“And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.

Deuteronomy 8:18 NKJV

This may be a startling revelation to some Christians, but God has actually given us the power to get wealth. This is the first step. Before you can learn the steps to attaining wealth, you have to first acknowledge that wealth is God’s plan for you. I pray by the end of this article the Holy Spirit will quicken this truth to your heart.

And you shall remember the Lord your God…

We as Westerners are at a disadvantage sometimes because we are reading an Eastern book. Do not get me wrong, it applies to Westerners but we must interpret the Bible in the light of the understanding of the people who initially received it. The Bible is a covenant book filled with covenant terminology. “Remember” is a covenant word. When we as Westerners read the word “remember” we think of it as having something stored somewhere back in our mental “hard drive”.  Actually, to “remember” means to have ever before our thinking. So remember (to use a contemporary example) means not to have the Word stored in you mental “hard drive” but rather have it constantly pulled up on the “computer screen” of your consciousness. We have to analyze everything we encounter in the light of the Bible. The main way we practice covenant remembrance is through meditation.

I remember the days of old;
I meditate on all Your works;
I muse on the work of Your hands.

Psalm 143:5 NKJV

1 Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;

2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And in His law he meditates day and night.

3 He shall be like a tree
Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper.

Psalm 1:1-3 NKJV

 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

Joshua 1:8 NKJV

Biblical meditation means to speak, mutter, ponder to one’s self, and imagine. Meditation is the process that gets the scripture from our heads to our hearts. When we study and read the Bible it is like preparing a meal. When we meditate the Word it is like feeding on that meal. To study and not meditate the Word is like preparing an elaborate meal and not feeding upon it.  We meditate by taking a scripture apart in bite sized portions and “chewing on” it over and over. Here is quick non- exhaustive example of meditation taken from Acts 10:38.

how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.

Acts 10:38 NKJV

..how God anointed Jesus of Nazereth…..Christ means the anointed one and His anointing…Here is a glimpse into what Christ means to us…

with the Holy Spirit and with power….Jesus said that we would receive the same power (Gr-dunamis) after that the Holy Spirit has come upon us.

.. who went about doing good… God anointed Jesus to do something….. If we want more anointing we must do something… Jesus did good things… Anything that is not good does not come from the Father or Jesus….  Jesus came to give us life more abundantly….. It is the thief (satan) who steals kills and destroys (John 10:10).

…healing all who were oppressed by the devil… the Bible calls sickness oppression of the devil, not God’s little blessing in disguise…. Jesus healed all.. it is God’s will that everyone be healed…

… for God was with Him. Jesus in the incarnation emptied himself and accepted the limitations of man (Philippians 2:7 Gr)….. So everything Jesus did, He did as a man anointed with the Holy Spirit….. He said the works He does we can do also because He went to the Father….

Another definition of meditation is to imagine. We have to imagine ourselves walking out the provision God has promised us.  It is not enough to imagine God giving someone wealth. We have to see ourselves walking in the provision. We have to see God’s Word speaking to us personally. So when you meditate the scripture  put it in the first person.

When You said, “Seek My face,”
My heart said to You, “Your face, Lord, I will seek.”

Psalm 27:8 NKJV

God says “I will supply all your needs” (Philippians 4:19). I say “You, God, supply all of my needs”.

God says “I give you power to get wealth” (Deuteronomy 8:18). I say “I receive Your power that gives me wealth!”`

For it is He (God) who gives you power to get wealth…

We have to let the Word of God define wealth for us. Some say, “Well brother God just makes us spiritually wealthy”. Really? Let us look at how the Bible defines wealth.

1. An abundance of natural resources.

7 For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, that flow out of valleys and hills;

9 a land whose stones are iron and out of whose hills you can dig copper.

Deuteronomy 8:7,9 NKJV

1. An abundant supply of food.

8 a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive oil and honey;

 9 a land in which you will eat bread without scarcity…

10 When you have eaten and are full, then you shall bless the Lord your God for the good land which He has given you.

Deuteronomy 8:8,9-10 NKJV

3. An abundance in livestock.

when your herds and your flocks multiply…

Deuteronomy 8:13 NKJV

And Abram was very rich in cattle…

Genesis 13:2 NKJV

…..for he (Isaac) had possessions of flocks and herds.

Genesis 26:14 NKJV

Blessed shall be….the increase of your herds, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks.

Deuteronomy 28:4 NKJV

4. Beautiful homes.

…when you… have built beautiful houses to dwell in them.

Deuteronomy 8:12 NKJV

5. Fine Clothing.

28 “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin;

 29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

Matthew 6:28-30 NKJV

How do you suppose  Solomon, who threw away silver because he had so much gold, would be clothed?

…I will clothe you with rich apparel.

Zechariah 3:4 Amp

…for her (Tyre or the wicked’s) gain will be for those who dwell before the Lord, to eat sufficiently, and for fine clothing.

Isaiah 23:18 NKJV

Even Jesus’s garment was so expensive that the Roman soldiers gambled for it rather than dividing it (John 19:23-24).

6. Multiplication financially.

And Abram was very rich cattle, in silver and in gold.

Genesis 13:1 NKJV

Now I ask you, was this a spiritual cow? Was this spiritual silver and gold?

And when …your silver and gold are multiplied…

Deuteronomy 8:13 NKJV

He (God) also brought them (His people) out with silver and gold….

Psalm 105:37 NKJV

I the Lord…multiplied her silver and gold…

Hosea 2:8 NKJV

…Who lavished on her silve and gold….

Hosea 2:8 Amplified

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.

2 Corinthians 8:9 NKJV

in order that by His poverty you might become enriched (abundantly supplied).

