Seeds of Spiritual Prosperity
Good Morning Friends,
Friends, giving to get is the main theme of most prosperity preachers. And, if you’re familiar with their methods, you know they flaunt their wealth as proof that their teaching works. If you sense the hint of selfishness and egocentrism around these false teaching… that we are loved more or less by God based on the possessions of worldly stuff we have…then good. That insight is helpful. Now some people believe it is wrong to have excess money. Others assume that prosperity is the reward of the righteous. But the proper theology demonstrated here is one that views our possessions as a trust given by God that we are responsible to manage. And in every work we are to seek God, with all our heart so we might sow the Seeds of Spiritual Prosperity.
Scripture:
10The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.
John 10:10 (NRSV)
4But he answered, ‘It is written, “One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” ‘
Matthew 4:4 (NRSV)
28And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, 29yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these.
Matthew 6:28-29 (NRSV)
4Blessed shall be the fruit of your womb, the fruit of your ground, and the fruit of your livestock, both the increase of your cattle and the issue of your flock. 12The Lord will open for you his rich storehouse, the heavens, to give the rain of your land in its season and to bless all your undertakings. You will lend to many nations, but you will not borrow.
Deuteronomy 28:4 and 12 (NRSV)
Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.
3 John 1:2 (NRSV)
Message: People in poverty are not being punished if they are poor, for if they spend time getting to know Jesus, genuine prosperity is still theirs. When we deny the source of good in our lives, when we deny the power of true prosperity, by clinging on to wealth that belongs to God… when we assert the deity of self, we forget God. Friends, are you greedy? Seriously have you ever felt that lust for money? Are you lying? Now if you have had that feeling, if only for a moment, and someone tells you that all you desire God wants you to have, maybe you could be a bit misguided. Here is the reality. If you are alive and breathing that is prospering. Consider the lilies of the field they do not strive with power to achieve at all costs. Friends, real prosperity is understanding it is not what we possess, but who we are inside spiritually that counts. Prosperity is about how we handle hard times and tough situations. Here we learn that abundance and joy in life are not the result of what we have but whose we are. So there is something wrong about equating prosperity with financial success…wealth with righteousness. All sorts of crazy stuff succeeds. Perhaps now is a good time to remind you that Jesus was poor. Are you a little confused now? If so good. Every good question before God should make us a little anxious….be just a little ambiguous. So sure the Lord can prosper us and yes success is great and working hard for a good thing is wonderful. But there a lot of people in the Bible that were dirt poor and God still loved them deeply. I work with people who are poor and it is terribly wrong to think that I am valued more because I have a bank account or to think because someone is going through persecution that we should be so arrogant to say they are not loved by God. That robs them of dignity. The Bible in fact points out in the Beatitudes that persecution for the Son of Man’s sake is a form of prosperity. We are to bear spiritual fruit. So if you serve the Lord to prosper spiritually that is great but if your motive is to justify or sustain your wealth think again. Life here with these material trappings is way too short. Friends, we can consider prosperity as a success in our own efforts and in material possessions and religious persecution and in bearing fruit but the seed of eternal life sown in us when we believe is the real biblical meaning of prosperity.
Pray we realize that material security and prosperity can only bring so much joy. Pray we would be freed from our addiction to a prosperity gospel that is just bad religion. Pray we be diligent and faithful to God. Pray that whatever we do in word or deed, we do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. Pray we realize that if we give all our possessions to feed the poor…but do not have love, it profits me nothing. Pray we check our motives. Pray we realize that seeking God and obeying God in love leads to true prosperity. Pray we realize that if we have been blessed it is so we can bless others. Pray we are spiritually healthy. Pray we bear spiritual fruit abiding in Christ and Christ abiding in us. Pray we plant seeds of the Word of God so the harvest might be plentiful.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 