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Somebody once said that the dictionary is the only spot where success comes before work.  People believe that prosperity comes to those who work...hard.

 

Many Christians also believe that success is gained only by those who try.  We honor the ones who climb the ladder of success with their own two hands.  We act as if prosperity rests solely upon our shoulders.

 

When we fail to achieve what we want, we chart a plan to get it.  If we try hard enough, all good things will come to us.

 

I have read many books on success and how to achieve it.  I have attended seminars to learn the latest systems for success.  They recounted step by step how to accomplish it.

 

Further, lest I should not believe it, they told story after story about those who attained it by following their plans.

 

If I would simply follow their formulas, I thought, I could achieve prosperity, too.  So I did.  Every day I read books on positive thinking.  I made a chart to help me adopt my new lifestyle.  I listed those qualities the "masters" said I needed and labored to achieve them.

 

As I practiced, I discovered that they worked. I set new sales records for my district.  Soon, my employer saw my accomplishments and gave me awards for distinction.

 

Then, I began to climb in rank. In less than 18 months with the company, I managed its #1 Region.  I directed 5 district managers and 40 territory salesmen.  Only one level of management stood between the National Sales Manager and me.

 

But, I will never forget one spring night in 1972.  I had worked that day with one of my territory salesmen in Ft. Wayne, Indiana.

 

When I finished supper, I called my wife, Diane, on the phone from my motel room.  She recounted to me the latest steps of growth of our two young daughters, Julie and Jeanine.

 

As we conversed, God recalled to me Mark 8:36:

 

"For what shall it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?"

 

Those words rushed through my mind.  I did not need salvation that night.  I had satisfied that question as a boy.  But I had traded the quality of life with my wife and daughters for worldly success.

 

The success gurus I had copied failed to disclose that sad consequence.  They spoke only in terms of fame and fortune.  Riches and position oiled the wheels of life.  Money and well being came to those who tried, they said.

 

In my haste, I had forgotten that a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.  I had the world by the tail on a downhill haul.  But I had neglected my wife and daughters in the process.

Our lives together existed only on weekends.  My children equated me with the airport.  My wife compared it to a circus ride.  Weekends became a flurry of activity followed by a week of recovery from its dizziness.

 

Work filled my time; family fit in when possible.  By the world's criteria, I had prosperity and success.  Although I had not yet arrived at 30 years of age, I had reached a position many do not gain in a lifetime.  I earned more money in annual income than I ever dreamed I would earn.

 

But as a result, I nearly lost that which money cannot buy.  That spring night in Ft. Wayne I set in motion the steps that led to my resignation.  In faith, I started my own business.  I put Christ and His kingdom first as He said, followed by family.

 

From then on, I expected life to become a bed of roses.  It did not.  I encountered serious problems that I had not faced previously. My new work was a struggle.

 

But my understanding of Christ and my family flourished.  I experienced a well being not dependent on possessions or position.

 

I discovered that the Bible taught a different slant on success.

 

GOD'S SUCCESS RELIES UPON GOD'S POWER

 

The prosperity of God results solely from His power working by the Holy Spirit.  Scripture gives us many examples of this truth.  You cannot explain the crossing of the Red Sea by the Israelites on dry sand but by God's power.  Exodus 14:21-22 tells us:

 

"The Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided, and the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground..."

 

Nor can you explain the jubilation at Jericho in any other vein.  The children of Israel had marched around Jericho once a day for six days.  On the seventh day, they marched around it seven times.

 

When they circled the city the seventh time, Joshua commanded the pilgrims in Joshua 6:16:

 

"Shout; for the Lord hath given you the city."

 

As they roared, the walls of Jericho fell to the ground.  God had given them these orders, and they obeyed them entirely.  Victory came to Israel that day through the power of God.

 

In 4 different situations, Daniel saw the evidence of God's power in his life.  Daniel experienced poverty and plenty and experienced the prosperity of God regardless of his circumstances.  God's power brought success to Daniel.

 

The Power Of God Gives Us Privilege With Man.

First, God gave him privilege with man.  He had just arrived in Babylon as a helpless, homeless captive from Jerusalem.  He had fallen into the hands of the enemy.  They meant it for evil, but God turned it for good.

 

For, according to Daniel 1:9:

 

"God had brought Daniel into favor and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs."

 

Daniel's superior respected him and granted him permission to eat a diet that harmonized with God's law rather than the king's diet.  Daniel experienced the truth of Proverbs 16:7:

 

"When a man's ways please the Lord, He maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him."

 

As a result, Daniel delighted in the blessing of God's prosperity.

 

Not everyone gets applauded according to his character.  Reputation flees without cause.  Without assistance, merit progresses unhurried or perhaps, not at all.  Sometimes it only lies in our dreams.

 

The profit we think we make for ourselves actually comes from God.  Favor comes from God.  His Spirit prospers us with friend and foe.

 

God's Power Gives Us Proficiency.

Second, God made Daniel proficient beyond his training and education.  In Daniel 1:17-20:

 

"God gave (Daniel) knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams."

 

At the end of his training, Daniel went in to the king for an interview.  When the king had completed his interrogation, he pronounced Daniel ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers in the whole realm.  Daniel had expertise beyond the ordinary, which came from God.

