WHEN SUCCESS COMES

[Pastor Bayo Afolaranmi]

Dearly Beloved,

WHEN SUCCESS COMES

"Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea and they went into the Desert of Shur. For three days they travelled in the desert without finding water. When they came to Marah, they could not drink its water because it was bitter" (Exodus 15:22-23 NIV).

The people of Israel had just recorded a great success - God delivered them completely from the oppressing Egyptians by making them pass through the Red Sea on dry ground and completely drowning their foes in the sea (Exodus 14). They acknowledged this victory by singing songs of praise to the Lord (Exodus 15:1-21). However, immediately after leaving the Red Sea, they were confronted with a challenge - wandering in the desert for three days without finding water. Even when they eventually found one, they could not drink it because it was bitter. The reaction of the people of Israel showed that they could not manage their success neither could they rely on the source of the success. Nevertheless, the point of emphasis here is not about their reaction, but about the aftermath of the success.

The Bible is full of aftermaths of successes: Noah could not control himself at the first fruit of his labour after the flood (Genesis 9); Abraham was asked to sacrifice the son he had in his old age (Genesis 22); the people of Israel went through River Jordan on a dry ground into the waiting hands of the hostile Canaanites (Joshua 3-10); Gideon fell into the sin of idolatry after God gave him and the people of Israel victory over the oppressing Midianites (Judges 8:22-27); Samson failed to manage his many successes over the rampaging Philistines and eventually fell into their hands (Judges 14-16); Samuel was a successful minister of God, but he could not train his children the ways of the Lord (1 Samuel 7:13-8:3); Saul was overcome by covetousness after his success over the Amalekites (1 Samuel 15); David fell into the sins of adultery and murder after God had established his kingdom (2 Samuel 11); in spite of his wisdom, Solomon loved and married many foreign women to his peril (1 Kings 11); of note was Uzziah whose success made him to go against the law of God (2 Chronicles 26:16-21). The list cannot be exhausted.

Do you know that success is not the end of the story in your life? Do you always prepare to manage the aftermath of your success? When success comes, be ready to face more challenges. Such challenges may be positive or negative. Pray that God will enable you to handle them successfully.

In His service,

Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor).