by Bible League International

Verse of the Day and Devotion

It was not by their sword that they won the land, nor did their arm bring them victory; it was your right hand, your arm, and the light of your face, for you loved them.  - Psalm 44:3 NIV

Devotion

You've made it to where you should be in life. The journey was long and hard, but you've made it just the same. Instead of struggle and frustration, there is success and fulfillment. However, don't make any mistake about it. You did not make it as far as you have by the excellence of your tools, technology, and weapons. True, without them you would not have made it. True, you had everything you needed. Nevertheless, you had something much more important than that going for you. You had something that can't be easily quantified or explained going for you.

Neither did you make it by the excellence of your personal qualities and virtues. True, you finally got your act together and focused your strength and energy in the right direction. True, you finally set aside the fads and foibles of your sinful self and put on your new self that had what it takes to get the job done. (Ephesians 4:22-24) Nevertheless, that's not what put you over the top. Indeed, any attempt to take personal credit for your success would miss the whole point. Any attempt to say that you were the reason for what happened would jeopardize the whole thing.

What was the true source of your success?

It was, of course, the Lord. The Lord saw to it that you had everything you needed. He got you the tools, the technology, and, yes, even the weapons when you needed them. He was the one that oversaw your personal development and turned you into someone worth something, someone to be taken seriously. That's why it would be the height of self-centered hubris to say anything different. You can go there if you want, but going there would be one of the most foolish things you could ever do. Going there would be an afront to the love that the Lord has for you.

After all, it was His love for you that made it happen. He loved you and made the light of His face to shine upon you. (Numbers 6:24-26) Instead of turning His face away from you, instead of writing you off as a lost cause, He turned to you and lifted you out of the pit you were in. (Psalm 40:1-2)

Don't ever forget it! Don't let your success go to your head.