Success is Important In the Right Arena
Success is Important In the Right Arena
Have we failed or been successful in 2018? What criteria do we use to determine that result?
If we use submitting our will to God’s will and trusting Him as the main criteria, did we fail or were we successful in 2018?
The battle is lost or won in the internal secret places of the will before God—never first in the external world.
In our external world of careers, money, prestige, social media popularity or appearances, accomplishments, or family and other relationships, we might be able to say “We did really great in 2018!” But how were things in the priority arena of growing in our relationship to God and submitting our will to Him, first?
The Spirit of God will apprehend us and we must get alone with God and fight the battle out before Him.
Until this is done, we lose every time in the most important battle of life, our will, regardless of external world circumstances.
Nothing in this world has any power over the person who has fought the battle of his/her will before God and won.
The reason many people lose the battle in the world is because they try to win it in the external world first.
Reviewing Success in 2018
The Life of Moses Is Illuminating & Worth Examining
For An Example of a Successful Life
Moses was successful in many external accomplishments in his earthly life.
Success in Overcoming Failure
Moses was reminded of a personal failure he had made, 40 years ago: Numbers 13:26. He was facing the landmark of lost life, time terribly wasted, a monumental failure. We need to be painfully honest with ourselves and others to whom we are accountable about our failures. But we do not have to stay there.
We can learn, grow, and change.
Success in Overcoming Adversity
We face many severe life CIRCUMSTANCES, and some encounter more heartache in life than others.
For Moses in the wilderness it was mainly the environment; they had no water. Now there was no water for the congregation; so they gathered together against Moses and Aaron. And the people spoke against God and against Moses. Numbers 20:2; 21:5. We can choose how we respond. to adversity.
Success in Overcoming Emotions
Moses’ sister Miriam had saved him as child out of the Nile River, and now he finds himself at the place where she is buried. Then the children of Israel, the whole congregation, came into the Wilderness of Zin in the first month, and the people stayed in Kadesh; and Miriam died there and was buried there. Numbers 20:1 How are we when our heart is broken, even shattered?
Success in Overcoming Criticism
All leaders will be criticized at some point, whether they deserve it or not. And the people spoke against God and against Moses: “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For [there is] no food and no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread.” Numbers 21:5
Real Success is Trusting & Obeying God First With Our Will, then the Externals
Moses Failed in the Most Important
He failed to submit his will to God and trust Him.
Numbers 20:12 And the LORD spoke unto Moses and Aaron: Because you believed Me not, to sanctify Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.
Three observations from Moses’ failure:
God does not say, Because you did not obey me enough, but Because you did not trust in me enough to honor Me as holy. There was formal disobedience: God said to speak, and instead Moses had struck the rock. With Moses (& with us) God perceives that the problem is deeper than the externals, which are visible to others. What has evaporated is transparent trust in God: God is not being honored as holy.
The first seven books of the Old Testament make it clear: the old covenant could not transform the people. The Law, the external things we do are never adequate enough to save and transform our wills and lives.
In light of 1 Corinthians 10:4, which shows Christ to be the antitype of the rock, the conclusion could be that the reason God had in one instance insisted the rock be struck in Exodus 17:1–7, and then forbids it here, in this other situation is that He perceives a wonderful opportunity to make a symbol-laden point: the ultimate Rock, from whom life-giving streams flow, is struck once, and no more. Christ died once and for all to transform us in this life and provide for us a future place with Him. Are we successful at submitting first our will to God and then following through with our obedience? If so, will we continue? If not, are you ready to let 2019 be different?