FEBRUARY 24TH DEVOTIONAL

FEBRUARY 24TH DEVOTIONAL

February 24, 2016

Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Joshua 1:8

Success can be found in different ways. A baseball player may find it hitting .300, a salesman by exceeding his sales goal or even us accomplishing what we intended to do by a day’s end. However, the Bible pictures a different view.

The Lord instructed Joshua to follow His command as noted above. After all, isn’t He right that if we follow His Word, we will be successful. Joshua, to follow God’s instructions for success, needed to “1. Be strong and courageous because the task ahead (following in Moses’ footsteps) would not be easy. 2. Obey God’s law and 3. Constantly read and study the Book of the Law-God’s Word.” These instructions not only applied to an ancient follower of God but to us today. Nothing will ever be easy for us unless we comply with what the Lord desires of us. This will enable us to be successful.

Another way to find success is to display actions and attitudes which honor God. “To achieve anything worthwhile, we must have God’s Word in our heart.” If we are to prosper is to “apply God’s wisdom” to each circumstance then in turn, approval has been granted by Him.

“Success must never be measured by popularity, fame, or by fortune, for these are temporal measures. God measures our success with the yardsticks of obedience, faithfulness, and righteousness. If you are faithfully doing the work God gives you, you are successful in His eyes.”

Faced with what the world expects of you will not lead to success. It may lead to pride, a feeling of self satisfaction or even insecurity. The goal is to achieve success in our Savior’s eyes because we matter to Him knowing His opinion and not that of our fellow man.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, as we start each day, may we follow the footsteps which lead to your happiness and to avoid the walk established by others. Amen.

Jeff Spang