Devotion / A success story

Oh, to be successful!

 There are some things that our world is obsessed with, and success is one of them. Click on Amazon.com sometime and look for books on success. You will find: Success Is Not an Accident, The Story of Success, The Real Truth about Success: What the Top 1% Do Differently, and on and on. There are lists of things we must do to succeed such as becoming more optimistic, passionate, persistent, flexible, educated, and focused.  We all want our lives, careers, and relationships to be successful. After all, who wants them to be failures? How can we learn the true steps to success?

 Eliezer was successful

 Eliezer was Abraham’s servant. Abraham was old and wished to find a fitting wife for his son Isaac, so he sent Eliezer on a mission to “go to my country and my own relatives and get a wife for my son Isaac” (Genesis 24:4).  Eliezer set off with his caravan of camels to a strange land in search of Isaac’s wife. Five times in Genesis chapter 24 we see Eliezer seeking a successful mission. 

● “Then he prayed, ‘O Lord, God of my master Abraham, give me success today’” (12). 

● “Without saying a word, [Eliezer] watched [Rebekah] closely to learn whether or not the Lord had made his journey successful” (21). 

● And, as he was about to depart for home, Eliezer said, “Do not detain me, now that the Lord has granted success to my journey” (56). Journey completed—successfully!

 Eliezer knew where to find the recipe for success. It was in the hand of the Lord. He could have received counsel from experts on achieving his goal, but he knew who ultimately holds the key to success. It is the one of whom David wrote: “May he give you the desire of your heart and make your plans succeed” (Psalm 20:4). God’s will is for his children to be successful. But true success must begin with faith in the atoning sacrifice of his Son. Jesus told us, “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33).

 Eliezer’s trip was a huge success. He brought back the wife Abraham had hoped for, a woman who would become Isaac’s wife and an ancestor of Jesus. Eliezer knew where success is conceived. We should continue to commit to the Lord whatever we do and let him handle the outcome. Proverbs 16:3 says it well, “Share your plans with the Lord, and you will succeed.”

by Reynold R. Kremer