Real Success

       There are some words in the Bible that are used many times such as the words, love, joy, peace and grace.  The word "peace" is used 429 times in the Bible.  There are also a few words that are used quite sparingly.  One such word is the word, "success."  It is used only translated one time in the Scriptures as "success" and it is in the following reference.  The Hebrew word is used some 70 times and translated in about 25 different words.  The question might more be, "What is God's understanding of 'success?'"  Joshua 1:8-9 says, This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou salt meditate therein day and night, that thou gayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou salt make thy way prosperous, and then thou salt have good success.  Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou guest."  This was the given prescription to attain "success."  

       Now, there are many people in the world today who seek to be successful.  There are also all kinds of seminars, books and methods to try to measure a person's success.  They ask questions like, "Are you reaching your goals?"  "Are your goals measurable?"  "Do you have a plan?"  "Are you using your time and money in the best way?"  But, these are not the same things that make up "success" in a spiritual sense.  The Apostle Paul had seen the inside of most of the jails in every town that he visited.  He had been beaten, shipwrecked and stoned.  He didn't know who his friends were.  Yet, he was persistent in the preaching of the Gospel.  He wouldn't have been classified as a successful man by today's standards.  But, according to the Bible's standards, he was quite successful.  Joshua was getting ready to embark on a vast military campaign and God gave him the prescription for success.  The only thing he had to do was to  be faithful to "book" of the law.  He was to think upon it and he was to do according to all that was written in it.  If he did this one thing, he would be prosperous and he would have good success.  He wouldn't have to track anything in his Day-Timer nor would he have to evaluate his "Managing By Objectives" list.  He was to just be faithful to the Book of the Law.  Do you want to be classified as a "successful" person?  If you do, then it won't be according to the world's standards but rather the keeping of the Book.  The indirect application is there for us.  Be faithful to God's Word.  First Corinthians 15:58 says, "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord."  Stand fast in all that the Lord gives you to do.  In the end, you, too, will be classed as "successful."  Praise God that we find our true success in Him and in His Word.