Three Success Secrets of Shamgar (Part 3)
“Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13-14
In the story of Shamgar in Judges 3, we see three secrets to success. This one man was able to defeat 600 Philistines with a mere farming tool and deliver Israel because he started where he was, used what he had, and did what he could. God is not wanting you to do what you cannot do. He simply wants you to do what you can do. There are four things you can always do. One thing you can always do is pray. Bill Bright, the founder of Campus Crusade for Christ, once said, “It is impossible to exaggerate the importance of prayer over.” E.M. Bounds said, “Prayers outlive the lives of those who utter them.” Prayers are deathless. Jesus said in John 14, “Whatever you ask the Father in My name, I will do it.” Prayer is the most powerful thing we can do.
You can’t do everything, but another thing you can always do is focus. If Satan can’t make you bad, he will make you busy. Unclutter your life and stay focused on what God has given you to do. The Apostle Paul said, “This one thing I do…” not these 50 things I am trying to do. Jesus said, “Remember Lot’s wife.” She looked back. God doesn’t want you looking back at the “good old days.” God wants you to focus on what He uses you for this season. The enemy will use any distraction he can to keep your mind divided.
The third thing that you can always do to see success in your life is found in Joshua 1:8, “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” You will become a successful person when you fill your days meditating on and speaking out God’s truths. Your mouth can overcome the doubts in your mind. Confess God’s word every day, and you will make your future so big that your present will seem small.
The last thing you can do to see success is refuse to give up. Regret looks back, worry looks around, but victory looks up. A man is not finished when he is defeated; he’s finished when he quits. The common trait of all the successful people in the Bible is they conquered the temptation to give up. Winston Churchill once said, “The nose of a bulldog is slanted backward, so he can continue to breathe without letting go.” Pray for God to give you a bulldog spirit that will grab hold of the vision God has given you and never let go.
Share
