James had unwrapped all of his birthday presents except one. It was a small truck that had a bubble of plastic over it that was sealed to a piece of cardboard. He tried desperately to separate the plastic from the cardboard but had no success. Initially he thought he could separate the two by trying to slip his small finger nail between them. But his nail was too short. Then he tried to carefully squeeze the plastic to see if it would “open up” enough space for him to get his hand on the truck. That plan failed, too. Then he put the plastic bubble on the table and pushed on the cardboard thinking that was the solution. Frustrated, he looked at the little truck with longing eyes. It was a prize that became more valuable each time he tried to unwrap it.

Then he looked up at his Dad and asked, “What can I do to get my truck out of the box?”

“Well,” said his Dad, “you could ask for help.”

Every plan that James tried failed. They all seemed sensible to him, but when he tried to make them work nothing happened. Then he lifted his eyes and found someone who would help him successfully achieve his goal.

“In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps” is worth accepting and applying. We may design detailed, thorough plans to reach our goals, but when we attempt to make them work in our own strength, we become frustrated and discouraged when they fail. It’s better to include the Lord in the planning stage and then work with Him until they are fulfilled.

Prayer:  Lord, we all want to succeed in everything we do. May we always include You from the beginning to the end. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture for Today: Proverbs 16:9 In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.

“Before you make a decision, make a plan or set a goal, ask these questions,” said T.B. Matson, our ethics professor.

“Can I ask God to bless what I am about to do?”

“Is what I am planning to do going to honor God?”

“Would I feel comfortable to ask others to join me in prayer for what I am asking God to do?”

“Would others agree with me that what I am about to do will be God-honoring?”

We often act and react without pausing to pray about or even consider the consequences of our behavior. Sometimes when things seem to be getting out of control, we run to God and plead for Him to “correct this terrible mess I’ve created for Your sake.” Others may say, “Well, it looked good when I started but where is God now?”

Because of our sinful nature, we often act without seeking God’s approval before setting out on a project. We think, plan, work and then wonder “what happened to my ideas?” when things go wrong. We forget the need to go to God first because of our desire to act independent and self-sufficient. If we look to and depend on God, we automatically admit we are insufficient on our own and need His help. And who wants to think they need help?

Wisely Solomon wrote, “Commit to the Lord whatever you do and your plans will succeed.” The word used for “commit” literally means “roll over.” So, if in prayer we “roll over” our plans to God for His blessing, protection and guidance, we can expect them to succeed.

Prayer:  Father, we pray that You will remove all pride from our lives and help us realize our need for Your guidance. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture for Today: Proverbs 16:3 Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.

Somewhere on a shelf in my library is a small book with a big lesson. When I take its message to heart, I am more apt to succeed in whatever I have in mind. When I rush ahead and neglect its counsel, I am more apt to fail and have to deal with problems that could have been avoided.

It Takes Two to See One is the name of the book that “can make a distinct difference” in how we make our decisions, solve our problems or set our goals. The simple secret is that if we isolate ourselves from the wisdom and knowledge of others, and insulate ourselves from the insight and experiences of others, we are likely to end up with a picture that is out of focus or lacks detail and will lead to disaster!  

“Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.” Getting input and ideas, advice or information from others can lead to success. Although not clearly expressed in the way this verse in translated, the advice we are to seek is to come from those who we can trust and will keep our discussions confidential. As we talk and look for clarification “from many” a pattern will develop and what might have been overlooked will become visible.

There is also the important fact of humility in this verse. “Pride” does come before “destruction” and God does hate a person who is “arrogant.” Those two words, pride and arrogance, have brought the downfall of many. Being inclusive of others in our lives shows great wisdom. No one knows everything but others do know something.

Prayer:  Lord, help us to realize the need we have for counsel - especially from You. May we recognize our limits. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture for Today: Proverbs 15:22 Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.

It’s not unusual to hear someone say, “But I don’t want to be a role model.” But that’s not the way it is. All of us are, at one time or another, a model who someone will try to imitate for one reason or another. David made this observation a long time ago.

“My eyes will be on the faithful in the land,” he said. When David looked for a role model he did not look for one who was famous or powerful, one who had wealth or riches, he looked for one who was “faithful to the Lord.” He was committed to build his life on God’s principles – principles that were eternal and everlasting. So, he searched for those who had God’s purposes and plans in their minds and hearts, those were obedient to God. And when he found them he surrounded himself with them and even invited them to “dwell” with him.

Someone once asked John Rockefeller, “How did you become so successful?” He looked at him sternly and said, “Because I surround myself with successful people!”

Here we find a great lesson for life: If we want to achieve great things for God, we must surround ourselves with people who have done or are doing great things for God. We cannot become more than we are for God if we associate with and follow the examples of those who do not care much for God or do not have loving and serving God at the very center of their lives.

David expressed his need for being surrounded by the “faithful.” He knew that “He whose walk is blameless will minister to me.” 

Prayer: Lord, may we be careful to choose friends who will encourage us to be faithful to You in all that we do. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture for Today: Psalm 101:6 My eyes will be on the faithful in the land, that they may dwell with me; the one whose walk is blameless will minister to me.

