Day 160

1 Kings 15:16-24; 16:1-17:7; 2 Chronicles 16:1-17:19.  “Cost of Success”

“If you just ignored your family you would have time to get it all done.”
As I thought about this comment my wife jokingly made to me as we talked about the disheveled state of our van, I realized that she was right.  I could accomplish a lot more in life by ignoring all of the people that I cared the most about.  And in reality, many people achieve success by this method, but at what cost.
Today you read a brief statement about the man who rebuilt Jericho.  Certainly, it must have been a proud accomplishment for him.  The only downside was that it resulted in the death of two sons because of the curses spoken by Joshua son of Nun (Josh. 16:34).
Achieving success in life is a driving force for many people.  However, at what point do the costs associated with that success become too great.  We may not cause someone to lose their life because of our success, but if we ignore loved ones or neglect relationships, the pain and hurt we can cause is immeasurable.

General Questions for each day:
Summarize the day’s Bible passage in your own words.
What thoughts, actions, attitudes or beliefs are addressed in the passage?
How is the Holy Spirit leading you to apply this passage to your life today?