This morning we continue our series, “Grace that is Simply Amazing” by continuing with our mini-series entitled, “Grace Based Success (Prosperity)”. For over a week we looked at a passage in Ecclesiastes 5 where King Solomon shared wisdom about life, success and purpose. In that passage he mentioned twice that we should “accept our lot in life.” I told you that this was a reference to your divine purpose. Earlier in this series I taught you about Gideon and Mary, and how their success/prosperity was connected to their purpose. This morning I am going share a few more examples, giving you just a high-level overview of their purpose and how it came by God’s grace.
So what does this mean to you today? Let’s learn from the lives of these examples:
1. David. After King Saul’s disobedience, the Lord said to the prophet Samuel, “Fill your horn with oil and be on your way; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king” (1 Samuel 16:1). While this was going on David was out in the field, tending to his father’s sheep, minding his own business. What did David do to earn the promotion from shepherd boy to King of Israel? Nothing. It came to him completely by God’s unearned grace and unmerited favor. David’s prosperity in life was connected to his purpose. He found success when he accepted the assignment, and all the challenges that came along with it.
2. Joseph. When Joseph was 17 years old the Lord gave him a dream. The bible says, “Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more” (Genesis 37:5). This dream became the defining factor of Joseph’s life. It came with its share of challenges, but it led to Joseph’s success/prosperity nonetheless. Joseph embraced the dream and it was this dream that kept him hopeful during the pit, Potiphar and prison phases of his life. But in the end, the dream came to pass and he was promoted from prisoner to Prime Minister overnight. What did Joseph do to earn or deserve the dream God gave him? Nothing. It came to him completely by grace and he pursued his assignment by faith.
3. Jeremiah. When Jeremiah was a young man the Lord said to him, “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations” (Jeremiah 1:5). Initially Jeremiah did not see himself up to the task, but as he eventually grew into his assignment, he became one of the most influential prophets in the Bible. What did Jeremiah do to earn or deserve the assignment? Nothing. It came to him by grace, before he was even born.
4. Paul. The Apostle Paul was the church’s #1 enemy and he wound up becoming its leader. How? By grace. Why? Because it was his divine assignment. Paul said, “But even before I was born, God chose me and called me by his marvelous grace. Then it pleased him to reveal his Son to me so that I would proclaim the Good News about Jesus to the Gentiles” (Galatians 1:15,16). God knew all the mistakes Paul would make and He called him to be an Apostle anyway. What did Paul do to earn or deserve the assignment? Nothing. You could make the argument that Paul worked against God. But in the end, the assignment came by grace and Paul accepted the assignment by faith. Paul’s success and prosperity in life were connected to his divine purpose.
5. You also have a divine purpose. David said the following and it applies to all of us: “Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before you, The days of my life all prepared before I’d even lived one day” (Psalm 139:16). Paul said the following and it also applies to all of us: “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10). You are not a mistake. You were born for God’s divine purpose and your success/prosperity in life is connected to that purpose.
Closing Confession: Father, I thank You for teaching me about Your grace and my purpose. You made plans for me before the world began. I am not a mistake. I was born for a reason and that reason is Your assignment for my life. I have made more mistakes than I want to remember. The devil often reminds me of my mistakes and I sometimes feel unworthy and inadequate. However, this teaching on Your grace is helping me accept my assignment by keeping my eyes on Jesus. In my own right, I could never be righteous or good enough. But Jesus was righteous and good enough for me. You made me righteous by Your grace and I accept Your righteousness, and my assignment, by faith. My prosperity is connected to my purpose and I accept my assignment with my whole heart. I don’t fight against what I was born to do, and I don’t waste time pursuing something else. I accept my assignment. I know it came to me by grace. I know I am not worthy of it. I don’t allow satan to cause me to delve into condemnation. I embrace Your grace and I pursue Your assignment by faith. Living this way will lead to divine success and prosperity. I am excited about my future, because I know it will be lived on purpose! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
