Warning! There are Risks to Success.

Success comes with great risks.

David would never have gotten in trouble with Bathsheba were he not the king. All of Solomon’s failures were tied to his royal crown. Many great people end up famous for great failures: Ken Lay, Richard Nixon, Harvey Weinstein, Matt Lauer.

“When Rehoboam had established his sovereignty and royal power, he abandoned the law of the Lord—he and all Israel with him.” 2 Chronicles 12:1.

Uh oh. As soon as he was powerful, the king and son of Solomon turned his back on God—and took the nation with him. Can you guess what happened? A prophet arrived:

“This is what the Lord says, ‘You have abandoned Me; therefore, I have abandoned you.” 2 Chronicles 12:5.

But the king and the people humbled themselves. They repented and God was merciful.

“When the Lord saw that they had humbled themselves, [He said] ‘I will not destroy them completely, but I will grant them a little deliverance’” verse 7.

When God blesses you with success, don’t look at the success. Don’t meditate on your own accomplishments. Keep your focus on Him. When God blesses us with money, Deuteronomy 8:18 says to remember: “It is God who is giving you the power to make wealth.” He is the giver of all good gifts, and if you fail to stay humble, He can take those gifts away.

Pray. Dear God, thank you for giving me so many gifts. I want to thank you for the gifts of ___________, ___________, and ___________. Never let me focus so much on my talents or goals that I lose sight of You and all that You have planned for me. You are the giver of all good gifts, and I never want to take credit for things that You gave me—which is EVERYTHING. Keep me humble, modest, kind, down-to-earth, and friendly to everyone. Never let me become proud or act as if I am special. Remind me that I am just a regular person. Keep me humble, as Jesus was humble.

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