Prospering In Life

God’s intention toward us is for us to prosper in all areas of life. This has been His will for man and it is clearly understood when He placed the first man in the Garden of Eden. There was no lack, no failure, no sin, no fear; nothing that’s downgrading. Obviously, sin entered and took it all away. Yet, He did not leave people created in His image. He made alternatives, choices and amends to make sure they prosper in every area of their life. But only this time it was a bit different. They have to escape sin and enter His presence. He made provision for this too. So, as men maintain a close relationship with Him, be apart from disobedience, He makes sure they prosper. He says, “Your gates will be open continually; They will not be closed day or night, So that men may bring to you the wealth of the nations, With their kings led in procession” (Isa. 60:11).

Obedience to the Lord means our emotions and thoughts and works must be of faith, which vindicates His Word. We receive faith from hearing the Word, but our faith must also reflect the trueness of the Word heard. If the Word is not expressed or delivered by the truth in it, faith does not happen. Then, if a faith happens, it is like a wall with many breaches. What this means is that the things of the world, matters related to thoughts and emotions co-exist with faith. The result is losing God’s precious blessings. Many people actually fail to receive His blessings for this reason alone. In fact, they never get to know the kind of blessings reserved for them. Faith is an attribute that connects us to God’s heart. If faith is of the truth of the Word and we practice it, we can actually understand God’s motives and even see just as He would have already done it.

Prosperity is not just wealth, but stability and growth in all areas of life. This is how God views prosperity. When He says the gates will be open continually, He constantly creates opportunities for us to succeed and makes ways for circumstances that we have not known. In doing so, He brings everything to our feet. We do not have to run for anything, which is something a good number of church-goers cannot comprehend. We just have to be patient and watch Him do it. If there is an area in your life that needs increase, He accomplishes it. In some cases He will give more than sufficient so that through you others are satisfied. In such cases you will have prospered or done well in the area of benevolence, which in turn invites God to open more doors for you or widen the existing ones. He always prospers us as long as our faith is connected to His heart. And here are some stepping stones to accelerate or guard your faith.

  1. Avoid disobedience. “He said, ‘The LORD roars from Zion and from Jerusalem He utters His voice; and the shepherds’ pasture grounds mourn, and the summit of Carmel dries up” (Amos 1:2). If He did this to the gentile nations, He will do it to us too. If He takes away everything due to the wickedness of men, He can also add or give all things owing to their faith and obedience. If there are little things that hang in between you and obedience to God, weed them out before they grow too big for you. It is always great to receive, but never a joy to lose.
  2. Do not substitute. Jesus said to the Pharisees, “Why do you yourselves transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?” (Matt. 15:3). Don’t let sentiments, rituals or earthly practices take precedence. These things never existed in God’s mind. The commandment should always come first; it holds greater importance than any excuse or substitute we may have.
  3. Let God decide always. You should always let God do the talking while you hear Him. He is Omnipotent, Omniscient and Omni-present. What else does one need? This means you do not rush into doing something, but do that which God allotted to you well. “But these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slay them in my presence” (Luke 19:27). When you let Him rule over you, He only adds more to what you already possess.
Posted in Stepping Stones.