2 Corinthians 8:9 Amplified

7. Freedom from debt.

 For the Lord your God will bless you just as He promised you; you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow; you shall reign over many nations, but they shall not reign over you.

Deuteronomy 15:6 NKJV

The wicked borrow and pay not again [for they may be unable], but the [uncompromisingly] righteous deal kindly and give [for they are able].

Psalm 37:21 NKJV

God does not want us to be a servant to this world system.

The rich rules over the poor,
And the borrower is servant to the lender.

Proverbs 22:7 NKJV

And the Lord will make you the head and not the tail; you shall be above only, and not be beneath, if you heed the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you today, and are careful to observe them.

Deuteronomy 28:13 NKJV

8. Multiplication of all things.

 Now the land was not able to support them (Abram and Lot), that they might dwell together, for their possessions were so great that they could not dwell together.

Genesis 13:6 NKJV

…and when…all that you have is multiplied…

Deuteronomy 8:13 NKJV

“The Lord will command the blessing on you in your storehouses and in all to which you set your hand, and He will bless you in the land which the Lord your God is giving you.

And the Lord will grant you plenty of goods….

The Lord will open to you His good treasure, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season, and to bless all the work of your hand.

Deuteronomy 28:8,11, 12 NKJV

8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.

11 while you are enriched in everything for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God.

2 Corinthians 9:8,11 NKJV

You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous in every way.

2 Corinthians 9:11 Common English Bible

32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.

33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

Matthew 6:32-33 NKJV

Set your heart on the kingdom and his goodness, and all these things will come to you as a matter of course.

Matthew 6:33 J.B. Phillips

Now that we have let the Bible define wealth we have to renew our minds to the fact that God wants us to have wealth.  If poverty would have been the will of God, Adam would not have been put in such a prosperous place. God would have dropped him off in a desert rather than the garden of Eden. And he certainly would not have told him that the gold is good.

And the gold of that land is good. Bdellium and the onyx stone are there.

Genesis 2:12 NKJV

I can hear God telling Adam, “I know some religious joker will try to tell you differently later, but the gold is good.” It is interesting in history every civilization that has quit having gold backing their currency has fallen into financial ruin. God set a law in motion that gold is good. Not only is prosperity God’s will He initiated it. This fact is mirrored in the life of Abraham.

1Now the Lord had said to Abram: “Get out of your country,
From your family
And from your father’s house,
To a land that I will show you.

2 I will make you a great nation;
I will bless you
And make your name great;
And you shall be a blessing.

Genesis 12:1-2 NKJV

Notice that God did not call out Abram (who would become Abraham) and Abram say, “I will if you bless me financially”. God initiated prosperity. We read earlier one way that prosperity manifested in Abram’s life just one chapter later.

Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold.

Genesis 13:2 NKJV

God’s purpose in blessing Abram and us is also illustrated in the fact that cattle, silver and gold are God’s signature blessings.

For every beast of the forest is Mine,
And the cattle on a thousand hills.

Psalm 50:10 NKJV

You have also taken your beautiful jewelry from My gold and My silver, which I had given you..

Ezekiel 16:17 NKJV

‘The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine,’ says the Lord of hosts.

Haggai 2:8 NKJV

Do not get me wrong, cattle, silver and gold are not the only way God blesses as we pointed out earlier. I would not know what to do with a cow if I had one. God will bring prosperity to us relative to how our culture defines it. I simply am pointing out the fact that the Holy Spirit orchestrated the events in such a way to illustrate that He was the source of Abram’s blessings.

13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”,

14 that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

Galatians 3:13-14 NKJV

 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Galatians 3:29 NKJV

We as New Testament believers have a right to claim the same blessings Abraham walked in. We cannot define what Abraham’s (Abram’s) blessings were. We have to allow the Bible to do that. Abram was blessed the equivalent of material prosperity of his day.

David, who God Himself referred to as a man after His own heart (1 Samuel 13:14), knew the source of wealth.

Both riches and honor come from You,
And You reign over all.
In Your hand is power and might;
In Your hand it is to make great
And to give strength to all.

1 Chronicles 29:12 NKJV

David’s life demonstrated just that. A man who started off as a humble shepherd who was not even invited in when Samuel came to anoint a king in his household, gave a multi billion dollar offering to build the temple.

So he (David) died in a good old age, full of days and riches and honor; and Solomon his son reigned in his place.

1 Chronicles 29:28 NKJV

These are just a few examples of people who walked with God and prospered .The Bible is full of examples of people who, when they were in right relationship to God, increased financially. Isaac, Jacob, Solomon, and Jehoshaphat just to name a few.  I encourage you, do not take my word for it. Study the Word for yourself and you will see it is true.

That which has been is what will be, That which is done is what will be done, And there is nothing new under the sun.

   Is there anything of which it may be said, “ See, this is new”? It has already been in ancient times before us.   

Ecclesiastes 1:9-10 NKJV

Many times in my Christian walk, if I implied that God wanted to do something new or even express old truths from a fresh perspective folks would get a distant, far away look in their eyes and quote this passage. However, I believe this passage requires further study. One foundational principle of hermeneutics (which is the science and art of Bible interpretation) is that we always view a scripture in the light of the rest of the Bible. Do you realize how many “new” things God talks about after this scripture?

 I am the LORD, that is My name; And My glory I will not give to another, 
Nor My praise to carved images. 
    

 Behold, the former things have come to pass, 
And new things I declare; Before they spring forth I tell you of them.”

Sing to the LORD a new song, And His praise from the ends of the earth, You who go down to the sea, and all that is in it, You coastlands and you inhabitants of them!

