“SUCCESS LEAVES CLUES”
NEHEMIAH 2:4 Then the King said to me, "What is it you want?"
It is said that every time there is a crime, the perpetrator leaves at least five distinctive clues. In the television show, “The Profiler” the main actors would state that, every crime has a profile, and when repeated, it becomes much clearer what the pattern will be. What is true of a criminal’s dark side, is also true of the man of God.
“Success leaves clues!”
For Jay Johnstone it was 100 whacks at a baseball in the Las Angeles locker room runway before he pinch hit a home run to defeat the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League Championship series.
For the honor student, it is long nights at a calculator, computer or under a reading lamp, burning the midnight oil.
For the musician it is repetition, repetition, repetition of the same notes and making the same finger movements when no one was looking.
For the singer, it is scales and voice exercises, accompanied by lesson after lesson of learning the proper place to breath and just what those little pound signs stand for.
Success leaves clues!
Over time I have witnessed what makes great leaders. You can trace their success back to some basic principles.
Nehemiah left clues to his success:
CLUE NUMBER ONE: HE PAUSED
What happened after Nehemiah prayed to the Lord? NOTHING!!!!!
At least not right away. Nehemiah’s story opened in the month of Chislev and it resumes in the month of Nisan. Chislev is December; Nisan is April. For four months nothing happened.
ISAIAH 40:29-31: THE SUCCESS OF THOSE WHO WAIT WILL BE EVIDENT, THEY WILL HAVE A:
RENEWED STRENGTH...REINSTATED VISION... AND RESTORED STAMINA
Have you ever had this happen to you? You pray and nothing happens. You may go a day, a week, a month. Nothing happens.
This happened to this great man of God.
In his diary, no answers or results were entered. What was he doing all this time?
Holding it all in his heart.
God was giving him a plan.
THE SECOND CLUE TO NEHEMIAH’S SUCCESS IS:
POWER
He experienced the replacement of his weaknesses and personal inadequacies with the Holy Spirit’s enabling. Nehemiah knew his limitations.
Author and Pastor Jack Hayford describes the scene this way: “The Israelites were frustrated by their inability to fully restore their capitol city. They represent believers who seem unable to regain control of lifes issues mangled in their pasts. Like those in ancient Judea, and often with us: recovery was so long in coming, the conviction grows that it is never going to happen. But then something happens."
No not something. SOMEONE! Through Nehemiah, the Holy Spirit goes to work in human experience.
This once embarrassing and disgraceful town, (rebuilt but not fully restored,) becomes a testimony to God’s might.
The first clue of success is a PAUSE
The second clue of success is POWER
AND THE FINAL CLUE WE FIND THAT MADE NEHEMIAH SUCCESSFUL IS
PERSEVERANCE
The prayer warrior quickly learned the patience of waiting. He was daily being filled up, but the time wasn’t right.
Nehemiah never displayed a gloomy glare. He stayed the same. He never tipped his hand that he had a burden.
Do you have dreams stored up in your soul, that if you revealed them, people would stare back wide eyed and worried?
He was waiting until the plan was complete and the timing was right.
He persevered every day at work, and he never tipped his hand.
FROM THIS POINT ON HE MEETS WITH SUCCESS.
BECAUSE HE PAUSED FOR POWER AND PERSEVERED.
WHEN YOUR JOURNEY IS OVER, WHAT CLUES ARE YOU GOING TO LEAVE BEHIND????
It is said that every time there is a crime, the perpetrator leaves at least five distinctive clues. In the television show, “The Profiler” the main actors would state that, every crime has a profile, and when repeated, it becomes much clearer what the pattern will be. What is true of a criminal’s dark side, is also true of the man of God.
“Success leaves clues!”
For Jay Johnstone it was 100 whacks at a baseball in the Las Angeles locker room runway before he pinch hit a home run to defeat the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League Championship series.
For the honor student, it is long nights at a calculator, computer or under a reading lamp, burning the midnight oil.
For the musician it is repetition, repetition, repetition of the same notes and making the same finger movements when no one was looking.
For the singer, it is scales and voice exercises, accompanied by lesson after lesson of learning the proper place to breath and just what those little pound signs stand for.
Success leaves clues!
Over time I have witnessed what makes great leaders. You can trace their success back to some basic principles.
Nehemiah left clues to his success:
CLUE NUMBER ONE: HE PAUSED
What happened after Nehemiah prayed to the Lord? NOTHING!!!!!
At least not right away. Nehemiah’s story opened in the month of Chislev and it resumes in the month of Nisan. Chislev is December; Nisan is April. For four months nothing happened.
ISAIAH 40:29-31: THE SUCCESS OF THOSE WHO WAIT WILL BE EVIDENT, THEY WILL HAVE A:
RENEWED STRENGTH...REINSTATED VISION... AND RESTORED STAMINA
Have you ever had this happen to you? You pray and nothing happens. You may go a day, a week, a month. Nothing happens.
This happened to this great man of God.
In his diary, no answers or results were entered. What was he doing all this time?
Holding it all in his heart.
God was giving him a plan.
THE SECOND CLUE TO NEHEMIAH’S SUCCESS IS:
POWER
He experienced the replacement of his weaknesses and personal inadequacies with the Holy Spirit’s enabling. Nehemiah knew his limitations.
Author and Pastor Jack Hayford describes the scene this way: “The Israelites were frustrated by their inability to fully restore their capitol city. They represent believers who seem unable to regain control of lifes issues mangled in their pasts. Like those in ancient Judea, and often with us: recovery was so long in coming, the conviction grows that it is never going to happen. But then something happens."
No not something. SOMEONE! Through Nehemiah, the Holy Spirit goes to work in human experience.
This once embarrassing and disgraceful town, (rebuilt but not fully restored,) becomes a testimony to God’s might.
The first clue of success is a PAUSE
The second clue of success is POWER
AND THE FINAL CLUE WE FIND THAT MADE NEHEMIAH SUCCESSFUL IS
PERSEVERANCE
The prayer warrior quickly learned the patience of waiting. He was daily being filled up, but the time wasn’t right.
Nehemiah never displayed a gloomy glare. He stayed the same. He never tipped his hand that he had a burden.
Do you have dreams stored up in your soul, that if you revealed them, people would stare back wide eyed and worried?
He was waiting until the plan was complete and the timing was right.
He persevered every day at work, and he never tipped his hand.
FROM THIS POINT ON HE MEETS WITH SUCCESS.
BECAUSE HE PAUSED FOR POWER AND PERSEVERED.
WHEN YOUR JOURNEY IS OVER, WHAT CLUES ARE YOU GOING TO LEAVE BEHIND????
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