Success and Failure in the Bible…. BOTH occur for EVERYBODY
There is nobody who is a total failure and nobody who is a total success
Jeremiah 8:5 “…they REFUSE to return” … the people had failed miserably and GOD EXPECTED them to RETURN !
Proverbs 24:16 “ For a righteous man may fall seven times and RISE AGAIN, but the wicked shall fall by calamity”
Psalms 40:2 “He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps.”
Failure in the lives of Abraham, Moses, David and Peter
Genesis 12:10 “Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to dwell there…” …. He just did not trust God to feed him at this point.
Numbers 20:10 “…. Hear now, you rebels, must WE bring water for you out of this rock”…. Moses anger with the people caused him NOT to properly SANCTIFY GOD in front of them, but to take the credit for God’s miracle unto himself… this is a mistake which is so easy to make for Pastors, Worship leaders and Musicians when they receive praise from men.
2 Samuel 11:1 “… at the time when kings go forth to battle…. David sent Joab, and his servants with him….. but David tarried still at Jerusalem”….. and his loafing about caused him to commit adultery and murder.
Matthew 26:35 “…. Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You !”…. and what did he do ?…. a short while later Peter denied him, as predicted.
FACT IS…. We WILL fail unless God helps us… and we cannot take the credit for His success
Judges 7:2 “and the LORD said to Gideon, “The people who are with you are too many for Me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel claim glory for itself against Me, saying, ’My own hand has saved me’”” .. we EITHER want GOD’s success on HIS terms or we can proceed in our own self-confidence but we cannot have it BOTH ways… “GOD will not give His GLORY to another” (Isaiah 42:8)
Stephen's Bible Insights 