Isaiah 45 :2

I will go before you and make the crooked places straight, I will break in pieces the gates of brass and cut in sunder the bars of iron and I will give thee the treasures of darkness and hidden riches of secret places that thou mayest know that I The Lord which call thee by name, Am The God of Israel. ’

• DAILY READING      Hebrews 10:19-39; Exodus 11:1-12:51; Proverbs 4

By the end of 2016 Olympic games in Rio de Janeiro Brazil, Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps was rated the most decorated Olympian of all time. He has earned 28 Olympic Medals; 23 gold, 3 silver, and 2 bronze. However, just four years earlier, at the 2012 London Olympics, Michael Phelps had announced his retirement due to the frustrations surrounding his life. At that period Phelps had felt so empty, he  had wanted to end his life. Bad news seemed to trail him everywhere. He was arrested on several occasions for driving under the influence of alcohol and speeding. On more than one occasion, he was suspended by USA Swimming. In the aftermath of all these, he became so depressed, he cut himself off from family and loved ones. He decided the world would be better off without him and thought about killing himself.

In a later interview with ESPN sports magazine, speaking of that period, Phelps said ‘I was a train wreck. I was like a time bomb, waiting to go off. I had no self-esteem, no self-worth. There were times when I didn’t want to be here. I felt lost.’

But at this low-point of his life, God sent him help in the form of former All Pro linebacker Ray Lewis, who is a Christian. Lewis, convinced Phelps to enter rehab and helped him turn his life around. With the help of Lewis, Phelps turned to God and received new faith in Christ. His life was totally changed as he realized God still has a purpose for him on the earth. And at the Rio Olympics in 2016, Phelps made a glorious comeback. Though just few years earlier it seemed his best days were over, things turned around for him. Phelps not only carried the American flag during the opening ceremonies of the Rio Olympics, he went ahead to burnish his already stellar Olympic career.

Indeed Michael Phelps’ story is a reminder to us that success without God is never true success. The journey of life is filled with twists and turns. On the road are giants and oppositions of all kinds. And no matter how carefully you plan, surprises can still await you. You can follow success principles, work hard and make all the right moves and yet things still happen unexpectedly that can throw you off balance. This is why we need God’s help. He alone can lead us out of the pitfalls that constantly confront men on the path of life.

In Isaiah 45:2, God says ‘I will go before you and make the crooked places straight, I will break in pieces the gates of brass and cut in sunder the bars of iron and I will give thee the treasures of darkness and hidden riches of secret places that thou mayest know that I The Lord which call thee by name, Am The God of Israel. ’

The gates of brass and bars of iron, talk about oppositions, both spiritual and physical, that resist men’s progress. But God says He will go ahead of us and take care of these things, so that the journey becomes easy. A man depending only on his own strength will have to fight his battles alone without God’s help. And the grief, anxiety, discontent and pain often encountered in this struggle can eventually lead to a mental breakdown. This was what happened to Michael Phelps.

Indeed life without Christ is crisis. We can’t make it in life without God’s help. No matter how gifted a man is, he will always have to make a call at every crossroad, for a definite step out of every crisis. Jesus rightly said,  without Him we can do nothing.  But we can do all things through Christ that strengthens us. Indeed by strength shall no man prevail.  It is the blessing of God that makes rich, not the smartness of man. And it is only when we give God His place, that we are qualified for our own place. Indeed when we first seek God and His kingdom, then all other things, including success, are added unto us.

PRAYER: Father please grant me the wisdom to walk on the path to true success in life. Give me the grace to seek your kingdom first so that every other thing can be added unto me in Jesus Name.

quote :

To get into the next level of your life, God will always give a specific instruction. – WORDBITE 222.

[ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK ESTABLISHED BY THE WORD]