To be successful or prosperous is an intense longing deep down in the souls of most persons but we know prosperity is a relative term and quite an emotive one in the world of spirituality.

God is truly interested in the prosperity of our souls and bodies! (3 John 1: 2)

A king is prosperous when he rules wisely and holds the esteem of his people.

A businessman is prosperous when his efforts result in financial gains.

A minister of the Gospel on the other hand is rightly said to be prosperous not when he accrues worldly goods but when he wins souls and blesses the spiritual well-being of many others.

In order to prosper, some of you have heard me say from time to time, and it’s surely mentioned in our ministry’s handbook–it’s important always to stick to our marching orders and not to meddle or become involved and sidetracked by uncommanded works.

We mustn’t get involved where the Lord has not led us. Not every battle is our battle.

There’s an illustration to this truth in the fascinating 2016 race for the U.S. Republican presidental nomination. In great humiliation, Jeb Bush, son of President George H. Bush, and brother of President George W. Bush, has suspended his campaign to run for the office of the President.

Despite having great financial backing, Jeb never got his campaign off the ground because he himself admitted from the beginning that his heart was reluctant. His wife’s heart wasn’t in it, and even his elderly Mom, Barbara Bush, had said from the beginning, “We’ve had enough Bushes” in American politics.

Jeb had already served two successful terms as governor of the American state of Florida and subsequently used his forminable family name to build a prosperous business.

But none of that will be remembered like the ordeal Jeb put himself through in the presidential debates and primaries. All because he went against what his heart was telling him– not to enter the race.

He made the mistake of listening to others and allowing himself to be persuaded against his better judgment to throw his proverbial hat into the ring. And Donald Trump was there all the time goading him like a sports commentator for his “low energy.

In the life of a believer, we can go from strength to strength and victory to victory as along as we are fully following the Lord.

Note to Self: Always Seek the Lord!

Great wisdom and a lesson for all of us can be found in 2 Chronicles 26: 5.

Concerning King Uzziah, the record states, “He continued to seek God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding through the vision of God; and as long as he sought the LORD, God prospered him.”

One commentary on this verse says: Seeking the Lord includes —

(1) Worshipping. (This is crucial!)

(2) Wrestling. (This is inevitable!)

(3) Waiting. (This is wisdom!)

Let us receive our marching orders from the Lord; then we can boldly go even where nobody else has gone and do great exploits because the Lord will be working with us, confirming his leadership even through signs and wonders! Amen!