Key Passage: Genesis 39, Joshua 1
Introduction
Ask the regular Church audience if they will like to be successful. The answer you will hear is a resounding Yes! Success is something we all want! Ask them to write down the names of 3 people they want to be successful as, tell them after writing these names, there will be prayer to God to make it happen. I bet you, the names you see will be the regular names – Bill Gates, Aliko Dangote, Oprah Winfery, Ben Cason, Richard Brandson, and possible a few Popular ministers of the Gospel.
Then ask them to open their Bibles to Joshua 1:7-9. Ask them how many of these people mediate on God’s word day and night, and you’ll gradually see silence begin to envelope the audience. Ask them who will they be like if they meditated on God’s word day and night, and someone will shout Jesus!
Paradigm Shift
Joseph, Our character study for today is interestingly a typology of Jesus Christ. He is a popular character who gravitated in his journey from Pit to Portiphar to Prison and to Palace. We may look at his story and say Joseph became successful when he arrived at the palace but here in GEN 39:2 while he was a slave boy in Portiphar’s house, Joseph was declared as successful simply because the LORD was with him.
Jesus does not first come to mind to today’s proclaimed Christian as successful! Imagine?? How can we follow someone when our definition of success excludes him?? Our definitions of success does not make us different from muslims, Hindu, Buddist or free thinkers. Success to us measured in financial terms, business terms and lifestyle times. Many of us have not being taught to realize that the most successful man on earth is Christ and He is the definition of Success.
Success in mortal times is defined from the lens of society. Success in eternal times is as we look through Christ’s lens. May I measure my life only as Christ does. May I not value myself by what I have or what I give, but may I look at my life through Heaven’s eyes.
In Joshua – Success is the result of mediating on God’s word day and night – Christ.
In Jospeh – Success is God with Us – Emmanuel – Christ.
Applications
- Is God’s abiding presence real to me on daily basis?
- Is my daily output of being successful measure by how much God’s presence in me can deliver His will?
- Am I meditating on God’s word daily?.
- I must allow Him work in me so that I can do what He desires and also so that His work may prosper in my hands.
What would Jesus do?
Jesus boldy declared, “I and my Father are one”. He was never outside God’s presence just like it will be difficult for a fish to survive outside water, Jesus was in the Father and the Father was also in Him. This must be our ultimate desire and destination.
Commitments and Prayers
Dear Lord, let my progress only be measured by your abiding presence. Let everything i’m currently holding to dearly at the expense of your abiding presence be counted as loss for me.
I commit to meditate on God’s word day and night.