ISuccess is not a matter of acquiring status, of getting in the right place, of making the most of our circumstances through our own efforts. Two examples in the Old Testament point out that although their outer circumstances were not ideal, because the Lord was with them, because they had His favor, they already had success and were working out the glory that was already within them.
Joseph was betrayed by his brothers, reduced to absolutely nothing, sold into slavery to the enemies of his nation, the Midianites, then bought by an Egyptian master.
He was for all relevant purposes, a loser. Yet the Bible records otherwise:
"And Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him of the hands of the Ishmeelites, which had brought him down thither.
"And the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian." (Genesis 39: 1-2)
David, for all intensive purposes, was a loser, the youngest of his Father's house, called out to be anointed by Samuel, when David's own father had not even considered him. Even after he was anointed, David did not reign for the first seven years from Jerusalem.
He was also surrounded by a diminished group of people:
"David therefore departed thence, and escaped to the cave Adullam: and when his brethren and all his father's house heard it, they went down thither to him.
"And every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him; and he became a captain over them: and there were with him about four hundred men." (1 Samuel 22: 1-2)
Yet from the moment that David took down Goliath, he knew that the Lord was with him:
"The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee. " (1 Samuel 17: 38)
Success is not defined by what you do, where you go, or even what you are. It is all about who is with you. Believers in Christ have more th victory in the One who died for them and lives in them:
"Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
"For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
"Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8: 37-39)
John also writes:
"Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
"We love him, because he first loved us." (1 John 4: 17-19)
David was "Beloved", and his knowledge of God's love for him gave him the power and the strength to overcome all things. He not only slew Goliath, but he cut of the giant's head and brought it to Jerusalem. Our Beloved Savior defeated a greater enemy, Satan, at the Cross of Calvary, putting away our sin, shame, and reproach forever.
We are more than conquerors in Christ. We walk in His parade of victory:
"Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place." (2 Corinthians 2: 14)
We are not just captives to Christ, we are witnesses to his victory, in that He lives in us (cf Colossians 1: 27).
We are not called to seek heights for ourselves. We have already been seated in high places with Christ (Ephesians 2: 6). We are to walk in love as children of life, radiating forth the glory of God, who loved us, who redeemed us, and who lives in us, granting us the wisdom and power to live His life on this earth, to bear fruit to His glory.
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