God’s Recipe for Success

– A pinch of strength.
– A dash of courage.
– A teaspoon of remembrance.
– A generous portion of God’s Word.
– A tablespoon of obedience.
– A heaping cup of trust.
– Mix together.  
– Recipe yields remarkable results! 

How do I know this is the recipe for success?  It says so in Joshua chapter 1 and is lived and tested to perfection from chapters 2 through 11.  In fact, the only place the word “success” is used in the Bible is right there in chapter 1*.

*Notice the small amounts of strength and courage in the recipe – that’s because, some days a small amount is all we can muster.  God knows how much we lack in this.  Look – it is repeated three times in the first chapter alone! A pinch and a dash will do, but on the days when you can throw in more, go ahead – it only enhances the end result.

*Throw in that teaspoon of remembrance!  Keep in mind the truth of God’s character and the many ways our Lord has been faithful in the past.  Remembering fortifies our resolve and makes “sticking to the plan” easier.

*The Bible provides our direction, our promises, and yes, our warnings.  Add a generous portion.  We need to know it to live it.  Just a little disobedience ruins the entire batch. One man’s choice to go against God’s command brought death to himself, his family and his nation (chapter 7).  When the wrong ingredient is used in making batter, the recipe fails.  Similarly, when we go against what God says and choose our own way, there is no victory.

*No wonder we need a full tablespoon of obedience.  We have to be “all in” when we follow Christ.  No lesser amount will do – it weakens the mixture.  It’s either God’s way or no way!    So, put the whole amount in – do what God wants you to do …

*And then trust.  Oh yes, we need a heaping cup of trust. Why trust? Well, not all recipes are “no bake.” Many, in fact most, involve heat – the stove or the oven.  Sometimes obedience will be easy, the “no bake” variety, but we can be sure there will be plenty of times it will take us through difficulty.  That’s where trust comes in.  We don’t know if a recipe will turn out well, yet we believe that when we follow what is written in the book or on the card, it will be perfect!

God’s plan for success doesn’t remove the hard things in life – in fact, it guarantees we will have to face them.  Sure, we’re going to experience fear, uncertainty, and sometimes seemingly insurmountable odds, but when God gives the plan, God also provides all that is required to accomplish it.  The Lord promises to go before us, to be with us, and to fight for us!  Success!

Shelley 011819 © 2019 Shelley Ministries. All Rights Reserved. *(See footnote in The Amplified Bible p.203, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, MI)