How to succeed and prosper in everything you do

“Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.” (Psalm 1:1-3 KJV)

Directions have been around a long time

In the business world there are many business conferences every year on the subject of how to achieve greater success. There are also literally thousands of books published yearly about how to move ahead in life and in business. But, the best directions have been around a very long time and available at your fingertips. It’s all in the Word of God, the Bible! For instance, would you like whatsoever you do to be blessed and to prosper (succeed and grow)? You can find the instructions for that in just one passage of Scripture alone. This wonderful passage is found in the book of Psalms, verses 1:1-3. It explains what you need to do to make it happen.

How to make it so 

1) “Don’t walk in the council of the ungodly.” This means to not get your directions, counsel and/or advice from ungodly sources. They will only cause you to fail! Instead, “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. (Matt. 6:33 KJV).

2) “Don’t stand in the way of sinners.” This means you don’t act and behave like ungodly unbelievers (like anyone who doesn’t follow and serve God).

3) “Don’t sit in the seat of the scornful. “Don’t join in with negative and critical people. They will corrupt you and cause you to to be a negative thinker, too! Negativity is contagious and destructive!

4) “Delight in the Law of the Lord.” Make God’s Word a happy part of your life. “Delight yourself also in the Lord, and he shall give you the desires of your heart.” (Psalm 37:4 NKJV).

5) “Meditate (dwell on and think deeply) on God’s Word both day and night. That means all the time, or continually. The Bible says, “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he” (Prov. 23:7 AMP). You are what you you think about so it’s critical to watch what you put into your mind and what you dwell on! The great motivational speaker, Zig Ziglar, said to “Give yourself a checkup from the neck up to keep you from stinking thinking and hardening of the attitude!”

You will become productive 

And, as a result of following the practical steps in the above passage, you will be “like a tree planted by the rivers of water” (your roots will be watered continuously which will make you healthy); “that bringeth forth his fruit in his season” (you will have productivity at the right time in what you do as needed); “his leaf also shall not wither” (you won’t suffer drought, setbacks or lack); “and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.” (Anything you do will succeed and prosper).

To recap:

Get your directions from God (not from the world), be guided happily through God’s Word and His Spirit continuously, and then whatsoever you do will grow and prosper as God adds his blessings to it.

Therefore:

“Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.” (Prov. 16:3 ESV)

“Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” (Psalms 37:4 ESV)

 “And keep the charge of the Lord your God, walking in his ways and keeping his statutes, his commandments, his rules, and his testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn,” (1 Kings 2:3 ESV)

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Christ gives us the victory!

“But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Cor.15:57 NIV)

A strong work ethic back then

We live in a different kind of world in many ways than the one I grew up in. When I was a kid we were taught a strong, clearly proclaimed, work ethic. We were taught at home and at school that we must work to get the things we need in life. That life is tough for those who fail to work. That the world does not owe you a living. And that lazy non-workers were called bums.

Many have a victim mentality!

Today, many have the idea that the government owes them a living. The number of people on food stamps and other types of government entitlements is staggering. Many have a victim mentality.

It wasn’t always this way! 

In one of his famous speeches, President, John F. Kennedy said the following: “Ask not what your country can do for you, but ask instead what you can do for your country.”

Things are very much the opposite today!

A few weeks ago while Susan was in a store, I waited for her in the car. A woman saw me sitting there and tapped on the door glass to get my attention. When I rolled down the window she handed me a note. The note said, “I am deaf, anything you can give me will help!”

She was a healthy looking young woman

I asked her if she could read lips? She indicated that she could. I then asked her why she didn’t just get a job instead of begging. I told her that I had deaf friends who worked regular jobs and did very well. I said that she looked plenty strong and healthy to me and that there are lots of jobs around that don’t require hearing.

She saw herself as a victim

When she saw that I wasn’t going to give her any money, she moved away from me and immediately approached someone else in the parking lot. She clearly saw herself as a victim and expected others to feel sorry for her and to compensate her for being a victim of deafness.

A dangerous mental trap

I believe as long as anyone sees themselves as a victim of any kind they are in a dangerous mental trap! The promise at the top says, “He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 

We never have to beg when we understand God’s abundant provision

Psalm 37:25 says it best, “I was young and now I am old, yet I’ve never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging for bread.”

Now, that’s another great promise!