Ade Mae and Harry Day were cattle ranchers in Arizona. When it was time for their first child to be born, they had to travel over 200 miles to locate a doctor to assure a safe delivery for their child.

Immediately after her birth they brought Sandra to their humble home: an adobe house on the ranch. There was no electricity and no running water and there was no school within a reasonable driving distance. So, when Sandra turned four years old her mother began teaching her the “basics” at home.

Eventually it was necessary for Sandra to move to El Paso, Texas to begin her formal education in a public school. She lived with her grandmother during these critical, formative years and when she was old enough, attended a boarding school for girls.

After graduating from high school she went to Stanford University in California where she excelled as a student. After she completed her college education, she attended the law school at Stanford and served on the editorial staff of the school’s Law Review.

She was the first woman to serve as the majority leader in the Arizona Senate and was the first woman Supreme Court Justice of the United States. Her husband suffered from Alzheimer’s disease for over twenty years and she now works to end that disease.

Jesus said, “With God all things are possible.” Faith can turn our trials into triumphs if we follow Him.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, may we be willing to look beyond what is to what can be. Let us not be discouraged by the hardships in life knowing that You are there to lead and guide us. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture for Today: Matthew 19:26 But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

There once was a jockey who lost his first race and felt humiliated. But he did not give up. In fact, he lost his next 250 races before he enjoyed victory. His name? Eddie Arcaro and he became one of the most famous jockeys of his day.

There once was a baseball player who struck out 1,330 times. But he is not remembered for striking out. He is remembered for being one of the greatest home run hitters of all time. His name? Babe Ruth, a true legend in the history of “the game.”

There once was a man who once failed 99 times while doing the same experiment before it turned out right. But he is not remembered for his failures. Thomas Edison is remembered for being one of the world’s greatest inventors and is credited with 1,093 patents and his famous “trial and error” or Edisonian Approach to research: work until “you get the results you are seeking.”

Failure need not be fatal. It can be an important part of our learning process and lead us to ultimately discover the plan that God has in store for each of us.

There once was a man who denied his Lord. He often spoke without thinking, was brash and impulsive, turned his back on Jesus at His trial and even denied Him three times. Yet, he became the recognized leader among the disciples, was one of the “inner three” and became one of the greatest voices of the Gospel Message.

Prayer: We are grateful, Lord, that You will not give up on us as long as we stay close to You and seek Your will for our lives. May we never do less than our best for You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture for Today: Proverbs 3:1-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.

Michael Jordan, the legendary basketball player is quoted as having said, “I’ve lost more than 300 games. There were twenty-six games when I was given the ball in the last seconds to make the basket that would have won the game. But it didn’t happen – I missed the shot and we lost. I have failed over and over. And that’s why I succeed.”

Strange quote from someone who elevated basketball to a higher level through his skills. We rarely think of such an achiever in any sport as someone who turned failure into success. High-achievers seem to come fully developed and highly skilled.

However, experience is always part of failure. And if we chose, we can use the experience to gain insight and from insight we can gain knowledge and from the knowledge we can gain wisdom and learn to turn failure into success.

The Christian has a wonderful resource to help in this process: the Holy Spirit. He dwells within us and is present, ready and willing to give us the wisdom we need to become successful in life.

There is one condition, however. If we want wisdom, we must go to God in humility and ask for it and then use it for His glory. God will give us whatever we need if we willingly use His gifts for His glory and not our own self-interests or self-advancement.

Prayer: Help us, Lord, to know that when we fail we need to “fall forward” into Your waiting arms, knowing that Your desire is to work with us to help us succeed. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture for Today:  James 1:5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

When Harlan Sanders had turned forty he realized that he could not point to anything in his life that could be considered a success. Whatever he attempted to do, failed. One day someone said to him, “Harlan, life begins at forty!” It jolted him in such away that it awakened his faith and he determined to begin again.

After a time of prayer he decided to open a service station. Shortly after its opening he added a luncheonette. One of his meals was fried chicken. To make it tastier he came up with a “special” batter and called it the Harlan Sanders’ Kentucky Fried Chicken. People enjoyed it so much that they soon recommended it to their friends. It brought him fame and fortune and the Governor of Kentucky made him a Kentucky Colonel. Soon people everywhere were buying the “Colonel’s” Kentucky Fried Chicken.

By God’s grace and the Colonel’s faith, what had been a life of failure and frustration became a life with a future and personal fulfillment. But his new life did not begin at forty. It began when God became a major part of his life’s “recipe.” When God becomes the main “ingredient” in our life, everything will become new. With Him as the centerpiece and His Word as our guide, we can overcome any obstacle or difficulty that stands in the way of our success.

Prayer: Let us always remember, Lord, that all things are possible when we trust in You and desire to honor You with the gifts and talents You have given us. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture for Today: Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

For years Thomas Edison tried to perfect a long lasting storage battery. During this time he conducted thousands of experiments that were unsuccessful. One day one his employees came to him and said, “Isn’t it a shame that you have wasted all of this time? All of the tremendous labor and time that you have spent on this project has not achieved any results that will work.”

