Add These Two And Success Will Follow

Ezra 5:8
The king should know that we went to the district of Judah, to the temple of the great God. The people are building it with large stones and placing the timbers in the walls. The work is being carried on with diligence and is making rapid progress under their direction.

New Living Translation
“… The work is going forward with great energy and success.”

New American Standard Bible
“…. this work is being performed with great care and is succeeding in their hands.”

Brenton Septuagint Translation
“…and that work is prospering, and goes on favorably in their hands.”

Contemporary English Version
“…Everyone is working hard, and the building is going up quickly.”

Good News Translation
“… The work is being done with great care and is moving ahead steadily.”

After seventy years of captivity, the Israelites went back to rebuild Jerusalem and the temple. That was the beginning of their resettlement back to the Promised Land. They began resettling by first rebuilding the temple led by Ezra and then the walls of the city led by Nehemiah.

Ezra arrived in Jerusalem first before Nehemiah, Ezra 7:8 and Nehemiah 1:8-9. Ezra started rebuilding the altar and then the temple. Nehemiah arrived much later and started rebuilding the walls so that people can settle and live in Jerusalem.

In rebuilding Jerusalem and restoring life back to normalcy, we learn how to make priorities. Ezra came and rebuilt the altar and then the temple. God comes first under all circumstances. Under risky circumstances, they placed God first. Even before securing the wall for their own safety, they placed God first.

The first step of restoration in anyone’s life is to first restore your relationship with God, at all costs. Place God first and He will make you first. Take care of God’s business and He will take care of your business. If you wish to be successful, put God first!

Nehemiah later on came and rebuilt the walls so that people can settle in the city and restart their lives. As the people arrived they found a temple and its services having been restored. Our interests must always come second to God’s demands if we wish to excel.

During the rebuilding of the temple, neighbors of Israel felt jealousy that Israelites were about to restart their lives again. Out of jealousy they did everything to stop the rebuilding of the temple and even the walls of Jerusalem. They wrote letters to the king who had allowed Israelites to rebuild. They made false allegations and hope that the king will stop the work of rebuilding the temple.

Our text today is a letter written by enemies of Israel to the King, hoping that he will stop the work of rebuilding the temple. The letter however reveals to us how Israelites were doing their work and achieved unprecedented success. The letter helps us see the secret of success in how Israelites work.

The enemies of Israel complain and tell the king that the Israelites are rebuilding the temple with diligence and making rapid progress. If you add these two, you are guaranteed success for sure. Diligence plus rapid progress and that work will succeed. Add these two and success will follow your work.

Diligence is being careful and persistent. If you are diligent you are very careful to avoid obvious mistakes. If you are diligent you do not stop before accomplishing your goal. If you are diligent it is difficult to discourage you. If you are diligent it means you are goal-oriented and success is a must for you. A diligent person does not have excuses, they just do their job. A diligent person keeps going under all circumstances.

The enemies of Israel tried to warn the king that the Israelites were rebuilding the temple diligently. They were very careful to do a good job, but they were also persistent and could not be made to stop. They were diligent and progressing rapidly. These two combinations are what success is made of. Diligence and rapid progress.

Rapid progress suggests speed and step-by-step achievement. Rapid progress means that every day that passed they had made some progress. Every day that passed they were no longer where they were. They had plans and they were achieving their objectives. Rapid progress meant they had steps they were taking and moving forward. You can’t talk of progress without a way of measuring that progress. They measured their progress and could tell themselves that we are closer to the goal today than yesterday.

Enemies of Israel observed them and discovered that these people will succeed because they are diligent and they are making rapid progress. Are you diligent in your work? Are you daily making rapid progress? Add these two and success will follow you!

Are you diligent and making rapid progress in that writing project? In that business? In that gym attendance plan? In that academic program? In that spiritual revival plan? The sure way to succeed in anything is to be diligent and make rapid progress. May God help us to be diligent and make rapid progress in all that we do, in Jesus’ name, Amen!

SUCCESS SECRETS FROM THE PRAYER OF JABEZ – A seven days series going on October 2-8, 2022 from 5:00 am to 5:25 am daily East African Time at the Rei Kesis YouTube Channel (the link is given below). You Are Welcome and Invite Others… (Past Recorded Videos are available and other Spiritual videos are on that channel, visit and check)

NEW BOOK ALERT: Click this link to get details on a new book by Dr. Rei Kesis (For other details send a WhatsApp Message to +254 740 434 683)

1. Rei Kesis YouTube Channel (subscribe, click on the notification, and share)
2. Rei Kesis books on Amazon (Amazon will sell and deliver anywhere in the world. For those in Kenya you can buy from any ABC close to you. ABC is Adventist Book Center)
3. Rei Kesis daily blog here.