Therefore…

“With God we shall do valiantly; it is he who will tread down our foes.” (108:13 ESV)

“I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” (Phil. 4:13 ESV)

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.” (Eph. 6:10 ESV)

“For the righteous falls seven times and rises again, but the wicked stumble in times of calamity.” (Prov. 24:16 ESV)

Quotes: 

“The reason why many fail in battle is because they wait until the hour of battle. The reason why others succeed is because they have gained their victory on their knees long before the battle came. Anticipate your battles; fight them on your knees before temptation comes, and you will always have victory.” – R.A. torrey

“Nothing paralyzes our lives like the attitude that things can never change. We need to remind ourselves that God can change things. Outlook determines outcome. If we see only the problems, we will be defeated; but if we see the possibilities in the problems, we can have victory.” – Warren Wiersbe

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He is faithful, so hold fast!

“Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised.)” (Heb. 10:23 KJV)

This promise is so simple and direct that you’d have to get some help in order to misunderstand what it says!

Do not waver!

Hold fast to the profession of your faith, without wavering, because, He that promised is faithful! How simple is that!

How wonderful that We never have to worry about God’s faithfulness to His promises, ever! We just need to mix our faith with them (Heb. 4:2) and then expect (believe) them to work for us! And they do, every single time!

Therefore…

“Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!” (Psalm 27:14 ESV)

“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matt. 6:33 ESV)

“And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (James 1:4 ESV)

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Press towards the mark!

“I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 3:14 KJV)

There’s an old story about a kid who grew up in the back hills of Tennessee many years ago. While walking through the woods one day, he saw a big tree with something carved into its trunk. When he got closer he could clearly read what it said.

“Daniel Boon killed a bear clear up to there!” And next to Daniel’s message was a mark to indicate the size of the bear.

The odd thing, was that beneath Daniel Boon’s mark were a few other marks put there by other bear hunters. Apparently, Daniel was very famous for killing such a huge bear and therefore, whenever anyone else killed a bear in the area after that, they would drag it up to Daniel’s tree and press it up towards his mark to see how theirs compared with his. They would then carve their own name there and put their own mark under his to indicate the size of their bear. 

I don’t know if the story is actually true, but it does illustrate a great point about living for Jesus.

Jesus is the mark we must press towards!

We are told to “Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ.” (Ephesians 5:1-2 NLT)

When you do this, you will be pressing towards the “prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” And, that’s a great promise!

Therefore…

“Whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.” (1 John 2:6 ESV)

“You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. (John 13:13-17 ESV)

Quotes:

“Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.” – Apostle Paul  (1 Cor. 11:1 ESV)

“Being a Christian is more than just an instantaneous conversion - it is a daily process whereby you grow to be more and more like Christ.” – Billy Graham

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God comforts us to comfort others

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” (2 Cor. 1:3-4 ESV)

When God gives us His generous comfort, as sometimes is needed, He gives it to us in such measure that we are able to not only be comforted ourselves, but there is plenty comfort left over for us to give the same kind of comfort to others.

A lesson from sourdough 

As a youth, I lived in a log cabin in Rabbit Creek, Alaska. We were without indoor plumbing and really roughed it in many ways. We got our water from the creek and used an outhouse out back. Cooking was also very basic, but it was delicious. Mom made a special homemade bread out of sourdough. The sourdough was made from a small batch of  “starter” she kept in a bag of flour as a small lump. Mom had originally gotten her sourdough starter from another Alaskan who had kept theirs for many years. Each time mom made a batch of bread, she would take a small lump of the sourdough from it and put it into a sack of flour to use the next time. She continued to use that technique year after year and often gave some of it to friends when they came to visit, so that they could make sourdough bread, too.

In the same way

The “comfort that God” gives, is like the sourdough starter and can be used over and over and be shared countless times for others as needed! “God comforts us so we can comfort others with the same comfort.” And, it will never run out!

Therefore…

“So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 2:1-4 ESV)

“For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort.” (2 Cor. 1:5-7 ESV)

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:6-7 ESV)

“Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.” (Isa. 40:1 ESV)

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Be still and know He is God!

“Be still, and know that I am God!” (Psalm 46:10 NLT)

No need to worry!

When something negative happens to you (anything!), pause, take a deep breath, and say to yourself, “I do not have to worry about this thing, because He is God! There is nothing greater than Him, and He is able and willing to help me!”

“‘Ah, Lord God! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you.’” (Jer. 32:17 ESV)

Have confidence!

We serve a great big, awesome, powerful, wonderful, loving and caring God, who is more than able and willing to help you with and through ANYTHING! So, with confidence you can be still and know that He is God!