Isaiah 42:8-10 NKJV

 “ Do not remember the former things, Nor consider the things of old. 
 

  Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness 
And rivers in the desert.

Isaiah 43:18 NKJV

 “ You have heard; See all this. 
And will you not declare it?
 I have made you hear new things from this time,  Even hidden things, and you did not know them.

Isaiah 48:6 NKJV

How long will you gad about, O you backsliding daughter? For the LORD has created a new thing in the earth— A woman shall encompass a man.”

Jeremiah 31:22 NKJV

 “Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah—

 not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the LORD.

Jeremiah 31:31-32 NKJV

 Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. 
      

 They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.

Lamentations 3:22-23 NKJV

New heart and new Spirit. (Ezekiel 36:26)

New tongues (Mark 16:17)

New Birth (John 3)

New Commandment (John 13:34)

New creation (II Corinthians 5:17)

New and Living Way (Hebrews 10:20)

 There is nothing new under the sun.

I believe the qualifier to that verse is “under the sun”. In this natural world, there is no new thing. However, God is not limited to this natural world. In Christ neither are we.

 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,

 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),

  and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,

Ephesians 2:4-6 NKJV

This is good news because satan is called the god of this world.

 The eyes of those who do not believe are made blind by Satan who is the god of this world.

2 Corinthians 4:4 New Life Version

Since there is nothing new under the sun, then satan cannot bring something new from out beyond Pluto somewhere against us. Satan is limited to what is common to man.

 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

1 Corinthians 10:13 NKJV

The fact is that God is infinite.  As long as God is infinite, there is more to learn about Him. There is always a deeper depth of relationship with Him than we are currently experiencing. There are deeper depths to the moving of His Spirit than we have experienced before. God is a God of wonders.

Wonder- something strange,” causing the beholder to marvel, is always used in the plural, always rendered “wonders,”

A sign is intended to appeal to the understanding, a “wonder” appeals to the imagination, a power (dunamis) indicates its source as supernatural.

(Vines Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words)

According to W.E. Vines, if God does something you could fully understand it is not a wonder. It is sad how many Christians stand in judgment of the various ways God manifests Himself. However, some of the same people say that God works in mysterious ways! When someone dies unexpectedly in a tragedy or do not receive their healing for whatever reason they say, “Well brother, God works in mysterious ways.”  According to Jesus, anything that steals, kills and destroys is not from God (John 10:10),but from satan. When someone moves in the Spirit in a way that their flakey flesh does not like or understand they criticize it.

Many object to the way the Spirit of God moves because they cannot find a specific scriptural example for God moving in that way. The truth is God has an infinite amount of ways of moving in our lives. John says that if everything Jesus did was recorded, that the world could not contain the books. The Bible gives us a representative sampling of ways God moves.  Where did Peter find a scriptural precedent that people can be healed from his shadow? Where did Paul get the Spiritual “green light” to use aprons and handkerchiefs to minister healing and deliverance to people? These are examples of wonders.

Paul says that our natural mind cannot receive the things of the Spirit of God because they are spiritually discerned.

But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

1 Corinthians 2:14 NKJV

The word natural man literally means “soulical man”. You will not be able to discern the will of God with your natural mind. Mind renewal is important, but is a result of spiritual illumination that ends in the renewal of the mind.

So if you see something a minister does that you do not understand, just put it on the shelf and pray for God to give you insight. But, never come against something just because you do not understand it. Discrediting someone’s ministry is one way of not discerning the Body of Christ.

 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup.

 For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.

 For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep (die prematurely).

 For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged.

1 Corinthians 11:28-31 NKJV

We should be open for God to manifest Himself in whatever way He desires even if it is new to us.

Call to Me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things, fenced in and hidden, which you do not know (do not distinguish and recognize, have knowledge of and understand).

Jeremiah 33:3 Amplified

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.

2 Corinthians 8:9 NKJV

It is amazing to me that church people will use this verse that promises wealth and riches to try to talk us out of it! They are so focused on the “Jesus became poor” part that they fail to appropriate the “that you…. might become rich” part. They reason that because Jesus was poor, and He was our example, that we are doomed to poverty as well.

I believe the key to unlocking this verse is in the phrase “for your sakes”. Another words, Jesus became poor as a result of His substitutionary work in redemption. So let us continue in that vein.  So when did Jesus become poor?  We will view it in the light of the rest of His redemptive work.

The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 5:21 that Jesus became sin for us (note the word “with” identifying it as part of His substitutionary work).

For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

2 Corinthians 5:21 NKJV

When did Jesus become sin for us? Did He become sin as the little baby in the manger? Did Jesus become sin during His earthly ministry? No. The New Testament clearly tells us at what point He became sin.

who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree (cross), that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.

1 Peter 2:24 NKJ 

So we see Jesus did not become sin as the little baby in the manger. Nor did He become sin in His earthly ministry. He became sin on the cross in redemption.

The Bible also teaches us that Jesus bore our sicknesses and was literally made sick with our sicknesses.

 He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. 
      

  Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted.

Isaiah 53:3-4 NKJV

“Griefs” is an unfortunate translation of the word in both verse four and five.  According to the Strong’s Concordance the Word “griefs” literally means “sickness”. Hebrew Scholar, Dr. Robert Young even translates it that way in his translation.

He is despised, and left of men, A man of pains, and acquainted with sickness, And as one hiding the face from us, He is despised, and we esteemed him not.

Surely our sicknesses he hath borne, And our pains — he hath carried them, And we — we have esteemed him plagued, Smitten of God, and afflicted.

