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To answer that question here is a not so subtle hint:
Prov 16:3
Roll your works upon the Lord [commit and trust them wholly to Him; He will cause your thoughts to become agreeable to His will, and] so shall your plans be established and succeed.
The remarkable thing about this verse ----- Our thoughts can be agreeable to His will. According to the inerrant Holy Bible if we commit and trust our works to Him our thoughts can actually be GOD's will.
This is a very strange concept for the secular world and even among many religious circles.
Yet here it is plain as day in the Word of God.
Let us compare this to a New Testament verse to bring home it's relevancy;
Cor 2:16
For who has known or understood the mind (the counsels and purposes) of the Lord so as to guide and instruct Him and give Him knowledge? But we have the mind of Christ (the Messiah) and do hold the thoughts (feelings and purposes) of His heart
I am not here to provide a defense for the Word of GOD, it says what it says. Once the revelation is had, the gates of hell can not prevail against it.
Now that we have come the conclusion that our thoughts can become agreeable to His will we also learn that His will is central to our success.
But what are we succeeding in, what defines our success, is it a career that carries high esteem in society? Is it the accumulation of wealth, is that what we are after?
Before I knew Jesus I always thought career accomplishments and wealth told the world that I am somebody.
Here is an interesting concept of our Lord Jesus Christ:
Mark 10:21
And Jesus, looking upon him, loved him, and He said to him, You lack one thing; go and sell all you have and give [the money] to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come [and] accompany Me [walking the same road that I walk].
Clearly this way of thinking is not in line with how we view success... giving away all we have?????
Now why would the Lord want any of us to do that. If we are too tied to material possessions does it skew our thinking and distract us from seeing the success that is found only in GOD's Word, God's will and in GOD's ways. Perhaps the next verse can explain things a little further.
Luke 8:14
And as for what fell among the thorns, these are [the people] who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked and suffocated with the anxieties and cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not ripen (come to maturity and perfection).
This passage of course is found in the parable of the sower, and the seed is the Word of GOD.
If we can not let go of material temporal things or neither can we free ourselves of the daily anxieties that accompany the pursuit of material things then the Word planted in us becomes unfruitful . It seems to me that GOD's desire for us is beyond the obtaining of mere material possessions. We have a higher calling, our call is to bear fruit in the kingdom of GOD .
Matt 6:19
Do not gather and heap up and store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust and worm consume and destroy, and where thieves break through and steal.
Matt 6:20
But gather and heap up and store for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust nor worm consume and destroy, and where thieves do not break through and steal;
The first thing that comes to mind here is Wow.. we are going to be missing out on all the creature comforts of life... shall we lives as monks?????? Maybe we should if it will assure us a place in the kingdom of GOD.. it would be worth it... But let us look at this next three verses:
Luke 18:28
And Peter said, See, we have left our own [things--home, family, and business] and have followed You.
Luke 18:29
And He said to them, I say to you truly, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God
Luke 18:30
Who will not receive in return many times more in this world and, in the coming age, eternal life.
It must be understood, living for Jesus does NOT mean living a destitute life. Jesus says that if He clothes the grass of the field how much more will He cloth YOU. What God is saying is get your mind off of living day to day trying to maintain a certain standard of living . Instead roll your works upon Him trust in Him, seek first the Kingdom of GOD and all these things will be added unto you as well.....
Matt 6:31
Therefore do not worry and be anxious, saying, What are we going to have to eat? or, What are we going to have to drink? or, What are we going to have to wear?
Matt 6:32
For the Gentiles (heathen) wish for and crave and diligently seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows well that you need them all.
Matt 6:33
But seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right), and then all these things taken together will be given you besides
GOD is our provider Jehovah Jireh is our provider and because of this David through the [rompting of the Spirit of GOD wrote:
Ps 37:25
I have been young and now I am old, Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken Or his descendants begging bread.
Since we can be certain that the Lord will meet our earthly needs we can go about the business of being sucessful in HIM.
At the end of our road in this very minute period of time lets us be able to say:
2 Tim 4:7
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith;
2 Tim 4:8
in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.
Now lets us finish our course so that like Paul we can receive a crown of righteousness!!!!
