Saturday, 10 July 2021
PROSPERITY BY GRACE
But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth... (Deuteronomy 8:18).
Prosperity has nothing to do with how hard you fast and pray; it’s the Lord’s doing. God is the One who prospers you. He delights in your prosperity (Psalm 35:27). You don’t have to wonder whether or not God wants you to prosper. He doesn’t want you to put your trust in step-by-step human calculations, because that won’t work. They may seem to work for some time, but they won’t last. True and lasting prosperity comes by grace.
A story is told in Mark 10, of a rich young ruler’s attitude to wealth. He wanted to know what he must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus told him to obey all the commandments; but he said, “Master, all these have I observed from my youth.” The Bible says Jesus looked at him with love, and said to him, “Go and sell all that you have, and give it to the poor, and come and follow me” (Mark 10:21). At that, the rich young ruler went away sad. He was tied to his possessions, for the Bible says he had great possessions; or as someone rightly put it: “his great possessions had him.”
Jesus then looked round about and said to His disciples, “...How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!” (Mark 10:23). Jesuswas letting them understand that salvation wasn’tgoing to be by their money, or great possessions, but by the Spirit of God. Jesus wanted the rich young man to put his trust, not in his wealth, but in God, the giver of wealth.
Your prosperity isn’t dependent on any man, your business, the systems and governments of this world, or the economy, but on God. It’s by His grace. Now you can understand why He says in 2 Corinthians 9:8: “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.” The power that God gives His children to get wealth is spiritual power, not political power or economic power. It’s the power He gives every Christian to propagate God’s righteous course. Praise God!
CONFESSION: My purpose in life is to establish God’s righteousness in the earth and in the hearts of men around the world. And I’m blessed with all I require to carry this out. Therefore, I’m committed to advancing God’s agenda, favouring His righteous course with my time and resources, for His glory. Amen.
FURTHER STUDY:
1 Chronicles 29:12; 2 Corinthians 9:8 AMPC; Psalm35:27AMPC
1 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Acts 20:17-38 & Job 22-24
2 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Luke 8:1-10 & Joshua 6