Isaiah 53 :3-4 Young’s Literal Translation

So when did Jesus become sick with our sicknesses? Did Jesus become sick as the little baby in the manger? Did Jesus become sick during His earthly ministry? Not once did Jesus turn to Peter and say, “ Peter, you need to teach for me tonight. I caught the hog flu.”  Also if you continue reading in Isaiah you find out when these events transpired.

But He was wounded for our transgressions, was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.

Isaiah 53:5 NKJV

The “stripes” spoken of in this verse speaks of the flogging Jesus received at the hands of the Roman officers. This event was not part of His normal life and ministry, but was accomplished in His redemptive work.

So if Jesus did not become sin as the little baby in the manger or in His earthly ministry, nor did he become sick at that time, why do people reason that He was born poor and remained that way throughout His earthly ministry?  I will agree that leaving heaven and coming to earth and accepting the limitations of humanity would definitely be a step down. But as I pointed out earlier, the phrase “for us” ties it to His redemptive work not His earthly life and ministry.

For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

2 Corinthians 5:21 NKJV

For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:

1 Corinthians 5:7 KJV

…Christ died for us.

Romans 5:8 KJV

He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

Romans 8:32 KJV

Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:

Galatians 3:13 KJV

We also know from the Bible that Jesus was not poor in His life and ministry because He fulfilled the law.

“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.

For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.

Matthew 5:17-18 NKJV

It is true that Jesus fulfilled the righteous requirements of the law. But we forget that the book of Deuteronomy is part of the law.

“And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.

Deuteronomy 8:18 NKJV

Remember the Lord your God. He is the one who gives you power to be successful, in order to fulfill the covenant he confirmed to your ancestors with an oath.

Deuteronomy 8:18 NLT

If Jesus did not get wealth, He did not fulfill the law.

Some use this passage in Luke 9 to prove that Jesus was poor.

Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, “Lord, I will follow You wherever You go.”

And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”

Luke 9:57-58 NKJV

Opponents of the prosperity message say, “See there, Jesus had no place to even lay His head. He was a poor peasant.”  This is a prime example of pulling a passage out of its context to prove a point without considering the rest of the passage. Why did Jesus have no place to lay His head? Was it extreme poverty and lack? No. We get the answer only a few verses before.

Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem, and sent messengers before His face. And as they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him. But they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem.

Luke 9:51-53 NKJV 

The reason Jesus had no place to rest his head is because the Samaritans refused to let Him come into town. No matter how much money you may have, if you cannot go into town you are going to be sleeping out under the stars.  Jesus was basically telling the guy who wanted to follow him, “If you follow Me, you may have to sleep out under the stars.  Because, they may not let you come into town.”

We see in John 13 that Judas carried Jesus’s money box.

For some thought, because Judas had the money box, that Jesus had said to him, “Buy those things we need for the feast,” or that he should give something to the poor.

John 13:29 NKJV

We also see in John’s gospel that Judas was skimming off of the top and “helping himself” to some of that money.

This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it.

John 12:6 NKJV

If there was not but two dollars in the money box, and Judas stole one, don’t you think someone would have noticed it missing? Jesus had enough money in the box that Judas could steal from it and no one ever notice. Also we see from John 13:29 that the disciples were accustomed to Jesus providing for them. He had anywhere from twelve to seventy as a conservative estimate following Him at any given time. You cannot do that if you are broke.

Jesus wore a garment that was so expensive that the Roman soldiers gambled for it rather than dividing it.

They said therefore among themselves, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be,” that the Scripture might be fulfilled which says: “ They divided My garments among them,
And for My clothing they cast lots.” Therefore the soldiers did these things.

John 19:24 NKJV

Now that we have let the Bible demonstrate that Jesus became poor in redemption, I want to conclude with the passage we began with.

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.

2 Corinthians 8:9 NKJV

Jesus came to the earth to demonstrate the faith life including walking in God’s provision of financial abundance.  He then suffered and died and rose from the dead to give us the legal right to walk in that same financial abundance.

“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.

John 14:12 NKJV

Message Continued on Part 2.

Message Completed on Part 3.

James 3:13-16 NIV

We can all think of someone (without even trying) who we would call selfish. They scheme, plot and step on others to get what they want. But selfishness, just like any act of the sinful nature, is deceptive. You may have some areas in your life where you’ve unknowingly allowed it to stifle you. This one may seem obvious, but continue reading to see other ways this Bessing Blocker works.

Selfish Act 1: Personal Neglect

Do not neglect your gift….

1 Timothy 4:14 NIV

God has given you the gift of a body fit for royalty. You have been equipped with every tool necessary to carry out His original plan for your life. However, many Christians are defiling their temples (bodies) with food, drugs, alcohol, excessive working (yes you, workaholics), and many other poisonous behaviors. Understand that David, Samson and even old man Abraham were physically gifted and equipped for their callings. Personal neglect—including your physical body, emotional and spiritual state—selfishly means you don’t care about God, your family or any person God may want you to touch. Heavy, huh? You’re not allowed to say, “It’s my body and my life!” No, it’s God’s body and He gives you life! Paul wrote, “If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are (1 Corinthians 3:17).” Just look up the verses that contain the word defile in the bible and see how God feels about your life and your body. Personal neglect is a form of selfishness and it is a Blessing Blocker.

Selfish Act 2: Idleness

In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers, to keep away from every brother who is idle and does not live according to the teaching you received from us. For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you….

