Why am I not making it?

Joshua 1:8-9 (ESV)

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

In this scripture we find the promise of living a prosperous and successful life, yet many of us continue to suffer and live a life of defeat rather than victory. Why? Let’s take a moment to dissect these two passages really quickly.

1. This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth.

What we say is very important. The bible teaches us that our tongue holds the power of life and death (Proverbs 18:21). It is important that we take a look at what we are saying about our life, family and everything in between. What are you saying? Are you always spouting off negatives or are you speaking what Gods word says? There are a lot of people that claim to love God, but their speech is far from it.

2. Meditate on the word day and night.

Where are your thoughts? What do you think about? Where is your focus? These are all important questions that you should ask yourself, because what you dwell on is what you will gravitate towards. Another way to say this is you will find exactly what you are looking for. Take the humming bird for instance all day long it flies around looking for sweet things. What does it find? Nectar! The vulture on the other hand is constantly looking for things that are dead and lifeless. Many of us pour ourselves into things that have no life or lasting fulfillment. I want to encourage you to stop focusing on the problem and fix your eyes on Jesus. In Him we have life, freedom, forgiveness and every good thing.

Philippians 4:8 (NIV)

8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

It is through our focus on Him and His word that we receive direction for our life.

Psalm 119:105

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

3. Do what the word says.

This is where most of us miss out on the blessing of God. We have accepted Him as our Savior, but we have not made Him Lord because we do not submit ourselves to His word.

Success requires obedience.

Most people read the Bible with a white out pen rather than a highlighter. We take the things that we want like love, mercy and forgiveness and throw the rest away. We don’t like the parts where it tells us to love our enemies. We miss the section that instructs us to forgive those that have done us wrong. Did you know without forgiving others you yourself can not be forgiven (Mark 11:25-26)? Look it up.

Here is the one that most of us miss.

The Bible continually teaches us to be generous. This is tough because our true faith is in the money and possessions that we obtain instead of the God who provides. This is one area that I see people struggle with all the time. It is hard for us to wrap or mind around the concept of giving because we see increase in what we obtain rather than what we release. But let’s see what the Bible has to say.

Luke 6:38 (ESV)

Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”

When we learn to release what we have it opens up the window for God to send blessing to us.

2 Corinthians 9:10-11 (ESV)

10 He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. 11 You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God.

We see here that God gives seed to the sower and bread for food. God blesses those that are generous so that they can give more, but on top of that He gives you what you need.

Before we close I want to teach you some things that pertain to giving.

What is tithe?

The word tithe means ten percent. God instructs His people to return 10 percent of all their increase to Him (Leviticus 27:30).

Notice that I used the word return and not give when referring to tithe. This is why. The bible says that the tithe belongs to the Lord. You can not give what does not belong to you, you can only return it.

If you borrow my lawn mower to cut your grass, you will not come back to me when the job is done and say “I was praying while cutting my grass and I really feel to give you this lawn mower”. That would be ridiculous! You are not giving me the lawn mower; you are returning it to me. Why? Because it belongs to me. The same is true with God. When we receive increase He allows us to live off of the 90 percent, but requires us to return the 10 percent back to Him. It is His and it is Holy to the Lord (Leviticus 27:30).

Tithing is returning and giving is what we offer over and above.

In closing I want to give you the upside to our obedience as well as the downside to our disobedience. See if you fall into one of these categories.

Malachi 3:7-9 (ESV)

From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts. But you say, ‘How shall we return?’ 8 Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. 9 You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you.

We see here that we are living under a curse because of our disobedience. This is the downside. If you do not follow what God says than you can not walk in what He offers.

Malachi 3:10-12

Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. 11 I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the Lord of hosts. 12 Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts.

Here we see the only time in the Bible says that we can test Him. He says that when we are obedient to what He has instructed us according to tithe and offering that He will open up the windows of Heaven and pour out a blessing that will satisfy everything that we need. On top of that He says that He will rebuke the devourer for our sake.

God’s word is full of promises for His children, but we must unlock the door through our faith and obedience. The sign of true faith is the works that follow. Faith without action is dead (James 2:20).

There is no need for a child of God to not make it in life. We should flourish so that others see the goodness of our God. The truth is that God wants you to succeed, but He is bound by His word. He can not and will not bless someone that walks in disobedience.

Hosea 4:6

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being a priest to me. And since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.

Most people are not making it in life because they do not know what His word says. When we take hold of His word and apply it to our life then our ways will become prosperous and we will find good success.

Speak Gods word…Meditate on His word… Do what it says…

Aram Mushegan

Lead Pastor | Activation Church