“I’ve got plenty of results,” said Edison. “You see, I’ve discovered several thousand that won’t work!”

To his credit, Edison was able to look at what he was doing as a way of learning and solving problems. When he failed he did not look at it as final. He looked at it as a stepping stone to success. How fortunate is that person who can see beyond the moment of defeat to the joy of victory!

Often we fail to see God at work in what we are doing. We look for the approval of others believing that our rewards come from them. Scripture reminds us, however, to define success in terms of being faithful to God and what He has called us to do. God rewards us for being faithful to Him, for doing what He calls us to do even when we fail in the eyes of the world.

Struggling through difficult days and trying times proves that our trust is in God and that we look to Him for our rewards. “Fear not, I will strengthen and help you.”

Prayer: It’s natural, Lord, to want the approval of those around us. Often we think that they are the final authority. Remind us, however, that we labor for You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture for Today: Isaiah 41:10 Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’

Grover Cleveland Alexander is recognized as one of the greatest baseball pitchers of all time. His record of ninety shutouts still stands and his 373 recorded victories has been achieved by only one other pitcher. In 1938 he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

From his earliest days on the farm his only desire was to play baseball and be a pitcher. He actually began his career by throwing apples and stones at fence posts between chores to sharpen his throwing skills.

One day he bought a few baseballs and nailed an old catcher’s mitt to the chicken coop. He would spend every available moment throwing baseballs at the mitt and finally became successful at hitting the mitt nine times out of ten.

During his pitching career reporters mounted heaps of praise on him as his record grew and fame spread. But none of them were ever aware of the many hours he practiced with no one watching or helping him develop the skills that would eventually bring him world recognition.

Fame never comes unless one is willing to pay the price it requires. Hard work is God’s plan for all of us. Those who work diligently are the recipients of many benefits in their own lives and the lives of others. God blesses those who develop the skills He gives them.

Prayer: Help us, Lord, to take the gifts You give us with great humility and work with all of our might to develop them to bring honor and glory to You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture for Today: 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing.

The founder of a successful company was being interviewed by a reporter from a large daily newspaper. His first question was, “What does it take to succeed?”

After a moment’s thought he replied, “The same thing is took to get started. A sense of urgency and excitement.”

That answer is certainly true if one wants to be successful in developing and managing a business. And it is also true if one wants to succeed in the Christian life.

No one has ever expressed this truth any more powerfully than the Apostle Paul. Hear him, “...I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: I am straining to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling me.”

God has one goal for everyone - that we will become like Christ! And if we choose to achieve that goal it will take all of our energies just as it took all of Paul’s energies.

Paul said that he focused on “this one thing” - this one goal. He had the mind and heart and focus of an athlete in training. And when athletes are in training, they set aside everything that is harmful or hurtful and anything that might distract them or destroy their commitment to their goal of victory.

The Christian formula for success must include urgency and excitement and also dedication and focus.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, help us to make those adjustments in our lives that are necessary if we want to be successful Christians. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture for Today: Philippians 3:12-14 forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (Read more...)

It was his first attempt to win a trophy for swimming. He was successful and won first place. After receiving his prized possession, his mother said, “I’m so happy for you. I never won a trophy.”

“Mom,” he asked, “did you ever try?”

God created each of us to succeed. But we can never succeed at anything until we try something. And whenever we want to accomplish anything, we need a good place to begin. We find that “place” in the first words of the Bible: “In the beginning - GOD….”

Beginning with God means that before we try to do anything we seek His will. God promised Joshua great success. He told him that no one would be able to stand their ground against him, promising, “I will not fail you or abandon you” as long as you live. But He gave him a warning: “study the Book of the Law continually… obey it…and only then will you succeed.”

The promise that God gave to Joshua works for us, too. However, God places the same limits on our success: “Study My Word continually, obey it, and only then you will succeed.” If we begin with God’s Word, we will end with God’s blessings. Surely, that is success!

Prayer: Lord, help us to realize and remember that success is all about You and never about us. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture for Today: Joshua 1:1-9

Harlan Sanders had just turned forty. No matter what he tried, he failed. Nothing he did worked. He was discouraged and disheartened.

Then, one day someone said to him, "Life begins at forty!" He decided to open a gas station. Shortly afterward, he added a luncheonette. People said that his chicken was tasteless. Rather than giving up on his tasteless chicken, he worked on new and different seasonings.

One day he finally combined the right seasoning in the right amount for his recipe and called it Harlan Sanders’ Fried Chicken. It soon brought him fame and fortune and the governor of Kentucky made him a Kentucky Colonel. It was the beginning of Kentucky Fried Chicken.

Through his faith in God, he turned failure into fortune and his tragedy into triumph and gave God the credit for his success.

Life began at forty for the Colonel because he trusted God. Hard work and trusting in God's grace makes all the difference.

Prayer: Father, help us to realize that failing does not make us a failure, but our lack of faith will. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture: Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.