Day 4 of the THINK fast

Rethinking: Maybe God doesn’t want success for me.

Today we are fasting from the thought that says, “Maybe I'm not supposed to be successful.”  I’m guessing that if you really honest with yourself, you can think back to a time when you have pondered this very thought.  Perhaps you found yourself thinking it today.  Maybe it was at some moment of deep depression or utter frustration. 

Guess what? So have I. 

The Lie: Not everyone can have great success.
Maybe God doesn’t want success for me…

We look at the “success” of others, and, of course, the grass seems not only greener on the other side, but neon green compared to our lives.  It’s when we don’t see God’s deliverance or grow impatient with His plan, that we resign the promises of God, saying to ourselves, “Those promises probably aren’t for me.”

This is a LIE, straight out of Hell, and completely contrary to what the Word of God says about our success.  The aim of the enemy is to get us to give in to the lie, give up on the Truth, and live joyless, truly unsuccessful lives.  We need to replace this poisonous thought, with the Word of God.

The Truth: As I delight in God’s Word, he prospers me.
As I seek the LORD, he brings me success after success.

Verses for Meditation:

“Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it.

Then you will be prosperous and successful.”—Joshua 1:8

“As long as he sought the LORD, God gave him success.”—2 Chronicles 26:5

“But his delight is in the law of the LORD,

       and on his law he meditates day and night.

 He is like a tree planted by streams of water,

       which yields its fruit in season

       and whose leaf does not wither.

       Whatever he does prospers.”—Psalm 1:2-3

“Then you will have success if you are careful to observe the decrees and laws that the LORD gave Moses for Israel.
 Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged.”—1 Chronicles 22:13

When you open your Bible, I hope that your attitude is one of seeking God’s face, striving to know Him.  This is what it means to seek God, to seek greater intimacy with Him. 

I know it feels clumsy at first.  You grab a highlighter, a notebook and your Bible. You start in Genesis, get through the well known creation story, and get lost somewhere between Genesis Chapter Three and the 22^nd chapter of Revelation. 

Once, when I was going through a time of deep depression and personal struggle, I admitted that I was lost and that I just didn’t “get this God thing.”  Then I heard a tiny voice (the Holy Spirit) interject, “Have you fully given my Word a fair chance?”

I honestly hadn’t.  So, I committed to read a book of God’s Word every day…an entire book.  I started and I was able to maintain some consistency.  At first, it was a real task for me, especially Deuteronomy and Numbers.  But then something happened.  As I begin to study the history of Israel, I fell in love with the beautiful history, the personalities, the consistency of the Word, and the God that loves.  I want you to love the Word too, to thirst for it.

Reading the Word is NOT a chore.  It is part of how we communicate with God, through the work of the Holy Spirit. But it takes work and commitment to stick to it.  

If you truly seek God, the best reward is finding Him. Success is the bonus.

Prayer:

Lord,

I come to you in the name of Jesus Christ. Please forgive me for my sins and free me from the guilt and shame that come with.  Help me to see that, as a Believer, nothing I have done can withhold me from the promises of God. 

I claim the promises in Your Word for myself.  They apply to my life, to my circumstances, as the blood of Your Son covers my personal sin.

Lord, help me to have faith in You, even when what I see looks bleak. Help me to believe that even my struggle is a part of your plan, and that one day this will be a testimony of how dramatically you can change things around in the life of your children.

Help me to see that I am not the exception from your promises, but that I am EXCEPTIONAL in your eyes.  Help me to accept that you love me and have a successful plan for my life.

Lord, give me a thirst for Your Word.  Give me the insatiable desire to hear from you, and the will to study your Word.  Give me understanding when I read, enlighten my heart. And Lord, bless me with success.

I pray for this and all things in Jesus’ name.

Amen