 

Often, we credit our training and experience for our accomplishments in life.  We forget that the Father gives us all that we have.  He separates one above another.  He makes one to differ from another.

 

Paul proclaimed in 1 Corinthians 4:7:

 

"For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?"

 

God's success depends upon Christ to work the unexplainable in our lives by the power of the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit will, as we make our lives available to Him.

 

God's Power Can Put Us In Prominent Positions.

Third, God raised Daniel to prominent positions.  Chance played no role in it, nor was it produced by opportunity.  God elevated him.

 

King Nebuchadnezzar made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon.  He also elevated him to chief of the governors over all the wise men of Babylon.  Daniel sat in the counsel chambers of the king.

 

When Nebuchadnezzar died, his son, Belshazzar became ruler.  During his reign, Daniel became the third ruler in the kingdom.

 

Darius succeeded Belshazzar and Cyrus the Persian succeeded Darius.  In both kingdoms, Daniel rose in power.  They set him over the whole realm.

 

In every instance, God empowered Daniel to interpret dreams and perform deeds beyond the scope of human abilities.  As a result, Daniel ascended in power.

 

He knew the truth of Psalms 75:6- 7:

 

"For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south.  But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another."

 

Prestige often brings conceit.  We come to believe that we have earned it or deserve it.  God's success sometimes includes acclaim and acknowledgment.  But we must remember that if it comes, it comes from God.

 

God's Power Brings Protection.

Finally, God granted protection for Daniel.  In Daniel 6, he faced difficulties that only the power of God could overcome.  In the palace, God protected him from the pressures of his position.

 

As second in command to the king, he governed the nation.  Daniel daily faced decisions affecting the king and the kingdom.  He resolved problems and settled disputes.  Yet, God enabled Daniel to govern without cause for blame.

 

Those in leadership positions encounter unique pressures.  Questions arise which need immediate answers.  Sometimes, problems bring mystery and personnel management often creates factions.  Planning for an unknown future confuses them.

 

King David knew the pressures of leadership, too.  And he found in God a refuge in time of need.

 

In Psalms 32:7, he declared:

 

"Thou art my hiding place; Thou dost pre­serve me from trouble; Thou dost surround me with songs of deliverance."

 

If God places you in leadership, you, like Daniel and David, can find security in Him.  His Spirit will counsel, comfort, and strengthen you.

 

In addition, Daniel suffered prejudice from those who worked for him.  As native Babylonians, they thought they should have gotten his position.

 

More than that, Daniel, an alien and a Hebrew, ruled over them.  Their jealousy and competitive spirit drove them to find a cause that would get him removed.

 

When his enemies searched for an accusation against him, they found none.  The eyes of envy looked in vain.  By God's power, Daniel overcame prejudice with prudent and wise behavior.

 

He knew the truth of Psalms 18:48:

 

"He delivers me from my enemies; surely Thou dost lift me above those who rise up against me; Thou dost rescue me from the violent man."

 

When our enemies assault us, we, too, can enjoy God's protection.

 

Remember the promise in Isaiah 59:19:

 

"When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him."

 

Daniel also met a test on the practice of his faith.  His enemies found no fault in Daniel's administration over the kingdom.  So they persuaded the king to cast into a lion's den anyone who prayed to any god or man other than the king.

 

But, even when tested, Daniel still worshipped the God of Israel, the True and Living God.  He had discovered that God had never failed him.  God deserved his worship.  According to Daniel 6:10:

 

"Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime."

 

Daniel never bowed his knee to the gods of Babylon.  He remained true to God and openly worshipped Him fearlessly.

 

When Daniel prayed at his appointed time, his enemies observed him and reported it to the king.  As a result, Daniel's enemies got him thrown into the den of lions.

 

But, he saw God prosper him by closing the mouths of the lions.  Daniel believed God, and God closed the mouths of the lions.  As a result, an entire kingdom trembled before God.  And Daniel prospered.

 

We, too, can trust God to deliver us from the evil lion pursuing us.  God declared in 1 Peter 5:8:

 

"Be sober, be vigilant; because your ad­versary, the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour."

 

Satan preys upon the believer through evil thoughts, temptations and acts.  As a fisherman lures his quarry to his bait, so satan tempts the Christian.

 

In Matthew 6:13, Christ teaches us to pray to the Father for our protection:

 

"Deliver us from the evil one."

 

Furthermore, Christ prayed for our protection.  In John 17:15, He said to the Father:

 

"I pray not that Thou shouldst take them out of the world, but that Thou shouldst keep them from the evil."

 

We have security in Christ.  Remember the promise in 1 Corinthians 10:13:

 

"There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, Who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."

 

The prosperity of God results from His power in our lives.  Those accomplishments gained by self-effort glorify only ourselves.  As we allow Christ to function in our lives through the Holy Spirit, He gives us favor with friend and foe.  His supernatural power invigorates our gifts and talents beyond their human levels.

 

Then, He places us in the position where He can best utilize them.  His hand keeps us.  Peter reminds us in 2 Peter 1:3 that through Christ's divine power, He has given us all things that pertain unto life and godliness.

 

The success that God brings into our lives has no other explanation than that "God did it."  It results as we allow Christ through the Holy Spirit to unleash the power of God in us.

 

Biblical Law #3: God's prosperity in our lives comes from the power of God.