Want to be successful?

Proverbs 22: 29

"Do you see those who are skilled in their work? They will serve before kings; they will not serve before officials of low rank. "

1 Samuel 18:14

"In everything he did he had great success, because the LORD was with him"

Let us set before us these two verses and meditate on them. These beautiful verses teach us more than what we could ever learn from the best of the books on success and personality development, and thus the word of God is so powerful beyond our imagination.

In today's world, being successful is not very easy. The competion is so high and it is obvious why people look for shortcuts for success. We are on the lookout of someone who would make us successful, may be a workshop that could be life changing!. Believe me, people are ready to give what ever it takes to succeed and are ready even to take short cuts.

Well, as Christians and children of God, how are we to look at it and conduct ourselves to be successful?. Do I need favour from men?, Do I need to toil hard, Do I need to do this, that...Oh! the list is endless. But sometimes for very complex questions, the answer is even simple. This applies to this context perfectly.

David was a very successful man, for that matter every God fearing person in the Bible was successful. But let us take David as an example and apply two of his key qualities in our lives.

First, David was skilled at his work. We know he was a shephered and he was so much skilled in rearing sheeps. David was skilled in fighting battles too.We could do a big study on thess qualities of David but let's reserve it for another day. Secondly, David feared and loved God, and hence God was with him in whatever he did.

God was with him when he reared the sheeps as well as when he ruled Israel and hence David was successful. Dear friends, the same unchanging God is still helping those look up to Him for success in their workplaces, business and in whatever they do. But one important thing, God expects to put some efforts to be skilled in our work. God will never help a person who is not willing to put effort. Today,may be you are reading this and you have a deep desire to be successful in whatever field you are and success seems to be far from you, I have a good news for you.

Would you invite Jesus Christ into your heart and commit your life to Him? and the next thing, do an analysis of what skills you lack to be successful and take efforts to improve it. I can assure you, if you do both these things, you will see a change in your life. I can guarantee it as I have seen that change in myself. May be you are hurt, frustrated, always seen failures, there is no body to lift you up or motivate, you feel that you lack wisdom...Why don't you try Jesus today?.

The importance of God in our life

Have you ever been at the cross roads with the thought "Should I depend on God" or "Should I toil myself to succeed". I have had these thoughts sweeping me many times. There have been times when I thought God would do everything, and there were also times when I thought that only if I sweat it out, I could succeed.

Whenever we keep God aside and start doing things on our own, We would see ourselves busy doing many things, but at the end everything would seem to be a vanity. We would get many ideas, inspiration and confidence when we look at the things of this world. This could go on well for some time, but after that there won't be any substance in that.

I believe it is only when we sense our purpose, we could have meaning in our life and the purpose of our lives are laid out by God. This is the missing link and it could never be found out if we keep God away from us. When God purposes something in our life, we wont have any confusions and contradictory thoughts. We would succeed in everything that we do. On the contrary, without God also people succeed. But there is a difference. If you are doing it yourself, you might venture out in 10 things and succeed in only one. But with God, you might venture into only one thing, but you will be at the top in that. Got the difference?. When God proposes, nobody on this earth can dispose His plan.

The Bible says in Proverbs 19:21 "Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails." This is an amazing verse. Read this many times and you will get the answer. For a wordly person, there would be many plans in his heart. He need to work his way for it. But for a child of God, it is only the purpose of God that prevails, no matter what happens.

Dear friend, It is so comforting to hear these things. All that we need to do to know the purpose of our lives is to go to God with a humble heart, confess our sins before Him and ask for His directions in our life. We need to do this each moment in our lives. The rest of the things He will take care in a way that would be beyond our imaginations!.

The power in the word of God

There can be instances in our life where we have some doubts about the existance of God, and in particular about the authenticity of Christianity. Well, to question anything is the usual behavior of our mind, but getting the right answer saves us from much troubles.