Therefore…

“I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” (Phil. 4:13 ESV)

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” (Rom. 8:28 ESV)

“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,” (Eph. 3:20 ESV)

Quotes:

“Pray, and let God worry.” – Martin Luther

“We must cease striving and trust God to provide what He thinks is best and in whatever time He chooses to make it available. But this kind of trusting doesn't come naturally. It's a spiritual crisis of the will in which we must choose to exercise faith.” - Chuck Swindoll

“The beginning of anxiety is the end of faith,and the beginning of true faith is the end of anxiety.” – George Mueller

Mike Frenchbible promises
How to bear much fruit

“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.” (John 15:5-7 NIV)

You get to choose! 

This promise has both positives and negatives, and you get to choose what part you get. Jesus says He is “the vine” and you are “the branches”. If you will abide in (receive, obey, follow, adhere to) Him, something wonderful will then happen, you will “produce much fruit”. But, on the other hand, (the negative part) if you do not abide in Him, you will wither, die, and you will be thrown into the fire and burned! So, it’s a no brainier, remain!

And another wonderful promise is added at the end of this passage!

Jesus said, “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.” This promise tells you how important it is to have the Word of God within you and what it will do! It will allow you to “ask whatever you desire and it will be done for you.” Wow, what a promise! Another no brainier about what to do.

Learn to cling!

Understand that what Jesus is saying to do here is not really difficult! Simply, abide in Him (cling to the branch, so to speak) and then have His Word abide in you.

No downside! 

Actually, when you think about “abiding in Jesus,” there just isn’t a downside to it! Fruit is produced in your life, when you sow, and what you ask for, you will get! Not a bad deal at all.

The old oak tree!

As I was pondering this passage about abiding in the vine, I remembered an unusual old oak tree that grew near where I lived as a child. It did not drop its leaves in the fall like other trees did. Instead, its old dead leaves just hung onto that tree all winter long. But, not to worry! Because, in the Spring, when new life started to flow up within and through the trunk of the tree into all the branches and into every twig on the tree, the old dead leaves just fell off and were replaced with beautiful new buds and leaves! In exactly the same way, as we abide in Jesus, those old, hard-to-budge sins that we sometimes deal with as human beings, just like those old dried leaves on the oak tree, just fall away as the Holy Spirit flows into and through us and produces “the fruit of the Spirit.” (Gal. 5:22-23). And, I cannot think of a better way to deal with such things.

Therefore…

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” (Gal. 5:22-23 ESV)

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.” (Jer. 17:6-8 ESV)

“You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.” (Matt. 7:16-20 ESV) 

“Filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.” (Phil. 1:11 ESV)

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You are empowered by Him!

“But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.” (Eph. 2:4-7 KJV)

Rich in mercy! 

This promise starts off by saying God is rich in mercy and loved us even while we were “dead in our sins” and he “quickened” us (quickened means, to be made alive) together with Christ. And he saved us by His grace (“grace” means undeserved favor). And, on top of that, he has “raised us up, together with Jesus, in heavenly places”. You can read back one chapter to understand that Christ is seated far above all authorities and powers (and, so are you in Him!) (Eph. 1:22), “Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else-not only in this world but also in the world to come.” And, when you understand this truth, you can have great confidence! 

“Greater is He who is in you (Jesus) than he who is in the world (the devil).  “…for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” (1 John 4:4).

 And, “I can do all things through Christ, who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:13). 

Any way you look at it, you are empowered by Him! And, He even explains why, “That in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.”

Therefore…

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:8 ESV)

“Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” (Luke 10:19-20 ESV)

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How to shine like a star!

“Do everything without grumbling or arguing so that you may become blameless and pure, ‘children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.’ Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky.” (Phil. 2:14-15)

Everything means exactly what it says!

The passage above starts off with a command to “Do everything without grumbling or arguing”. That’s a tall order, actually, because “everything” means, well, it means everything! And, that includes a lot of possibilities!

Small and large things! 

Everything includes little things like traffic annoyances, or someone being a little rude to you on the phone. And it includes big things like major automotive repairs, dealing with difficult family members, being pulled over for a traffic violation, or even having to work for a difficult boss.

Blameless and pure without fault!

But this command comes with a wonderful payoff promise: “so that you may become blameless and pure, ‘children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.'”

It makes you stand out and shine!

When you live a self-controlled life, and you resist the temptation to react negatively to life’s difficult and challenging situations, you stand out from the crowd, many of which are part of “a warped and crooked generation”. “Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky.” 

That makes it all worth it! And, that’s a great promise to aspire to!

Therefore…

“For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.” (Eph. 5:8 ESV)

“For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” (2 Cor. 4:6 ESV)

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Matt. 5:14-16 ESV)

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