And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever. Dan. 12:3.

Successful living has to do with what is really essential. Offers of success abound in the world. Suppose you ask a bank president, "I am a young man just out of college. I am eager to make a success of life. Will you please give me your advice?" He might say, "Become economically and financially independent. Get to the top in the houses of high finance. Become a millionaire as soon as possible."

Now ask the same question of a movie magnate. He would probably answer, "Fame is what you need to achieve. Win the plaudits and the adoration of the multitudes." Again, ask a university president for the key to success and his reply would be, "Get the best education you can. Add the highest degrees to your name. Become a scholar in your own right. Win a Nobel prize if you can." In a way, many of these things might be desirable priorities.

Should you not ask Jesus Christ the same question? The prophet Daniel said that the "wise shall shine . . . as the stars for ever and ever." Now go outside and look at the stars. They are the same stars that shone down on Abraham, Joseph, Moses, and the apostles. You are to consider what will really endure.

Suppose you had only one year to live. Would you not seek first the real essentials from God? I read of a ship that sank in the South Pacific. A wealthy woman passenger, waiting for a lifeboat, took time to return to her stateroom nearby. In that room were her diamonds and other valuables. But she returned to get three oranges. In a lifeboat in the hot South Pacific, oranges had priority over diamonds.

When a man hastily chooses a way of life that he must later regret, history properly considers him unwise.