In this world there are many religions, and day by day, a number of philosophies, guidelines to a happy life etc.. are on the rise. If we are not certain and clear of the truth, we will be shaken and taken for a ride in the roller coster called life.

A clear understanding of the word of God, under the guidance of the Holy spirit is the only way through which we can swim through all these deadly waters. The mandatory need for each and every Christian is to have a clear understanding of the word of God and for that, the only way is to invest our time to read it. We may look for short cuts, a verse here and a verse there, and get satisfied. But this never serves the purpose.

"Study" is different from reading. You read through a news paper, but study your subject like science or mathematics. Got the difference?. Most of us just read the Bible and this is never going to help us much in reality. Yes, it might be comforting to read the Bible when you are weak and depressed and it might give a temporary relief. But if you want the everlasting peace as God promises, then the word of God has to become part and parcel of our life.

We should not neglect anything from Bible. Right from Genesis to Revealation, everything was written under the influence of the Holy spirit with a purpose. I believe, we are expected to "study" the entire Bible atleast once in our lifetime and believe me the impact that it would make in our life cannot be measured.

Our life will be free of unnecessary doubts, thoughts and we will never be misled by the fancy philosophies (they might give a temporary ecastsy)if we are deeply rooted in the word of God.

Each and every word in the Bible has the power to change our lives. The Holy Spirit along with the word of God is the only source of transformation of our lives in this world. I bet, nothing else can transform our character and personality.

There are so many things that could be written on this subject, but I would like to close it with these simple thoughts. Spare some time for Bible study every day. I mean every day. Never miss a single day. We can have so many excuses, but if we have self discipline (which too is a gift of the Holy Spirit!) we can overcome all the distractions. Take a character from the Bible and study it, or take a situation, or do some research about the creation of the world. Be it anything, study something...Nothing will go as waste. Like a seed, it will get planted in you and at some point of time in your life, you will rest under the shadow of that tree which was planted in you long ago!.

For our inspiration, here are some scriptures that confirms what we discussed.

"All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work." 2 Timothy 3:16-17

"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 the scornful;
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 also shall not wither..." Psalm 1:1-3

How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word.
With my whole heart I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments!
Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You." Psalm 119:9-11

"The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever." Isaiah 40:8

This web page has some beautiful verses that explain the qualities of the word of God. I encourage you to have a look

http://www.crossroad.to/HisWord/verses/topics/Word.htm

Eternal life - What it is?

When we hear the word "Eternal life", What comes to our mind?. Is it something related to an unending life?, Is it a life that will be without pain and agony, tensions and frustrations?, or will it be a life devoid of death?. It is very essential to understand the correct meaning of eternal life.

Let us see what the word of God says about this. John 17:3 "And this is the way to have eternal life--to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth"(NLT).

Does it seem contrary to what we have been thinking?, To understand this, let us go back to Genesis, and recollect the events during the creation. God's primary purpose to create everything was to benefit man, and the purpose for which He created man was to have fellowship with Him. In simple terms, God wanted a companion, and wanted Himself to reveal to that companion, and that companion happened to be Adam and Eve.

But due to the intervention of Satan, Adam and Eve lost the fellowship with God, and God was no more willing to reveal Himself to them. The lost relationship was rebuilt when God sent Jesus Christ to the earth. That is the reason Jesus tells that He alone can provide eternal life.

Remember this always, Eternal life is the pursuit of knowing a magnificent God through His revealation to us. When we are born again through the act of the Holy Spirit by having faith in Jesus Christ, and when we are passionate to know God, God reveals Himself to us in many ways. This, then is eternal life. May God grant us the desire to Know Him.

Our life - The greatest source of gospel

Are we so passionate about spreading the gospel and not able to do much because of the lack of opportunities?. Some of us might be having thoughts of organizing a meeting, or a musical program, or giving a great speech like one of those great preachers, and yet we are not able to move beyond just dreaming.

We might be thinking that only by conducting meetings and other gospel events, we can touch people, but that is not the only way. I believe, everyone is not called for that. But, I can tell this for sure. God wants everyone's life to be a message to others. The way we conduct and live before others makes the biggest impact than anything else.