2 Thessalonians 3:6-7

In addition to your job outside the Kingdom of God, you should a job inside it as well. When was the last time you volunteered to do something? Do you have a job in your home church? The early apostles not only preached, but they worked! Stephen was a food distributor! Idleness is a selfish act because you are actually choosing not to contribute your time and talents to the Kingdom. If everyone in the body of Christ was doing their respective jobs, churches everywhere would not be strapped for volunteers. It’s not about you. Stop letting selfishness block The Blessing by being idle. Be a blessing to the rest of us by donating three or four dozen of those awesome cookies you bake! And, I’ll throw in a free strength training session for everyone who indulges on them! Ecclesiastes 11:6 says, “Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let not your hands be idle, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well.

Selfish Act 3: Serving Mammon

No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will stand by and be devoted to the one and despise and be against the other. You cannot serve God and mammon (deceitful riches, money, possessions, or whatever is trusted in).

Matthew 6:24 (AMP)

The truth of this verse is evident everywhere you look. Not only has the world been serving mammon, or money, but so have many Christians. In serving God, we agree to enter into financial covenant with Him. Presenting our tithe, offerings and gifts of love to the Lord and His prophets ushers The Blessing into our lives. Continuing to serve mammon displays selfishness and blocks The Blessing. God promises to bless all the work of our hands—including our finances. But, how can He do so when, according to Matthew, He’s not even our Master! Not only will He bless your finances, but He will show you where to dig! Before you get offended or defensive, hear me out. This is basically a selfish refusal to prosper. When you don’t prosper, your spouse, children and the Kingdom lose out. You need some God on your money! Stop serving mammon and doing things the world’s way. Don’t be selfish with your finances another day. God may want you to sponsor a missionary or help build a building—He may want your child to attend some prestigious university! If you’ve been selfish by refusing to prosper, how will you answer God’s call?

I’ll conclude with two passages.

Exodus 36:2-6

Then Moses summoned Bezalel and Oholiab and every skilled person to whom the LORD had given ability and who was willing to come and do the work. They received from Moses all the offerings the Israelites had brought to carry out the work of constructing the sanctuary. And the people continued to bring freewill offerings morning after morning. So all the skilled craftsmen who were doing all the work on the sanctuary left their work and said to Moses, “The people are bringing more than enough for doing the work the LORD commanded to be done.” Then Moses gave an order and they sent this word throughout the camp: “No man or woman is to make anything else as an offering for the sanctuary.” And so the people were restrained from bringing more, because what they already had was more than enough to do all the work.

Acts 4:31-35

And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness. And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common. And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all. Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, and laid them down at the apostles’ feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.

Two examples—one Old Testament and one New Testament—show the absence of selfishness and the flow of The Blessing. These people were obviously not neglecting themselves (Selfish Act 1), or they would not have been able to perform the physical or spiritual aspects of their callings. Obviously none of them were idle (Selfish Act 2) because the work got done—and joyfully at that! Finally, the people of God during those times did not serve mammon (Selfish Act 3). As a result, everyone had more than enough!

Are you convinced now? Don’t let the subtleness of selfishness block The Blessing in your life. Conduct a personal inventory. If you have a spouse and children old enough, have them do the same. God so loved the world that He gave…. How can you serve as God this giving and be selfish? Why, the very reason He wants you to be selfless and give, is for Him to give The Blessing to you again and again.

It’s the way we enter the query blank of our favorite search engine. Fix my life. Find a flight. How do repair my garbage disposal? Then in a split second, we have a buffet of information to select from. Some of it simple and some complex; but just like a real buffet, it’s always more than we need. All around us people are depressed, lonely, confused, fearful and suicidal. As Christians (especially Spirit-filled ones) it is our duty to help these souls fix their lives. One of the most disappointing situations for a Christian to be in is one where he or she is right beside someone crying out for help, and not recognize it.  Jesus told his disciples in Luke 10:2, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” We are the workers. This verse not only refers to the lost, but also broken brothers and sisters in Christ. We have to disable the enemy and life’s ability to distract us from this important calling. People’s lives literally depend on it. Did you conduct a search for fixing your life? If so, you need not travel down the buffet any longer—fix your life right here. Then you will have the ability to go into the harvest field and help someone else fix theirs.

Fix your spirit.

The first step to fixing your life is the simplest of all. Your spirit must be reborn. Jesus said in John 14:6, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Choosing to give your life to Christ is the most important decision you will ever make—bar none. If you are already a Christian, great! You have already fixed your spirit—the real you. If you have not accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, do it now (link to the salvation page). Fix your spirit.

Fix your position.

Psalm 91 in the Amplified Bible begins this way, “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall remain stable and fixed under the shadow of the Almighty [Whose power no foe can withstand].” Your position should be in the secret place of the Most High. Jesus instructed us in John 15 to “remain in Him.” Remember the simplicity. You fix your position by remaining in His Word and keeping His commands. Then you are automatically dwelling in the secret place. Yes, you are seated with Christ in the heavenly realms; but this does not negate the fact that you have to choose to remain in Him. You must fix your position. Remaining stable and fixed under the shadow of the Most High means discontinuing any activity contrary to His commands. Colossians 2:7 AMP reads, “Have the roots [of your being] firmly and deeply planted [in Him, fixed and founded in Him], being continually built up in Him, becoming increasingly more confirmed and established in the faith, just as you were taught, and abounding and overflowing in it with thanksgiving.” And Jesus said in Matthew 7:24 MSG, “If you work these words into your life, you are like a smart carpenter who built his house on solid rock. Rain poured down, the river flooded, a tornado hit—but nothing moved that house. It was fixed to the rock.” Fix your position.

Fix your eyes.

“Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you,” is how Romans 12:1 in the Message tells you to fix your eyes. Look at Hebrews 12:2 NIV: Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. The Word has so much to say about fixing your eyes that I’m going to continue to let it speak for itself. See the following:

The Message

Why are you down in the dumps, dear soul? Why are you crying the blues? Fix my eyes on God— soon I’ll be praising again. He puts a smile on my face. He’s my God. — Psalm 42:5 (repeated in Psalms 42:11 and 43:5)

NLT
So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever. –2 Corinthians 4:18

AMP
Let your eyes look right on [with fixed purpose], and let your gaze be straight before you. –Proverbs 4:25

NIV
But my eyes are fixed on you, O Sovereign LORD; in you I take refuge. – Psalm 141:8

Enough said, fix your eyes.

Fix your heart.

Proverbs 4:23 tells you to guard your heart because it is the wellspring of life. If you allow your heart to remain broken, ultimately your life will be broken. God wants your heart fixed on His Word so your entire life can be blessed. He says to you in Deuteronomy 11:18-21, “Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates, so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land that the LORD swore to give your forefathers, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth.” It’s just that easy to fix your heart and extend your life and the lives of your children. Fixing your heart eradicates fear. Psalm 112:7 tells us that the person whose heart is fixed on the Lord is not afraid of evil tidings. And David, who had his share of evil to fear, declared, “My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is steadfast and confident! I will sing and make melody (Psalm 57:7). “O God, my heart is fixed (steadfast, in the confidence of faith); I will sing, yes, I will sing praises, even with my glory [all the faculties and powers of one created in Your image] (Psalm 108:1). The man’s heart was so perfectly fixed that he couldn’t help but praise God! Fix your heart.

Fix your mind.

“And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise,” is how Paul sums it up in Philippians 4:8 NLT. I always follow this verse with the question, “What could possibly carry all those attributes all the time except the Word?” Nothing! Hebrews 3:1 NIV also answers the question by saying, Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus (who is the Word), the apostle and high priest whom we confess (parenthesis mine). As always, the results are predictable. “Ecclesiastes 12:11 AMP tells us, “The words of the wise are like prodding goads, and firmly fixed [in the mind] like nails are the collected sayings which are given [as proceeding] from one Shepherd.” Isaiah 26:3 NLT says, “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!” Then you will be able to testify the words of Psalm 119:73 MSG, “I kept my mind fixed on your counsel. Let those who fear you turn to me for evidence of your wise guidance. And let me live whole and holy, soul and body, so I can always walk with my head held high.” Fix your mind.

Simple, yet effective. The buffet of God’s Word is always open and you can never overeat. Now go into the harvest fields with these instructions: fix your spirit, fix your position, fix your eyes, fix your heart and fix your mind. Fix your life!

Be blessed friends and have the perfect day everyday!

Psalm 138:8

—Shontta

This is the whole duty of man. Fear God and keep His commandments. Is that a great verse or what?! After all his exasperated venting in Ecclesiastes, Solomon summed it up with the sane unbiased truth. Our duty as human beings is simply to fear the Lord. If we do this, we will experience God’s best all the days of our lives. We’ll have heaven on earth (Deuteronomy 11:21). This fear fuels our faith. I want to take you on a journey through the Word and show you some of the benefits offered to Christians for doing their duty of fearing the Lord. Some you will be familiar with, and some you may learn for the first time. Take hold of them all and renew your mind; reject the fear that attempts to hold you captive and cling to the fear that makes you free!

The fear of the Lord gives men wisdom and causes them to prosper. No lack is a result of possessing it. Godly fear provides protection for your children and lengthens your days. So why are so many people, Christians in particular, living with the debilitating tormenting fear caused by the evil one? I answered that question in part one of this series, Fear’s Worst Enemy,—they do not trust God. Furthermore, Christians lack the proper form of Godly reverence and awe (fear) required to successfully live the Christian life. Coupled with complete trust in God, the fear of the Lord will bring you to a perfect place.

This is what God has always wanted for His people. Study the Old Testament and note the instances where people actually confessed they were afraid of men because God was with them. The following chapters are references of individuals and/or nations fearing God’s people: Genesis 20, 26 and 50; Exodus 1; Joshua 2; 2 Chronicles 17. Micah wrote, “they shall be afraid of the Lord our God, and shall fear because of thee (v. 17:7).”

It is our duty to fear the Lord. If I fear the Lord I automatically follow His commands. In my mind, the two can’t be separated. Disobedience is an indication that I do not fear God. Dread and anxiety in my life imply that I doubt the truth of God’s Word—I don’t trust Him or fear (stand in awe and revere) Him. It’s a tough pill to swallow. Fearing God means that I obey Him. When I obey Him, He is OBLIGATED (yes, you can obligate God) to perform all the good things He promised (Deuteronomy 28). It’s a chain reaction. Fear God. Obey His commands. Live in the Blessing. Fuel my faith.

Below I’ve listed 21 benefits of fearing the Lord. Each promise is accompanied by its verse. Meditate on these and confess them over your life. This fear will not only fuel your faith, but it will eradicate anxiety and dread from your life.

