Most people want success. From the time we are very small children, we are aware of the satisfaction of winning and gaining what we want. Some of us remain quite competitive, and many of us channel that urge to win and gain into the drive for personal success in all areas of our lives.

Then we become believers, and we carry that drive for success over into our Christian lives and figure we can continue to bolster ourselves to higher heights spiritually. Here’s where we go wrong. We are not elevated in spiritual things in the same way we are elevated in earthly or carnal things. In carnal, fleshly, or natural things, we can elevate ourselves to our own level of incompetence. In spiritual things, we cannot do the elevating. God is the Elevator and He’s the One who judges, opens doors, and makes placements. God alone doles out blessings and causes success.

Now here’s how we can mess that up. Let’s look at two examples in Second Chronicles chapters 25 and 26. The first blockage to success in God is shown by King Amaziah. His mistake was that “he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, but not with a perfect heart” Second Chronicles 25:2 (NKJ). King Uzziah lived out the second blockage to success in God. His mistake was that he got so successful that he forgot it was God who was making him great. We are told that “as long as he sought the Lord, God made him to prosper… And his name spread far abroad; for he was marvellously helped, till he was strong. But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction” Second Chronicles 26:5, 15-16.

So what are the two things that block success and blessing? First, we will block our blessings and thwart our success by just going through the motions like King Amaziah did. We do not want to be guilty of “having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof” Second Timothy 3:5. Second, like King Uzziah, we will block our blessings and thwart our success by getting too big for our britches and forgetting that God is the Source and the Power behind all we have and do.

Let’s be sincere in our work for God. And as the saying goes, let’s never forget to remember where all our blessings come from.

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©2015 Sharon Norris Elliott. Feel free to forward this devotion in its entirety, including this copyright line. Leave comments, ask questions, read past devotions, or subscribe to receive these devotions daily in your e-mail at www.sanewriter.wordpress.com. Also, periodically check in at www.LifeThatMatters.net to see what’s going on in the ministry.

ANNOUNCEMENT: Watch The Holy Spirit Broadcasting Network’s new internet TV show Life That Matters with Sharon Norris Elliott from any internet-connected device at www.HSBN.tv. (Stream current show Monday, Wednesday, and Friday; or view past episodes anytime!)

Pick up a copy of Sharon’s newest release,

Why I Get Into Trouble as well as other favorites, Boomerangs to Arrows, andPower Suit

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Boomerangs to Arrows: A Godly Guide for Launching Young Adult Children available from Judson Press (http://www.judsonpress.com/product.cfm?product_id=17387),

(Boomerangs Video link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2JH_gbinMk )

Power Suit: The Armor of God Fit for the Feminine Frame from New Hope Publishers (http://www.newhopedigital.com/2010/08/power-suit/)

When I talk or preach about Bible study, I like to tease believers by letting them know we only have one book to study. One would think we’d all be Bible scholars in short order; however, that’s not the case. The Bible is such an amazing book that we can learn something new every time we read it.

Apollos learned this principle even before the Bible was completed. Acts tells us that he was “an eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures” who “had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things of the Lord, though he knew only the baptism of John” Acts 18:24-25 (NKJ). With the knowledge he possessed he “began to speak boldly in the synagogue,” but “when Aquila and Priscilla heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately” Acts 18:26. So even though Apollos was an amazing orator and an extremely scholarly individual, he didn’t know it all.

In much the same way we continue to learn incredible things about our wonderful spouse, we can never plumb all the depths of the Word of God. God’s Word was made flesh in Jesus Christ so as we uncover more about the Word, we are actually gaining more knowledge about Jesus. And there is always something more to learn. Let’s be expectant every time we open the Bible.

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©2015 Sharon Norris Elliott. Feel free to forward this devotion in its entirety, including this copyright line. Leave comments, ask questions, read past devotions, or subscribe to receive these devotions daily in your e-mail at www.sanewriter.wordpress.com. Also, periodically check in at www.LifeThatMatters.net to see what’s going on in the ministry.

ANNOUNCEMENT: Watch The Holy Spirit Broadcasting Network’s new internet TV show Life That Matters with Sharon Norris Elliott from any internet-connected device at www.HSBN.tv. (Stream current show Monday, Wednesday, and Friday; or view past episodes anytime!)

Pick up a copy of Sharon’s newest release,

Why I Get Into Trouble as well as other favorites, Boomerangs to Arrows, andPower Suit

Why I Get Into Trouble link to our eStore: https://www.createspace.com/5131814

Boomerangs to Arrows: A Godly Guide for Launching Young Adult Children available from Judson Press (http://www.judsonpress.com/product.cfm?product_id=17387),

(Boomerangs Video link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2JH_gbinMk )

Power Suit: The Armor of God Fit for the Feminine Frame from New Hope Publishers (http://www.newhopedigital.com/2010/08/power-suit/)

One of my friends has a radio show on which she discusses various topics of interest with her guests and audience. When she wants to make a point, especially a spiritual point, she starts her comments with the phrase, “Let’s be clear.” I love that. She is sure about her position and wants to be sure her audience clearly understands exactly what she is saying.

As Christians, it’s more important than ever that we clearly communicate the message about the truth of the Word of God. We cannot be ignorant of, nor bashful about what the Bible has to say. Paul’s deportment among the Athenians in Acts 17 is a great example. The story tells us that “all the Athenians and the foreigners who were there spent their time in nothing else but either to tell or to hear some new thing” Acts 17:21 (NKJ). So Paul approached them and said, “Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious; for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you” Acts 17:22-23 (NKJ).

So many people in our world know of Jesus, but they do not know Him in a personal way. The Great Commission is still in force, commanding us to “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” Mark 16:15 (NKJ). This assignment not only tells us to go, but presupposes we will know what to say to people.

Are we focused on proclaiming God and preaching the Gospel? Let’s be clear about both the command (it’s not an option) and the commission (it’s a specific message).

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©2015 Sharon Norris Elliott. Feel free to forward this devotion in its entirety, including this copyright line. Leave comments, ask questions, read past devotions, or subscribe to receive these devotions daily in your e-mail at www.sanewriter.wordpress.com. Also, periodically check in at www.LifeThatMatters.net to see what’s going on in the ministry.

ANNOUNCEMENT: Watch The Holy Spirit Broadcasting Network’s new internet TV show Life That Matters with Sharon Norris Elliott from any internet-connected device at www.HSBN.tv. (Stream current show Monday, Wednesday, and Friday; or view past episodes anytime!)

Pick up a copy of Sharon’s newest release,

Why I Get Into Trouble as well as other favorites, Boomerangs to Arrows, andPower Suit

Why I Get Into Trouble link to our eStore: https://www.createspace.com/5131814

Boomerangs to Arrows: A Godly Guide for Launching Young Adult Children available from Judson Press (http://www.judsonpress.com/product.cfm?product_id=17387),

(Boomerangs Video link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2JH_gbinMk )

Power Suit: The Armor of God Fit for the Feminine Frame from New Hope Publishers (http://www.newhopedigital.com/2010/08/power-suit/)