We are the gospel to the world. People followed Jesus not only because of His preachings, but he lived a life that was absolutely in line with His preachings. He was lovable to all. He never had any grudge against anyone, He was always willing to comfort and help others, People could not find any fault in Him. All these and more, He achieved by living an ordinary life as a human being just like you and me.

Whenever Jesus went somewhere, the Bible says that people thronged to see and interact with Him. People from all sorts of culture were there. He did not restrict His associations with any particular group. He was open to all. He treated everyone in the same way.

How are we today?. What about our life in our workplaces and in our home and neighborhood. Are we loved by others and do we love others?. Believe me, each of us can make a great impact on others only through our life. Our life speaks more than a thousand sermons. The next time, when you are annoyed with a coworker, dont use a harsh word, instead act in a dignified manner. The next time the neighbor parks his car in front of your gate, dont shout at him, speak words of kindness instead. This is the way to change others.

Be the change that you want to see in the world. I believe this is possible when we allow the Holy Spirit of God to take control of our life. Let us try to live a life in a beautiful way, pleasing to God and others.

The faultless Samuel

Samuel was a man who loved God and was loved by God. What a remarkable personality?. He was a king maker, and yet before God he was the most humble man that we see. He depended on God for everything, and it is this quality that gave him that prominent position in Israel. He never took a decision without consulting God. How many of us do that today?. It might be a small decision of buying a household appliance. Do we take a minute to enquire God about that?. Let us analyze.

Samuel was a man of honesty and integrity, two of the greatest virtues that every leader should possess. The entire nation of Israel was a testimony to his awesome qualities. We read about this in Samuel's farewell speech to the people of Israel. 1Samuel 12 :1-5
"1 Samuel said to all Israel, “I have listened to everything you said to me and have set a king over you. 2 Now you have a king as your leader. As for me, I am old and gray, and my sons are here with you. I have been your leader from my youth until this day. 3 Here I stand. Testify against me in the presence of the LORD and his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Whom have I cheated? Whom have I oppressed? From whose hand have I accepted a bribe to make me shut my eyes? If I have done any of these things, I will make it right.”
4 “You have not cheated or oppressed us,” they replied. “You have not taken anything from anyone’s hand.”

5 Samuel said to them, “The LORD is witness against you, and also his anointed is witness this day, that you have not found anything in my hand.” “He is witness,” they said.

Oh, what a testimony!. How many of us can boast of such a respect from the people. This is a very good example to us that if we are faithful and honest in whatever responsibility that we are given, we would be exalted by God, and we will win the hearts of all the people with whom we interact. As Christians, we need to be different from others. We need to be a cut above the rest. This is what our God expects. We need to be hardworking, sincere, smart, honest and above all, faultless.

When You Feel Far Away From God

This article was very useful to me. Hope each of us reading would get encouraged by it.

In a life of faith, looks can be deceiving. by Dianne E. Butts

source :http://nowwhat.cog7.org/Articles/ChristianFaith/General/When_You_Feel_Far_Away_From_God.html
"If you feel far away from God, guess who moved!"

I read the one-liner in a magazine and chuckled. But later I questioned its wisdom.

How many times have I felt so close to God one day, but so far from Him the next? I wondered. I know sin erects barriers between us and God, but sometimes He seems distant even when I have not sinned. Why does God feel far away just when I need Him most -- when I'm in difficult circumstances or when my situation looks hopelessly impossible?

I never intend to move away from God, especially in tough times. Yet sometimes He feels so far away. What has happened?

Defeat after victory
I'm not the only one who has felt this shift.
In a dramatic display of God's power, the prophet Elijah witnessed God's nearness. He challenged the prophets of Baal to climb Mount Carmel for a contest: his God against theirs. After these false prophets spent most of the day pleading for their god to accept their sacrifice, Elijah prayed to the one true God. Immediately "the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil . . ." (1 Kings 18:38). Amazed by God's response, the people put the prophets of Baal to death.

