Today’s Devotion
Topic: Handle Your Success With Great Care!
Text: 2 Kings 20: 13, 16-17 (NIV)
13 Hezekiah received the messengers and showed them all that was in his storehouses–the silver, the gold, the spices and the fine oil–his armory and everything found among his treasures. There was nothing in his palace or in all his kingdom that Hezekiah did not show them. 16 Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Hear the word of the LORD: 17 The time will surely come when everything in your palace, and all that your fathers have stored up until this day, will be carried off to Babylon. Nothing will be left, says the LORD. Amen
We strive in life to succeed. No one ever wants to fail, not even with all the odds against us. We are always encouraged to practice such virtues as hard work, discipline, determination and perseverance just to avoid failure. Kindly note that just as we put in a lot of effort to succeed, a lot more is required of us to mantain such accomplishment.
One way to maintain success, which King Hezekiah obviously ignored is PRUDENCE. We must not easily like Joseph broadcast our dreams to people or show off our achievements especially to strangers. Know that not all are happy about your progress in life. Be extremely discrete with those special things that God has revealed about your future.
We must also be ready to DEFEND the success God gives us with our last breath. In 2 Samuel 23: 11- 12, when the Philistines attacked the Israelites because their field was full of lentils, a mighty warrior by name Shammah defended and struck the Philistines down. Our best defense strategy is down on our knees where we hand back to God all the success He give us and ask for His protection and mercy. Unnecessary attempts to prove our worth in public places will only expose our vulnerability to the enemy.
Finally, honour God with your wealth by INVESTING in the needy and kingdom business. Don’t be greedy, stingy and insensitive to plight of others. Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven.” (Matthew 6: 19-20b). When we give, God causes others to give back to us in good measure, pressed down,shaken together and running over.
Begin to pray for divine success in every aspect of your life. But always remember whoever we are and become is simply an act of grace. Those who forget this puff up and later, fall. https://youtu.be/JmFUErUxsXc
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