Who comes to your mind whenever you think of a success story? What is true success ? Is having a lot of money equal to success? Can one be poor and yet successful? What do you think?
In the Bible, there are a number of success stories, with Joseph, Daniel, Solomon, and Job being some of the most widely talked about. What do the characters have in common? What constituted or shaped their success? Let’s find out.
Let’s look at Joseph for starters. It was a story full of bitterness. From a young age, he was sold as a slave to the Egyptians by his own family. Life was bitter in Egypt as he faced many challenges till he became a Pharaoh, but one day, when he had the chance to brag and take revenge on his brothers, he remembered that God had already foretold his success.
Genesis 37:9-10
“Then he had another dream, and he told it to his brothers. ‘Listen,’ he said, ‘I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me.’ He told it to his father as well as his brothers; then his father rebuked him and said, ‘What is this dream you had? Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come and bow down to the ground before you?” (NIV)
We go on to Daniel, a typical A+ student with high IQ and all, he excels in the Babylonian palace and at some point, he and his friends were found to be ten times more intelligent than the others. To cut a long story short, he soon earns the title Governor of Babylon next to King Nebuchadnezzar. But was it all due to his studies and intelligence, I wonder. Daniel sure knew all was a reward from God.
Daniel 2:19
“Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision at night. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven….The mystery has been revealed to you,” Daniel said, “so that you may know the interpretation… You, O king, are the king of kings… Your kingdom will be ended, and another kingdom will rise in its place…” (Daniel 2:19, 37-38, NIV)
Daniel 2:48-49
“Then the king placed Daniel in a high position and lavished many gifts on him. He made him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and placed him in charge of all its wise men. (Daniel 2:48-49, NIV)
We move on to Solomon, the richest and wisest man to ever live. It is said that he wrote over 4000 proverbs and songs and had 1000 wives. We always wonder how he managed all that. Did Solomon study hard to gain all the wealth and knowledge, and wisdom ? Did he have a high IQ? I tell you the answer to this question is summed up in the following verse.
1 Chronicles 22:9-10 (NIV) says:
“But you will have a son who will be a man of peace and rest, and I will give him rest from all his enemies on every side. His name will be Solomon, and I will grant Israel peace and quiet during his reign. He will build a house for my Name; he will be my son, and I will be his father. I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel forever.’”
Last but not least, we end with the ever-interesting story of Job. A very wealthy and respected man. God even said of Job that he was his servant, a man who feared God and hated evil, and there was none like him. What interests me the most about this story is the route the Devil took to bring him down. He could have driven Job to bankruptcy in a matter of seconds, but he did the unexpected.
Job 1:8-12 (NIV) says:
“The Lord said to Satan, ‘Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blasphemously honest and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.’
‘Does Job fear God for nothing?’ Satan replied. ‘Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. But now stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.’
True success comes from God, no two ways about it. That is why, instead of attacking Job, the Devil first confronted the source. No one can achieve success through their own merit. King Nebuchadnezzar thought it was through his own talent that he built Babylon, but he was proven wrong, as were many other bible characters.
Ecclesiastes 9:11
“I have seen something else under the sun: The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favour to the skilled; but time and chance happen to them all.”
Ecclesiastes 3:14:
“I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that people will fear him.”
So humble yourself like Joseph when God has blessed you. Do not be pompous and condescending to others lest they take away what he has blessed you with. Today, if you need success, go no further, just kneel down before the Lord and ask of him who rewards us freely without prize.
Psalm 127:1 (NIV):
“Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labour in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain.”