of times. I want to either quickly get to the prayer part of the devotion...to ask Him for something I need or someone else needs and then sometimes, I really enjoy the passage/text and do take my time to ponder on it and by the time I am done with devotion, I have gone beyond my usual time period. the bottom line is I know when I rushed through it and I know when I really took my time.
The key to meditating on Scripture is perseverance and patience. If you want to have a truly successful life, you must make this practice a regular part of your routine. It doesn't have to be just at your daily morning or evening devotion time, it could be any other extra time in the day that you decide to set apart for God. A time when you know that you can really dedicate to just studying and meditating on Scripture. Doing this regularly will ignite or re-ignite a desire for the Word and bring about the transformation the Lord wants to accomplish in your life.
Now, if we will faithfully guard our relationships and make the Word of God a priority, we can expect some amazing results. Psalm 1:3 paints a lovely picture of what life is like when a person has chosen the Lord's pathway to success.
Let's take a look at these rewards of godly success
i. Firmly established: verse 3 starts by saying" They are like trees planted along the riverbank". NLT Whenever we follow God's principles we'll have incredible stability no matter what life throws at us. Though the storms may come, we will not be shaken because our roots are tapped, connected deep into the eternal stream of Christ's life flowing through us. The bible says a peace which is beyond all human understanding is our portion and will guard our hearts and minds. Phil 4:7
ii. Abundantly fruitful:They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither." NLT. Genuine success isn't measured by things, but by fruit. Christ told His disciples that the only way they could bear fruit was to abide in Him (John 15:4). All our accomplishments will amount to nothing if we don't let Christ live His life through us. When His indwelling Spirit is actively transforming our character and equipping us to accomplish whatever He's called us to do, we'll be like trees that produce a continuous harvest.
iii. Genuinely prosperous:"and they prosper in all they do". Material wealth, prestige, fame are all ok, there is nothing wrong with it, I personally look forward to being a millionaire one day, paying off my student loans, credit cards etc and still having much left over to live comfortably, but from God's perspective, true signs of success has to do with following God's will and glorifying Him in all things including with the financial blessings He has given us, divine health, if you look around us, there are a lot of very sick people, some of you in the medical field are very much aware of this. Some of these people are very rich, material wise & influential but are unable to enjoy their riches. Therefore, good health, excellent health is prosperity in God's eyes. 3 John 2
My dear sisters, the Lord will enable you to become truly successful if you permit Him. But we must remember that there are two different kinds of prosperity; spiritual and material. God's priority is always the spiritual because it is eternal and He wants it to be our priority too. His word says " seek ye first the kingdom of God and all its righteousness and every other thing shall be added to you Matt 6:33 i.e whatever earthly treasure He so desires to bless us, He will, as long as we put Him first and so I ask which kind of success are you pursuing today? You are on the right track if your love for the Lord and His Word are increasing, your character is becoming more like Jesus and your goal in life is to walk in God's will. Wherever you are on this christian journey, whether at the beginning, or somewhere in the middle, keep your eyes continually fixed on the Lord for He will lead you to completing your race successfully.
by Kemi O.
What is godly success to you?
Success according to the world's view is the favorable & prosperous termination of attempts or endeavours. It is the attainment of wealth, position, honor, prestige etc.
Now unless our success is according to God's plan for our lives, it cannot be true success. The Bible is full of wise counsel, which when we put into practice, could lead to divine success in our lives. We need to search ourselves and figure out what is our primary desire? Is it to achieve earthly prosperity or to follow the Lord and do His will? When we are devoted to the Lord and walking obediently with Him regardless of the consequences, we can be successful not only in the eyes of God but also the world.
after all, the word of God even confirms in 3 John 2 that " Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. KJV. This is what He so desires for His children, to prosper in our health, finances etc, to be successful in every area of life as we follow Him obediently.
Psalm 1 offers a description of how to walk the narrow path of godly success and how do we do this? by following certain biblical principles regularly and of course with the help of the Holy Spirit. The first verse deals with relationships and how to avoid three practices if we want to please God.
i. Do not walk in the counsel of the wicked. We will never be truly successful if we seek direction from those who do not know the Lord. This applies to every area of our lives; Education, finances, marriages, careers , ministry, relationships etc. Someone's impressive qualifications or extensive experience is no guarantee that his or her advice is godly.
We should even be cautious about accepting guidance from other Christians because not all believers are spiritually mature and wise. Having said this, I wont rule out the fact some people in our lives, who are unbelievers may offer one or two advice that seems to make sense or is credible but the bottom life is as a believer, before putting anyone's advice or counsel into action, prayerfully compare them to what the Bible or Scripture says. Allow the Holy Spirit to lead you and if there appears to be any contradiction, or your spirit doesn't seem to be in agreement with the advice, do not use it because it will not lead you to where God wants to take you.
ii. Do not stand in the path of sinners
There is no way we can avoid living or working with those on the wrong path or living in sin, but we do have to learn to live a godly life amongst them by not allowing ourselves to be peer pressured into doing things or going places where we know Jesus, Himself will not go or where we feel convicted in our spirits. Wherever we are, we must stand out in the crowd, The world has its own set of rules for achieving success, but believers are called to a higher standard. Sisters, do not be afraid to stand alone on God's path because a time may come where we will have to. Never compromise for we're called to be the light in the midst of the darkness of this world. God places us among unbelievers so they can see the Savior in us - See Matthew 5:14-16. If He wants to promote you in your workplace, He will do it in His way and time.
iii. Do not sit in the seat of scoffers/of the scornfulWho are the scoffers?
