‘That you may be successful wherever you go.’ Joshua 1:7 NIV
God wants you to succeed in life (Joshua 1:8). Once you’re convinced of that: (1) Take into account your temperament. A fillet steak cooks best at a very high heat for a short time, but a roast joint cooks best at a lower heat for a longer time. Either way, you can have a delicious meal. You just need to know what kind of meat you have, and how to cook it. Are you getting the point? (2) Overcome your fear of being different from others. Because Daniel wouldn’t obey the decree only to pray to the king and not God, he landed in a lions’ den. But he came out, and prospered in a top spot in government (Daniel 6:28). You can’t be part of the crowd and still ‘stand out’. To achieve great things you must trust God, disregard the negative opinions of people and pursue your destiny. (3) Resist the apathy that often accompanies ageing. Keep the enthusiasm of your youth and mix it with the wisdom of your old age. Don’t lose your sense of idealism. Don’t let day-to-day difficulties discourage you or allow life’s disappointments to get you down. At every age and stage of life there are obstacles and advantages, trials and triumphs. It’s up to you to make the most of the positive, and not let the negative derail you. At about seventy years old, Paul said, ‘I am ready to come… to… Rome to preach.’ (Romans 1:15 TLB) At eighty, Moses led Israel out of slavery. At eighty-five, Caleb said, ‘Give me the mountain…the Lord promised me.’ (Joshua 14:12 NCV) You’re only ‘old’ when your regrets take the place of your dreams.
SoulFood: John 10:1-18; Rev 7:13-17; Ps 23; Luke 15:1-7
The Word for Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from UCB International Copyright 2014