When wicked Queen Jezebel heard what had happened to her prophets, she sent Elijah a message: "May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them" (19:2).
As a result, "Elijah was afraid and ran for his life" (v. 3).

Did Elijah feel the Lord had left him in the middle of this difficult situation? After watching God's defeat of Baal's prophets, did Elijah think God would not, or could not, help him?

Faulty feelings
I have fought similar thoughts and feelings as I've slipped into spiritual valleys, often following "mountain top" experiences. But I'm learning not to trust those feelings. Our feelings fluctuate with our circumstances and other factors, and often do not accurately portray our situation. For instance, just because I feel God is far away does not mean He is far away. We know He is the God who has promised "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you" (Hebrews 13:5) and "Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age" (Matthew 28:20).

When we base our faith on feelings, our faith fluctuates with every high and low in life. But when we base our faith on what we know of the unchangeable God, our faith remains steady, even in tough times.

Faulty senses
Also, our physical senses -- touch, sight, hearing, smell, and taste -- can influence our internal or "gut" feelings. Elijah's successor, Elisha, was helping the king of Israel frustrate the efforts of an invading army. Enraged, the enemy king sent "a strong force" to capture Elisha.

When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. "Oh, my lord, what shall we do?" the servant asked. "Don't be afraid," the prophet answered. "Those who are with us are more than those who are with them." And Elisha prayed, "O Lord, open his eyes so he may see." Then the Lord opened the servant's eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire . . ." (2 Kings 6:15-17).

The servant saw the enemy army surrounding him and Elisha, and he felt their situation was hopeless. But his sight deceived him because he could not see all that surrounded them -- not until God allowed him a glimpse of the vast spiritual army present to protect them.

Martha, whose brother Lazarus had died, learned that her physical sense of smell did not necessarily tell the whole story of her seemingly impossible predicament. When Jesus instructed her to take the stone away from the tomb of her dead brother, she hesitated.
"But, Lord . . . by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days." Then Jesus said, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" So they took away the stone. Then . . . Jesus . . . called in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" The dead man came out . . . (John 11:39-41, 43, 44).

Spiritual realm
Do our physical perceptions always reflect our entire situation? Can our senses, like our internal feelings, deceive us? If we base our faith only on what our physical senses can perceive, we will fail to take into account the spiritual realm. But there is a spiritual realm, for "God is spirit" (John 4:24).
When we base our faith on spiritual realities, which are not governed by physical laws, our faith will not crumble when circumstances look hopeless or impossible, because we know "nothing is impossible with God" (Luke 1:37).

Knowing God
Faith tough enough to withstand tough times must not be based on what we feel or even what we perceive with our physical senses, but on what we know about God.
David, a young shepherd boy, did this. When he told King Saul he would fight Goliath, Saul tried to discourage him; but David wouldn't listen.
"Your servant has been keeping his father's sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it . . . The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine" (1 Samuel 17:34, 35).

Had David based his faith only on his gut feelings, he might have felt as terrified as Saul and the other Israelites (v. 11). And if he had reacted only to what he saw, the sight of the armor-clad, nine-foot champion (v. 4) might have frightened him away. But David knew the Lord had helped him perform his shepherd duties in the ordinary days of his life when he fought the lion and the bear. He knew God would help him fight Goliath.

Growing faith
How can we know God as David did? We can experience Him on ordinary days by asking Him to help us with decisions and problems. We can study the Bible and the stories of people like Elijah, Elisha, Martha, and David.
As we get to know God better, we begin to base our faith on what we know, not on what we feel or perceive through our physical senses. That kind of faith grows as we grow in our knowledge and understanding of Him. And a growing relationship with God matures into a faith that stands the test of tough times.
After pondering that one-liner in the magazine, I think I'd be inclined to rewrite: "If you feel far away from God, quit relying on what you feel and start relying on what you know!"