1. Length of Days (Deuteronomy 6:2)
2. Helps you lead and make godly decisions (2 Chronicles 19:7)
3. Brings honor from the Lord (Psalm 15:4)
4. Causes you to worship (Psalm 33:8)
5. You will lack nothing (Psalm 34:9)
6. Releases you from the fear of man (Psalm 56:4)
7. You will be Blessed by God (Psalm 115:13)
8. Is Clean (Psalm 19:9)
9. You will be blessed in your labor (Psalm 128:2)
10. Your spouse and children will be blessed (Psalm 128:3)
11. Is the Beginning of Wisdom (Psalm 111:10) *wisdom is the proper application of knowledge
12. Is the Beginning of Knowledge (Proverbs 1:7) *knowledge is the information you know
13. Causes hate for evil (Proverbs 8:13)
14. Brings confidence (Proverbs 14:26)
15. Is a fountain of life (Proverbs 14:27)
16. Delivers from evil (Proverbs 16:6)
17. Brings riches, honor and life (Proverbs 22:4)
18. It will be well with you (Ecc 8:12)
19. Is the key to your treasure (Isaiah 33:6)
20. The Lord hears and remembers you (Malachi 3:16)
21. Causes you to witness (2 Corinthians 5:11)

Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.—Psalm 33:8

What a list! Now go on in faith and do your duty! Fear God. Obey His commands. Live in the Blessing. Fuel your faith.

Be blessed friends, and have the perfect day everyday!

Shontta

They’re selling it daily in immeasurable doses. Its seductive tactics have driven an entire society into a panic. It’s the big bad wolf outside about to blow your house down and run off with your wife and children – fear.

Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour – 1 Peter 5:8

If the enemy of your soul can attack you with fear, he can run roughshod over everything in your life. That verse says like a lion; it does not say that he is a lion. Jesus is the Lion of the tribe of Judah and He’s living in you if you’re born again. So why are so many Christians living in fear along with the world? They lack what I believe is fear’s worst enemy. I found it by meditating on the following two verses:

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

 – I John 4:18

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

–       2 Timothy 1:7

I know what you’re thinking. Love, right? Take a closer look. John uses the adjective perfect to describe the love that casts out fear. And Paul said that a sound mind and power accompany the spirit of love that God has given us. In my own quest to conquer fear, I read these verses again and again. I kept asking, “How does love overcome fear?”

Then, I discovered that unbelief is at the root of all fear. What if this? What if that? How are we ever going to get out of this situation? But the doctor said such and such. That is where the tormenting worry comes from. It was that which lead me to fear’s worst enemy—trust. More specifically, trust in God.

From the verses above, it would seem that love is fears worst enemy. There are scores of people who would say they love God, yet they are full of fear. Take a closer look. Perfect love casts out fear because it is founded on trust in God, His Word and His ability to make that Word good. The spirit of power, love and a sound mind can only be activated and properly used if we trust what God said about those three things. Do I believe I have power to tread on all the power of the enemy, that love never fails and that I have the mind of Christ? It’s all about trust.

How could David go against Goliath with no previous combat experience and five rocks? How could he say that because of the victory he was about to obtain, “The whole world will know that there is a God in Israel.”? Complete trust in his God. If Americans were more like David and really believed the statement printed on our money, this country would be the head and not the tail financially.

Yes, I am saying that people who live in fear don’t really trust God. Here’s a practical example. My husband and I have been married more than twelve years. I love him perfectly because I trust him. You see my love for him is perfect as a result of him never giving me a reason to mistrust him. If he had in some way broken my trust, I would still love him; however, there would now be fear in my heart and my love would no longer be perfect. I would always have the doubt and worry that he might be unfaithful or gamble away his paycheck.

Has God ever lied to you while campaigning for your vote? Spent your mortgage at a topless bar? Did He tell everyone He knew all of your personal business? Then why don’t you trust him? How do you feel when you come to the realization that someone you love doesn’t trust you? It hurts doesn’t it? Let’s look at what Jesus said in Matthew 22:36-38 when asked about the greatest commandment.

Jesus replied: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

This is huge. How can you love someone you’ve never seen with all your heart, soul and mind? Trust. The Law and the prophets hang on these commandments because they trust in God — the One who gave them.

And finally, I got it. It was actually while reading a Norman Vincent Peale book (one of the authors who changed my life). It fit perfectly with the verses I already had. This reference was used to deal with a case of intense fear and worry. Isaiah 26:3-4 is posted on my refrigerator right now.

Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength…

Now compare these verses with 2 Timothy 1:7 and 1 John 4:18. They create a fear-busting bomb! My mind is sound because I keep it on Him. He gives me everlasting strength and power. I have perfect love and perfect peace because I trust in God. Fear runs screaming out the door when he hears you speak those words with the authority of the Lion of the tribe of Judah!

Trust is fear’s worst enemy. Show God how much you love him by trusting in His Word—not in money, the government or the media. He said that those who trust in Him will never be put to shame (Romans 10:11). So let them sell their fear; but treat it like any tangible thing the enemy has to offer—alcohol, drugs, pornography—don’t buy it! The Word has more than six thousand promises for you. Don’t be stifled by fear another moment. Trust in God, eradicate fear and prosper in every area of your life!

In part two of this series, I’ll tell you about the fear that fuels your faith.

Be blessed friends and have the perfect day everyday!

–Shontta

Psalm 138:8

But when He, the Spirit of Truth (the Truth-giving Spirit) comes, He will guide you into all the Truth (the whole, full Truth). For He will not speak His own message [on His own authority]; but He will tell whatever He hears [from the Father; He will give the message that has been given to Him], and He will announce and declare to you the things that are to come [that will happen in the future].

—John 16:13 AMP

Jesus explains clearly what the purpose of the Holy Spirit is. He tells us what happens when we allow The Spirit to dwell in us. Let’s look at the three reasons here:

1. He guides us into all truth. This is for the times when you need to make a decision or are trying to get to the bottom of something. Personally, I have used this portion of scripture anytime I am looking for anything. It has been valuable in teaching my young son how to depend on the Holy Spirit to help him. Most recently, he was looking for one of his favorite toys that his father bought for him. We prayed, “Holy Spirit you know all things. Show us where the toy is. We thank you for doing it in Jesus’ name.” At first my son was frustrated because he had looked everywhere, but I told him to be quiet and go on with his day. You see, the Spirit is a gentle guide—we can’t be led while in a frazzle. A couple of days passed and we hadn’t found the toy. I asked my son, “Has the Holy Spirit ever let us down? Don’t we always find what we’re looking for?” He agreed. His faith and belief in the Spirit is strong because I’ve taught him to depend on Him for guidance. Yes, of course, we found the toy and praised God!

