Here is the secret to your success this year

Written by On Thursday, 18 January 2018 11:38
Here is the secret to your success this year

For many of us, the new year comes with an opportunity to regroup, refocus, re-strategize and rewrite our personal and professional goals. We have high expectations for what we would like to see and accomplish this year and they (expectations) sometimes get thwarted when we fail to meet them. If only we could be sure that everything we set out to do will be met by 100% success. These are the thoughts that led to me to one bible character that set out to accomplish a goal and was successful at every instance.

Lean in a little and let me show you what you need to experience good success this 2018.
 

Ezra lived at a time when the Israelites were under Persian captivity, they had been there many years that they had gotten comfortable... living their ‘’best’’ lives, having forgotten their past, their history and their God. The pagan King, Cyrus received a word from God which he wanted to ensure came to pass. The word was about the restoration of the temple in Jerusalem.Even though the Jews received a lot of favour from the King in this undertaking, they also faced opposition and it is at this time that Ezra is mentioned having come from Babylon to meet the King. The bible describes him as a teacher well versed in the Law of Moses.
 

The hand of the Lord his God
Ezra 6:7  The King grants Ezra everything he asks for because the hand of God was on him.

The first of several instances where Ezra experienced success because the hand of God was upon him.

In verse 9, Ezra travelled expediently from Babylon to Jerusalem owing to the gracious hand of God that was on him.

Verse 27 Ezra gives praise to God because he experienced favour before the King and his advisers owing to the hand of the Lord his God which was on him.

In Chapter 8, Ezra is assembling strong men to head back to Jerusalem with him from Babylon; in verse 17 he realises that he has no Levites in his team. He evenutually manages to get Levite attendants and attributes this success to the gracious hand of God that was upon them.

Verse 31 of the same chapter 8, Ezra and his team experience protection from their enemies because the hand of God was on them.

I think you get where I am going with this; but just in case you don’t, ladies and gentlemen I put to you that if you want to experience good success in what you set out to do this year, you need to make but one prayer...that the hand of God be upon you. We see Ezra experience favour, protection and provision because His God was with Him.
 

In order to fulfil the word of the Lord
One thing I hope we do not miss is the fact that from the very onset, the journey to rebuild the temple started when God  spoke about it through Jeremiah and God used the King to bring this word to pass.

It is one thing to jot down our goals, dreams and resolutions for 2018 and it is yet another thing for these goals come from our Father. There is nothing that the Lord will not do to accomplish His word, fulfil His plan, His will and His purposes. It will do us well to align our plans to His to be guaranteed 100% success rate just like Ezra.

Prayer:
Lord, we have learned from Ezra that the favour you gave him was to accomplish your plan to restore the temple. We pray that you would show us your plans and how you want us to be a part of them. We pray that you may grant us reveleation so that  your mighty hand of favour will not be to pursue our selfish plans or build our own fortresses. We choose to align ourselves to you, to look to you, to work for you and to serve you this 2018. In Jesus Name.

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