Myth, 16

~ Success Brings Happiness ~

The Myth  ~  If I could just achieve a measure of success then I would be happy.

The Reality  ~  Solomon, arguably the wisest man ever to live, wrote the Book of Ecclesiastes which explodes this myth.  Success never satisfies—the more success one has the more he/she wants.  The new millionaire sets his/her sights on being a multi-millionaire, etc.  “He who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver; nor he who loves abundance, with increase.  This also is vanity [meaningless in the big scheme of things]” (Ecclesiastes 5:10).

The Big Picture  ~  “When Jesus had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, ‘Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.  For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.  For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?  Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Mark 8:34-38).  “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.  Trust in the Lord forever, for in Yah, the Lord, is everlasting strength” (Isaiah 26:3-4).

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

NOTES:

(1)     The current TOP 10 ALN posts are listed at the very bottom of this home page.

(2)     There is an INDEX of all ALN posts accessed by scrolling down the left column.

(3)     You may LINK to any ALN posts on your own blog or website. 

(4)     You may COPY any ALN post, but please credit ALN as the source by prominently displaying the following statement:  Reprinted from “Abundant Life Now,” a free blog which offers inspiring moments, thought-provoking comments, and solid Biblical insight at http://RobertLloydRussell.blogspot.com/ .

Fear God, 141

~ In The Final Days Even the Strong Will Fear God ~

God does not want His children living in fear.  “Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue” (2 Peter 1:2-3).  However, God does want His children to have a proper respect and reverence for Him.  We are told in many places in Scripture to “fear God.”  

This Week’s Passage  ~  “In that day Egypt will be like women, and will be afraid and fear because of the waving of the hand of the Lord of hosts, which He waves over it.  And the land of Judah will be a terror to Egypt; everyone who makes mention of it will be afraid in himself, because of the counsel of the Lord of hosts which He has determined against it” (Isaiah 19:16-17).

Comment  ~  This is a reference to a future time when even the strongest will fear God. 

Fearing God Results in Salvation  ~  “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:31).  “A wise person fears and departs from evil, but a fool rages and is self-confident” (Proverbs 14:16).  This does not mean the Christian is to live a fearful life—but a life which reverences God and seeks to do His will. 

Fearing God Results in Fearlessness  ~  “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?  The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1).  The answer is: only God.  With the gift of salvation comes responsibility.

Fearing God Results in Witnessing  ~  “Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will declare what He has done for my soul” (Psalm 66:16). 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

NOTES:

(1)     The current TOP 10 ALN posts are listed at the very bottom of this home page.

(2)     There is an INDEX of all ALN posts accessed by scrolling down the left column.

(3)     You may LINK to any ALN posts on your own blog or website. 

(4)     You may COPY any ALN post, but please credit ALN as the source by prominently displaying the following statement:  Reprinted from “Abundant Life Now,” a free blog which offers inspiring moments, thought-provoking comments, and solid Biblical insight at http://RobertLloydRussell.blogspot.com/ .

Bible Answer, 65

~ Did You Get It Right? ~

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~~~~ bible answer ~~~~

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question:  What woman lied to her Father in order to save her Husband?

answer:  Michal – 1 Samuel 19:12-17 

“Saul also sent messengers to David’s house to watch him and to kill him in the morning.  And Michal, David’s wife, told him, saying, ‘If you do not save your life tonight, tomorrow you will be killed.’  So Michal let David down through a window.  And he went and fled and escaped.  And Michal took an image and laid it in the bed, put a cover of goats’ hair for his head, and covered it with clothes.  So when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, ‘He is sick.’  Then Saul sent the messengers back to see David, saying, ‘Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may kill him.’  And when the messengers had come in, there was the image in the bed, with a cover of goats’ hair for his head.  Then Saul said to Michal, ‘Why have you deceived me like this, and sent my enemy away, so that he has escaped?’ And Michal answered Saul, ‘He said to me, “Let me go!  Why should I kill you?”’  So David fled and escaped, and went to Samuel at Ramah, and told him all that Saul had done to him.  And he and Samuel went and stayed in Naioth.  Now it was told Saul, saying, ‘Take note, David is at Naioth in Ramah!’  Then Saul sent messengers to take David.  And when they saw the group of prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as leader over them, the Spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied.  And when Saul was told, he sent other messengers, and they prophesied likewise.  Then Saul sent messengers again the third time, and they prophesied also.  Then he also went to Ramah, and came to the great well that is at Sechu.  So he asked, and said, ‘Where are Samuel and David?’” (1 Samuel 19:11-22).

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

NOTES:

(1)     The current TOP 10 ALN posts are listed at the very bottom of this home page.

(2)     There is an INDEX of all ALN posts accessed by scrolling down the left column.

(3)     You may LINK to any ALN posts on your own blog or website. 

(4)     You may COPY any ALN post, but please credit ALN as the source by prominently displaying the following statement:  Reprinted from “Abundant Life Now,” a free blog which offers inspiring moments, thought-provoking comments, and solid Biblical insight at http://RobertLloydRussell.blogspot.com/ .