TODAY’S DEVOTION (Saturday 22nd March 2025)
“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.” Joshua 1:8 NKJV
WELCOME TO THE 81ST DAY OF OUR YEAR OF VICTORY
God has granted us mercy to see the end of another week in our year of victory. We give Him the glory for everything we have seen this year. We believe our lives are in His hands for the rest of the days that make up the year. Amen!!!!
Our faith remains unshaken. No weapon formed against us shall prosper, as we continue to follow the LORD. Every tongue that will ever rise against us in judgment shall be condemned.
One of the major drives of the Holy Spirit is to help us live fulfilled lives. A fulfilled life is stronger than a happy life. A happy life may not end up in Heaven, but a fulfilled life will. A happy life may have all it wants in this world, but only a fulfilled life will enjoy the best of the next life.
Yes, a happy life might look so exciting but there is nothing as satisfying as living a fulfilled life. It’s a satisfaction that is out of this world because it goes beyond the joy of earthly prosperity or the pain of earthly poverty. It carries a satisfaction that cuts through the soul and the spirit, filling one’s life with peace.
Jesus lived a fulfilled and charted the course for the early church to follow. It is the same course you will find yourself on if you are still in the very faith they delivered once and for all to the saints.
Many are looking for a happy life, but God wants us to look for a fulfilled life. A fulfilled life is not necessarily a rich life by the world’s standards. Sometimes, it is far from a happy life, but full of glorious ending. The Bible is very clear on that.
For instance, Lazarus in the story of “the Richman and Lazarus” never had a happy life, at least by all human standards. But he died fulfilled. He made Heaven. But the rich man had a happy life and was successful by the world standard. He had servants, wealth, and even security dogs, and all the heart desires.
YOU REMEMBER HOW HIS DOGS HARASSED LAZARUS.
But despite having all that, he was not fulfilled. He died and went to hell.
To be fulfilled is to actualize “God’s will” for your life in this life, and do it in such a way that you do not miss eternity with Him in the next life. I define a fulfilled life as a life that is spent doing all of God’s will for it. Sadly, many of us in the Church today strife to be successful instead of fulfilled!
For instance, in the ministry today everyone wants to ride the best jeep, live in the best house, command the largest crowd, be called to the statehouse of our nations to preach, and be sought after by the rich and mighty. That is our version of ministry success. Hence, allowing the gospel of greed and covetousness to fill our hearts.
But there was a time the rich and mighty sought the audience of Jesus in John Chapter 12:20-26, He never gave them audience. Rather He preached the gospel of dying to the flesh to the disciples who excitedly came informing Him of the development.
Jesus being God was demonstrating to those of us in this life and ministry what God considered as success, and that is how much of “His will” has been done or is still being done through us, not how many people or the quality of men our ministries are able to attract.
If seeking success by the world’s standards the way we do today, was it, Jesus would have accepted them into his ministry and made some of them pastors to retain them and satisfy their carnal crave for great financial returns, consequently piercing Himself with many sorrows like so many pastors have done today.
You see, we will always pierce ourselves with many sorrows each time we seek to be successful by the world standard. God’s success standards are different. They are measured according to divine will, not human assessment. How much of God’s will is being done through you is what Heaven looks at when measuring success, not how much money you may be making or goals you may be achieving.
THERE IS GOOD SUCCESS AND THERE IS BAD SUCCESS!
Good success is a success that will lead you to Heaven. Bad success is a success that will lead you to hell. It is governed by greed and covetousness. It is a success that is achieved by using men as tools and trading the eternal for the earthly. But good success is different! It is a success that will lead you to eternal rest with Christ.
It is not governed by greed and covetousness but by righteousness. Our devotional text this morning says
“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”
Good success begins with a RIGHTEOUS WORD, from the LORD, and continues with a RIGHTEOUS WORD, from the LORD, and ends with a RIGHTEOUS WORD, from the LORD. Nothing less. It is activated by seeking first the Kingdom.
Jesus spoke about good success when He said in Matthew 6:32-34….
“For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble” (NKJV).
In other words, Jesus was saying, there are blessings, miracles and breakthrough from God that can only be added to our lives when we seek first the Kingdom of God and its righteousness. Sadly, our spiritual blindness does not let us see this scripture clearly.
Good success is a product of righteousness, not struggle!
If you want good success in your marriage, righteousness is the key. If you want good success in your ministry, righteousness is the key. If you want good success in your business, righteousness is the key. If you want good success in your career righteousness is the key. If you want good success against your enemies, righteousness is the key.
The Bible made it clear in proverbs 14:34 that “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people” (NKJV).
The easiest way to sow a seed of reproach in your crave for success is to seek the world’s way. The harvest may not come in this life. Like the rich man in the Lazarus story; the harvest may come in the next life.
That is the word of the LORD!!!
MAKE THIS SCRIPTURE AN ADDITIONAL MEDITATION FOR THE DAY.
“For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his life [in the eternal kingdom of God]? For what can a man give as an exchange (a compensation, a ransom, in return) for his [blessed] life [in the eternal kingdom of God]?” (Amplified version). Mark 8:36-37