1. He relays messages to us from the Father. This is what is called a rhema word—or a word spoken directly from God to the believer by His Holy Spirit. The verse says that He tells whatever He hears from the Father and makes it known to you. So the Spirit is, in effect, a conduit or channel to the Father and we gain access by the Son Jesus Christ. This is why prayer in the Spirit (in other tongues) is mandatory if you want clear messages from the Father. At some point, we need to shut off our natural minds and pray the perfect will of God. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 14:14, “For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful.” Sometimes we are like my son, so mentally frustrated that we can’t hear what God is trying to say to us by His Spirit. But, when the rhema word comes and tells us exactly how to handle a situation, it always leaves us in awe. Praying in the Spirit and praying the Word—these are the only two ways I know to pray the perfect will of God. Then, those messages from Him become more clear and easier to recognize.

1. He tells us what will happen in the future. Wow! Who knows how many volumes could be written on the testimonies from this portion of the verse? How many scores of believers have averted disaster, become wealthy and broken engagements because the Spirit told them what would happen in the future? I’ve noticed however, individuals be hindered at two extremes. On one hand, the Spirit tells them the future and they become afraid and shrink back. On the other, some become arrogant and trample God’s grace and favor by self righteous acts and narcissism. Nevertheless, don’t be stifled! God always provides provision for the vision. After all, it is His vision for your life (Philippians 1:6). Joshua saw his future and God himself encouraged him to be strong and courageous (Numbers 14; Deuteronomy 1:38; Joshua 1). Forty years prior, Joshua saw what his future held. He could have become arrogant or fearful being privy to this information, but he held fast to the promise of God, got quiet and lived his life. Do you need to know your future? Get full of the Holy Ghost and He’ll tell you.

If you have not had an Acts 2 experience, this is what is necessary for you to receive the gift of tongues. The Holy Spirit is not supposed to lay dormant in you. You must exercise it daily in prayer. Allow Him to guide you as the verse says. This will revolutionize your thinking and change your life! Solomon wrote in the Old Testament, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path (Proverbs 3:5-7).”I know people all around you are panicking, but if they were saved and full of the Holy Spirit they would be at peace. What about you? Are you afraid? Confused? Don’t know how to handle your situation? Trust in the Words of Christ, get baptized in the Holy Spirit and pray in the Spirit—He will guide you into all the Truth.

Be blessed friends and have the perfect day everyday!

—Shontta

Psalm 138:8

Delight thyself also in the LORD: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. –Psalm 37:4-5

Don’t wish it were so, make it so! God is not a genie—He is not granting wishes. He’s already blessed you. And, the Bible has multitudinous versions of the same formula for obtaining your desires. Outside of your height, age, race or sex, you don’t have to wish things were different. You can speak and act on God’s Word and bring those things into reality.

There are some things about us that were predestined and predetermined by God (Romans 8:28-31). However, there are other aspects of our lives that the Father left up to us. Do you wish you had a happy home? If so, so does God—but He’s not going to make your home happy. You have to do that; and as you do so, He’ll bless you in it. Study the lives of the patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac and Jacob). God didn’t force His will on any of them. He simply gave them an invitation to participate in His plan. They accepted, but made some mistakes along the way.

Proverbs 19:3 gets my attention every time I read it—let’s look at it together. I’ll show you more than one translation of the same verse for emphasis.

A man’s own folly ruins his life, yet his heart rages against the LORD. NIV

People ruin their lives by their own foolishness and then are angry at the Lord. NLT

The foolishness of man subverts his way [ruins his affairs]; then his heart is resentful and frets against the Lord. AMP

People ruin their lives by their own stupidity, so why does God always get blamed? The Message

I saved the best for last—laugh out loud! Why do Christians and people in general, always wish for obtainable things? Jesus paid the price for everything we could ever want or need. The Word says that He’s given us all things that pertain to life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3) and that all things are ours (2 Peter 1:3; 1 Corinthians 3:22). In another passage (Psalm 115:16) the Bible tells us that the earth has been given to the children of men. And the icing on the cake is the Holy Spirit—He guides us into all truth and tells us the things that are to come! So stop living your life haphazardly and then blaming God as the verse above says. Don’t let wrong actions or inaction mess you up and then wish you had a better life.

Now please, don’t misunderstand me. If you are in a situation where you neglected to include something that could’ve enhanced it—that’s not the type of wishing I’m referring to. Wishing you had brought a camera or you hadn’t worn those shoes with that outfit (what in the world were you thinking boo?!) are examples. Nor am I referring to unethical or ungodly wishes, such as wishing you had someone else’s spouse—won’t work. No, I mean life-maximizing issues. Instead of saying, “I wish I had more energy.” Say, “I have the life of God in me and I can do all things through Christ!” Then act like it is so and eventually, you won’t be acting anymore—it will be your reality. Don’t wish things were different, make them different! Eliminate the wish factor. Jesus told us that we can have what we say. Just start saying how you want things to be and then act on what you are saying. I guarantee you, every wish will come true.

Be blessed friends, and have the perfect day everyday!

Psalm 138:8

—Shontta