I know that's not a common everyday word. According to the dictionary, scoffers are mockers, those who make jest, ridicule and the word of God reveals that in the last days, there will be a lot of them out there in the world seeking after their own ungodly desires and mocking God and His Church. See II Peter 3:3-9.
They attack with foul language or belittle with intellectual babbles. We don't need to go far to find such people, just turn on your television, radio, go online, they are all there. Unfortunately, many of us, believers watch such shows/programs on TV or listen to their so called intellectual talks, philosophies and down play it to "oh its just entertainment or news, they are just actors playing a role" but a lot of innocent and ignorant people do not see it that way and actually end up emulating what they see or hear. Believers should never get too comfortable with them, hearing such foul language or mocking should immediately stir up something in our spirit that will cause us to avoid such programs and people on contact. Although we're called to be Christ's witnesses to a lost world, it will really be wise to draw lines of protection in our associations so that we're not negatively influenced or led astray.
Psalm 1:1 deals with the negatives- what not to do but verse 2 tells us what positive practices to incorporate into our lives so that we can truly be successful.
Let's also look at these practices:
i. Delight in the law of the Lord
A person who delights in God's word doesn't have to be told to read it, because she longs for it. The Bible contains amazing riches for those who are willing to open it and let divine truth penetrate their hearts. Scripture reveals who God is, it renews the mind, increases our faith, and satisfies our soul just like good food satisfies our body. But if we neglect it, we're going to live like spiritual beggars- always hungry, but never satisfied and another danger of neglect is accepting whatever is preached to us in church or any fellowship we attend because we lack insight, understanding of God's word. Even Scripture tells us in Matt 24:24, that in the last days His chosen, the very elect will be deceived in these last days due to the teachings of False Teachers & Prophets.
ii. Meditate on God's Word day and Night.
Joshua 1:8 "Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do." NLT.
" Here we see how God played an essential role in Joshua's life. He was a successful man.
What does meditating on God's word mean to us?
It means allowing or letting Scripture soak into our souls and change our lives. It's a change that will begin on the inside and begin to manifest outwardly. It's a process where we take our time (no hurry) to think deeply about what a particular passage or verse is saying to you. You're not looking for information but for personal application. It's interactive because while you 're reading and thinking about the verses, you're also talking with the Lord and asking Him questions.
Let's be sincere with ourselves, when last did we really meditate on the word of God, actually study scripture and pondered on it without being conscious of time. I have to confess, I am guilty of being in a hurry a lot of times. I want to either quickly get to the prayer part of the devotion...to ask Him for something I need or someone else needs and then sometimes, I really enjoy the passage/text and do take my time to ponder on it and by the time I am done with devotion, I have gone beyond my usual time period. the bottom line is I know when I rushed through it and I know when I really took my time.
The key to meditating on Scripture is perseverance and patience. If you want to have a truly successful life, you must make this practice a regular part of your routine. It doesn't have to be just at your daily morning or evening devotion time, it could be any other extra time in the day that you decide to set apart for God. A time when you know that you can really dedicate to just studying and meditating on Scripture. Doing this regularly will ignite or re-ignite a desire for the Word and bring about the transformation the Lord wants to accomplish in your life.
Now, if we will faithfully guard our relationships and make the Word of God a priority, we can expect some amazing results. Psalm 1:3 paints a lovely picture of what life is like when a person has chosen the Lord's pathway to success.
Let's take a look at these rewards of godly success
i. Firmly established: verse 3 starts by saying" They are like trees planted along the riverbank". NLT Whenever we follow God's principles we'll have incredible stability no matter what life throws at us. Though the storms may come, we will not be shaken because our roots are tapped, connected deep into the eternal stream of Christ's life flowing through us. The bible says a peace which is beyond all human understanding is our portion and will guard our hearts and minds. Phil 4:7
ii. Abundantly fruitful:They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither." NLT. Genuine success isn't measured by things, but by fruit. Christ told His disciples that the only way they could bear fruit was to abide in Him (John 15:4). All our accomplishments will amount to nothing if we don't let Christ live His life through us. When His indwelling Spirit is actively transforming our character and equipping us to accomplish whatever He's called us to do, we'll be like trees that produce a continuous harvest.
iii. Genuinely prosperous:"and they prosper in all they do". Material wealth, prestige, fame are all ok, there is nothing wrong with it, I personally look forward to being a millionaire one day, paying off my student loans, credit cards etc and still having much left over to live comfortably, but from God's perspective, true signs of success has to do with following God's will and glorifying Him in all things including with the financial blessings He has given us, divine health, if you look around us, there are a lot of very sick people, some of you in the medical field are very much aware of this. Some of these people are very rich, material wise & influential but are unable to enjoy their riches. Therefore, good health, excellent health is prosperity in God's eyes. 3 John 2
My dear sisters, the Lord will enable you to become truly successful if you permit Him. But we must remember that there are two different kinds of prosperity; spiritual and material. God's priority is always the spiritual because it is eternal and He wants it to be our priority too. His word says " seek ye first the kingdom of God and all its righteousness and every other thing shall be added to you Matt 6:33 i.e whatever earthly treasure He so desires to bless us, He will, as long as we put Him first and so I ask which kind of success are you pursuing today? You are on the right track if your love for the Lord and His Word are increasing, your character is becoming more like Jesus and your goal in life is to walk in God's will. Wherever you are on this christian journey, whether at the beginning, or somewhere in the middle, keep your eyes continually fixed on the Lord for He will lead you to completing your race successfully.
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