S. Michael Houdmann Supporter Got Questions Ministries

When King David was about to die, he gave his son, Solomon, the following advice: "Do what the LORD your God commands and follow his teachings. Obey everything written in the Law of Moses. Then you...

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July 01 2013 • 1 response • Vote Up • Share • Report

Stephanie Inman Supporter

I think we all have a chance to live our life for God, we just need to realize what is more important; life here on earth forgetting who God is and who gave us life, or choose to live through what he has thought us? Have faith, believe in him with all of our hearts, and he will for give our sins that we have made, only if we are willing to change and live our life for him. This life is nothing to what he has behind those beautiful gate's. We all just need to believe in him and follow his word, for it is the truth!

February 14 2015 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Danny Hickman Supporter Believer in The Gospel Of Jesus Christ

To succeed at anything is to have a desirable outcome; I don't think the bible offers in chapter and verse, a hard-boiled definition of what success is. It all depends on the matter at hand. It's a moving target.. sorta'.. 

Samuel's father, Elkanah had two wives; Peninnah had children, but Hannah was barren. The author of First Samuel 1 writes, 'the Lord had closed her womb.' (vs5). Eli the priest saw her praying silently and assumed she was drunk and talking to herself. (I reckon that not many women were known to pray publicly, or maybe prayer was never silent; she's at the Tabernacle, a place where prayers were offered, and for some reason the priest doesn't suspect that she's praying. That wouldn't be the case today if we were in church and a woman was seen acting the way in which she is being portrayed. It would be obvious to everyone that she would be praying). She explained her situation to him; how she was vexed and full of anxiety. He said to her, "Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition that you have made to him" (vs17). The bible says 'she went her way and her face was no longer sad.' I take that to mean she had faith in Eli's blessing. 

And in due time Hannah conceived and bore a son, and called his name Samuel, for she said, "I have asked for him from the Lord" (1 Samuel 1:20).

I call that success on many different levels; she had a good day when Eli spoke comforting words to her and her mood changed. She got a prayer through; I call that success; she got pregnant; success! We know she wanted a son (a male baby; no explanation needed, we're talking BC on the calendar); she got what she wanted. As it turned out, Samuel was Eli's successor as priest and prophet of Israel instead of Eli's two sons. 

If this was football, it would be a kick return for a touchdown; in baseball, a grand slam; in basketball a buzzer beater from half court. As my grandchildren would say, 'Hannah was crushing it.!' 

I think a line in her prayer explains it best. She says, "The Lord makes poor and makes rich; he brings low and he exalts" (1 Samuel 2:7). 

She's describing how God had dealt with her; she's boasting of being humbled as well as having been blessed by Him. Success is getting to know Him like that; that's the most desirable outcome to be had in life! Everything else is is an attachment of some kind.

February 08 2023 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Jack Gutknecht Supporter ABC/DTS graduate, guitar music ministry Baptist church

In the sense of prospering, "success" is the translation of sakhal, שָׂכַל "to be wise," "to prosper" (Josh 1:8, "Thou shalt have good success," the King James Version margin "do wisely," the Revised Version margin "deal wisely". 

For instance, God wanted Moses to succeed so badly when Moses started giving excuses in Exodus 4:1-17. God had an answer for each of his excuses. If he needed a sign, just one sign, God gave him three: his shepherd's rod turning into a snake; putting his hand inside his cloak and it becoming leprous, putting it back in and it coming out healthy again; and making some water taken from the Nile River into blood when Moses poured it out on the ground. 

God wants to ensure our success, too. Joshua 1:8 was one of the first Bible verses that I memorized as a young, growing Christian. And I believe God and God alone has helped me to succeed in life. I am 76 years young now. My life has been God looking me full in the face and making me prosper.

December 17 2022 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Tim Maas Supporter Retired Quality Assurance Specialist with the U.S. Army

The first passage that came to my mind when I read this question was Jeremiah 9:23-24: "This is what the LORD says: 'Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, nor the strong man in his strength, nor the wealthy man in his riches. But let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD, who exercises loving devotion, justice and righteousness on the earth—for I delight in these things,' declares the LORD."

December 18 2022 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report