(Read Daniel 6:4-5)
This morning we continue our series, “Grace that is Simply Amazing” by continuing our mini-series entitled, “Grace Based Success (Prosperity)”. This morning I feel led to go back to the same passage from yesterday to highlight a few things I did not focus on.
The Bible says, “The other vice-regents and governors become jealous of King Darius’ affinity with Daniel. They got together to attempt to find reasons to accuse Daniel – an old scandal or skeleton. They watched what Daniel did as he went about doing the business of the government and they searched his past, but they could not find anything wrong with him. Daniel was a man people could trust. He did not cheat the king, and he worked very hard. Finally, they said, “We will never find any reason to accuse Daniel of doing something wrong. So we must find something religious, connected to the law of his God.”
So what does this mean to you today? A few things.
1. God’s grace will enable you to earn people’s trust.
a) Noah Webster’s 1828 Dictionary of the English Language tells us that when people trust you they are able to place confidence in you; rely on you; confide in you; and believe in you. This should be the picture of a child of the Most High God.
b) The Bible says, “Daniel was a man people could trust.” The grace of God on Daniel’s life empowered him to operate in such a way that he earned the trust of all those around him.
c) When your ways please the Lord, when you are led of the Holy Spirit and You walk upright before God, you will find that people consider you trustworthy.
d) Your goal should be to prove to God you can be trusted with His divine assignment. If you can be trusted by God, then you will most certainly be trusted by men.
2. God’s grace will enable you to honest and earnest.
a) The devil is a liar. Jesus said, “When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44). Jesus also characterized satan as a cheater (John 10:10).
b) As a child of God you should be known as an honest person who puts in an honest day’s work for an honest day’s pay.
c) The Bible says, Daniel “did not cheat the king.” Daniel was honest with God, himself and his employer. Daniel did was he was supposed to do, when he was supposed to be doing it.
d) If you are honest (being true to God, yourself, and your employer), and you are earnest (being sincere and having a conviction to do right), success will be a by-product of your conduct and character.
3. God’s grace is on you to work hard.
a) Grace is unearned, unmerited and in most cases undeserved.
b) You cannot work for the grace of God. The Apostle Paul said, “If it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace” (Rom 11:6).
c) While God’s grace cannot be earned by work, the grace of God empowers you to work.
d) The Bible says, Daniel “worked very hard.” Daniel was not working FOR grace, He was working BY grace.
e) When you embrace the grace of God you can work harder and longer without getting tired, burned-out, frustrated, or stressed. The grace of God can empower you to do what you could never do without it.
f) God’s grace is on you to work, to work harder than you ever could without God, and to do it in a sweatless way.
g) With God’s grace your success is not effortless, but it can be sweatless.
4. When you access God’s grace to be trustworthy, honest and hardworking, success is inevitable.
a) God’s grace is available for you to do all you need to do in order to become successful in life.
b) The grace of God will equip, enable and empower you, so that God can then employ you in the earth to make divine impact for His Kingdom.
c) You don’t have to pursue Godly success with your own power. If you do, you will get stressed out. But if you tap into the grace of God, you will become a person whose qualities and traits help them experience success in every area of their life.
d) If you want to be a success, submit yourself to God and allow Him to develop you. If you do, success for you is just a matter of time.
Closing Confession: Father, I thank You for teaching me about Your grace and my requirement to live by faith. You made plans for me before the world began and my success is tied to those plans. I will never be truly successful outside of my divine purpose. So I pursue my purpose with bulldog-tenacity. But I don’t do it relying on my strength, power or ability. I rely on You, Your grace, and Your power. As You lead, guide, and direct me, I become the person You birthed me to be. The more I walk with You, the more I become like You. When people interface with me, I want them to see You, hear You, and come in contact with You. I decrease, that You may INCREASE in and through me. The more I become like You, the more I will earn people’s trust, and the harder I will work by Your grace. As Your child I know I represent You daily. So I declare that I am loyal, trustworthy, honest, earnest, hardworking and tirelessly dedicated. I am honest with myself, my God, and my employer. I do what I am supposed to be doing, when I am supposed to be doing it, and I do it with a spirit of excellence. My success may not be effortless, but it shall be sweatless, because I work hard by Your grace every day. I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
