There are rules in all areas of life; established guidelines that, as we plan our steps, we should adhere to that will lead to “success” in whatever endeavor, situation, or trial we may find ourselves in. We may not like this, we may feel constrained by it, but such is the case. This was never made more clear than in reading a recent article about 7 teenagers hiking in the Talkeetna Mountains east of Denali National Park in Alaska.

On the 24th day of a 30-day wilderness expedition, while crossing a river, the teens came across a grizzly bear that attacked them. The two guys in the lead bore the brunt of the attack, two others were injured, and three were left unharmed. Fending off the bear to the best of their ability it eventually left them alone, at which time those who were able set up a tent, administered first aid, activated a personal emergency locator beacon, and waited for help to arrive. In the words of one Alaskan State Trooper, “”I think it’s great that they were able to (do those things), for one thing they were prepared to be out on the wilderness – they had the necessary gear. Those were the right things to do, they were able to keep their heads about them, stay together and look after each other…” until help arrived. While three of the teens remain in the hospital, as a result of their proper preparation, having the right supplies, and following a well scripted and thought out plan, no lives were lost.

This real life event came to mind during my time in the Bible recently, when I found myself in 2 Chronicles 27 reading of King Jotham. We are told that Jotham was a king who had done what was right before the Lord, just as his father Uzziah had done, even in the midst of being the king of a nation full of people who acted corruptly before the Lord (does that nation sound familiar?). Then, as I continued to read, I came upon this verse:

“So Jotham became mighty, because he prepared his ways
before the LORD his God.” 2Chronicles 27:6 (NKJV)

I was struck by the simplicity, yet depth, of this single verse. It seems to be said so matter-of-factly, yet it contains deep insight for us. Jotham was mighty because “he prepared his ways before the Lord his God.” Said another way, the fact that Jotham was mighty (or found “success”) was a direct result of him choosing to obediently seek and follow the instruction of the Lord! We could spend all day talking about what it means to prepare our way before the Lord but time, and writing space, would fail us in the moment. Suffice it to say, this is consistent with knowing the Lord, knowing His Word, knowing His heart, and knowing how He has called us to live our lives – and that last point has everything to do with walking in obedience to His Word and the leading of the Holy Spirit. A simple way of saying this – to find true success, to be mighty in the Lord, is contingent upon purposefully and obediently following the Lord and what He has put forth in the Bible.

To some, this sounds very restrictive. To say there is a God who has established set guidelines, in His Word, that we should follow strikes of bondage; it is so “not now” to believe that we need to be controlled by some old set of rules, established long ago, to find success in life. Ponder those 7 teenagers for a moment… they may have not liked some of the rules, guidelines, and preparations they needed to go through and follow as they made ready and journeyed out into the “world,” but I can assure you they are very happy now that they had learned and followed the old, established, tried-and-true rules for the type of journey they undertook. Like me, I am sure you have come to realize we can never know what life will throw at us. We can, though, trust in and obediently follow the One who does and, in doing so, find true success in the big and little things of life. Consider what the Lord said to Joshua as he set out to lead the nation of Israel into the Promise Land:

“This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in
it day and night, that you may observe 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.” (Joshua 1:8 – NKJV)

I guess the big question is, “How do you define success and what does it mean to be successful?” Ultimately, I have found that true success rests on always seeking to glorify God completely with this life He has given me.

Until next time… define your success by obediently following the Lord and His Word!