MORNING MANNA 2-6-21
THE SECRET TO SUCCESS
“I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.”- Psa. 16:8
Sometimes there are certain scriptures that not only catch our attention, they capture our thoughts, captivate our heart and control our actions. For me this is one of those verses. It expresses a need we all have and explains how we can stand rather than fall.
This is a verse that fits perfectly with Heb. 12:2 which says, “Looking unto Jesus” – a verse from which I could preach every week for months. It is a subject of far greater importance than most people realize. It is as inspirational as it is instructional. I believe it’s the Christian’s key to success.
Our text sounds so simple, sensible, and serious you would think it wouldn’t be a problem for anyone, but the truth is it is a problem for everyone. We live in a world of distractions. They come at us from all directions and take many forms. Sometimes we’re distracted by things that are pleasurable and sometimes it’s things that are painful. Satan will use anything to keep our attention on anything other than Christ. That alone tells us that this must be important.
Modern day technology has compounded this problem. Whether it’s TV, computers, i-phones, or a dozen other things, there’s always something to distract and divert our attention. And obviously the media is on a mission to capture our attention. There is always something in our face that threatens to keep us from keeping our eyes on Jesus. So, to keep the LORD “always before” us requires effort. It requires action, something we must do, because it doesn’t just happen. We must discipline ourselves to do this or we will be defeated. Sadly many refuse to make any effort to do this. They are so occupied with self-interest that they forget God and forfeit what they need most.
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Our text is made up of three phrases, the last of which would be impossible without the first two. The phrase “I shall not be moved” is meaningless chatter, or at best a nice resolve, unless we can truly say, “I have set the LORD always before me”. It’s easy to sing “I shall not be moved”, but it’s another thing to live up to the claim. And when we fail others are affected and the cause of Christ is hindered. To avoid that we must keep looking unto Jesus, the One who is “Altogether Lovely”. – HDS
David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346
