What would you do if you knew you could not fail? It's an intriguing question designed to take the fear out of failure and open up creative dreaming and planning.
There is one venture we can embark on without even the slightest hint of failure. It will absolutely, positively succeed any time and in any place. There is nothing as certain as this; you can "go to the bank" on it:
"For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, And do not return there without watering the earth And making it bear and sprout, And furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it." (Isaiah 55:10-11)
Partnering with God to propagate His word is a sure-fire recipe for success. The analogy of the pervading success of snow and rain is given to illustrate the effectiveness of God's word; it simply cannot and will not fail.
Now, before we stake our claim on the absolute effectiveness of God's word let's be very clear as to what it is. It is ultimately "the word of the kingdom", as Jesus identifies it in Matthew 13:19. This good news has been permeating and changing the hearts and lives of men and women for thousands of years even as it is today.
As a preacher of the word I've been witnessing life changes through the word of the kingdom for several years now. The change is as noticeable as the growth of my yard plants at home through faithful watering. Old habits fade away, new disciplines take hold, and attitudes change.
Over ten years ago the Lord clearly and firmly impressed upon me my top priority to "preach the word" (2 Timothy 4:2). The temptation was great to accommodate my message in an effort to attract greater numbers of people to our worship gatherings, but the call was clear then as it is today. "Success", as our Father measures it, is in accordance with what He desires for His word. That "success" may be far different than we envision it. As He said, "It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire" (note the word, "I").
What would you do if you knew you could not fail? The answer is simple: speak or publish His word. There is no more sure formula for "success" than this.
May our partnership with His word be total and thus totally effective.
Steve
There is one venture we can embark on without even the slightest hint of failure. It will absolutely, positively succeed any time and in any place. There is nothing as certain as this; you can "go to the bank" on it:
"For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, And do not return there without watering the earth And making it bear and sprout, And furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it." (Isaiah 55:10-11)
Partnering with God to propagate His word is a sure-fire recipe for success. The analogy of the pervading success of snow and rain is given to illustrate the effectiveness of God's word; it simply cannot and will not fail.
Now, before we stake our claim on the absolute effectiveness of God's word let's be very clear as to what it is. It is ultimately "the word of the kingdom", as Jesus identifies it in Matthew 13:19. This good news has been permeating and changing the hearts and lives of men and women for thousands of years even as it is today.
As a preacher of the word I've been witnessing life changes through the word of the kingdom for several years now. The change is as noticeable as the growth of my yard plants at home through faithful watering. Old habits fade away, new disciplines take hold, and attitudes change.
Over ten years ago the Lord clearly and firmly impressed upon me my top priority to "preach the word" (2 Timothy 4:2). The temptation was great to accommodate my message in an effort to attract greater numbers of people to our worship gatherings, but the call was clear then as it is today. "Success", as our Father measures it, is in accordance with what He desires for His word. That "success" may be far different than we envision it. As He said, "It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire" (note the word, "I").
What would you do if you knew you could not fail? The answer is simple: speak or publish His word. There is no more sure formula for "success" than this.
May our partnership with His word be total and thus totally effective.
Steve
posted by steve @ 9:45 AM
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