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We all want to be successful in life. Success looks different in everyone’s opinion. Google defines success as “the accomplishment of an aim or purpose:” I think that sums it up quite well.

The key is to aim at the right target and have a good purpose. If your goal is to wake up, congratulations, you made it! But waking up isn’t accomplishing much. The Bible gives us advice on being successful. Notice what God says through Joshua 1:8. “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful 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.” ESV

Joshua’s purpose was to lead the nation of Israel into the promised land. War awaited him across the Jordan river. God pointed him to the correct path by pointing him back to the Word of God. How can we have the right aim so that our “success” is meaningful? Following the same advice. The word of God must be in thoughts and on our tongues day and night. We should be careful to do all that is written in it.‬‬‬‬ That takes study and dedication. As we live by the principles in God’s word we will fulfill the most noble purpose of all, the glory of God.

Not ashamed

Have you ever been ashamed? I sure have. One time was when I received my first, and only, speeding ticket. I was coming home late at. Isn’t from a JBC game and was in a hurry. I was following a friend with a radar detector which apparently didn’t warn us. Daddy had taught us to respect the law and keep our record clean. I knew he would be disappointed and I was ashamed of it all. I survived and learned some valuable lessons.

One definition of ashamed is to be reluctant or unwilling to do something out of embarrassment. I think that is what Paul if in Romans when he wrote, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭1:16‬ ‭ESV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

http://bible.com/59/rom.1.16.esv

There is nothing about the gospel for which we should feel embarrassed. Jesus took the Shane when He does in payment for our sins in the cross. Why are we embarrassed to share that? Why are we concerned with how the lost will perceive us when we attempt to share the good news with them? In our selfish embarrassment, our silence is what should really make is ashamed. We are watching them die without hearing the good news and call to repentance because they might laugh at us.

Like Paul, let’s get over ourselves and boldly share the love of God with all around us. Jesus came to seek and to save the lost and passed that mission on to us.

It is football season in Texas! Friday nights find us out at the various stadiums cheering for our teams. I love the thrill of seeing our boys take the ball and run through all the defenders as they return a kcik off for a touchdown. In all of my years of watching football, I never tire of seeing that. As I think about it, I don’t recall a single time that the fans just sat there passively and watched it happen. Spontaneously we all jump to our feet and begin to yell. We can get excited and cheer with abandon when a great play happens.

However, when it comes to our worship, we seldom see such spontaneous praise. I wonder why that is? In worship, we are showing reverence and adoration for God. Worship is to be a part of our daily walk with Him. As we read the Scriptures, we come across many examples of worship. Many of the Psalms are hymns of adoration for God. One of my favorites is Psalm 95. Hear the words of the Psalmist in Psalm 95:3-7

“For the LORD is a great God,

and a great King above all gods.

4 In his hand are the depths of the earth;

the heights of the mountains are his also.

5 The sea is his, for he made it,

and his hands formed the dry land.

6 Oh come, let us worship and bow down;

let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker!

7 For he is our God,

and we are the people of his pasture,

and the sheep of his hand.”

In these few phrases, God is exalted. He is acknowledged as King above all. His supremacy over all creation is declared. The Psalmist calls us to worship and bow down before our awesome God.

When was the last time you broke out in spontaneous praise? When did you last see God’s hand at work in the world or in the word and it lead you to worship? My prayer is that God would open our eyes and hearts and we would worship with abandon. When God is at work, it is for more worthy of celebration than the greatest play in football.

have two plants in my home which are the same species. One is thriving and adding new leaves all the

time. The other looks pitiful. What is the difference? The good looking plant is by the kitchen sink. We

regularly water it since it is by the source. The other is a couple of rooms away from water and only gets

water when we think of it, or happen to notice it looking badly. Yesterday, I went in the laundry room

and noticed it was wilted and sad. The funny thing is that shortly after giving it water, it perked up. But

the weeks of neglect have left it stunted in comparison to the healthy plant by the water.

As I congratulated myself on emergency hydration for my plant, Psalm 1 came to mind. In the first Palm,

the life of one who spends time in the word is contrasted with one who doesn’t. The blessed person

meditates in the word of God day and night. They are described this way in Psalm 1:3 (ESV)

3 He is like a tree

planted by streams of water

that yields its fruit in its season,

and its leaf does not wither.

In all that he does, he prospers.

Just like regular water to my plants, God’s word is a vital need for our spirit. Regular and complete

access to water keeps one plant healthy and has caused it to thrive. They cycle of

drought and meager rescue water is barely keeping the other plant alive. Our spirits

need frequent and abundant nourishment from God’s word.