There are perhaps many reasons why most Christians live from paycheck to paycheck and do not see the prosperity God has promised in his Word.

We don’t think we are worthy of prosperity.

We don’t believe it is God’s will for us to be prosperous and wealthy people.

We don’t want to fall into the category of the filthy rich.

We don’t know the fundamental nature of our Father.

We are ignorant of the promises of God in His Word.

We are ignorant of God’s instructions in His Word on how to handle money.

We as Christians, for far too long, have taken our attitudes about money and finances from the world and from those in the church that, although well-meaning perhaps, have only taught what they were taught.  Much of what has been taught in the secular world and the church has been the opposite of what God has declared in His Word.

What they have said God is like many times — He is not.  What they say God has said, when you look in His word, He did not say at all, or they have taken His words out of their context. We might be well served to do as those in Berea did.

Act 17:11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so

In these blogs, we want to know what God really said.  To find that out, we need to sit and read His Word for ourselves.  Then we need to compare what we read with what we have been taught by the world and the church.  If we can get back to just what God has said and believe that, it may change our lives.

For instance, I came across this verse many years ago and I never forgot it.  I had never heard this before. The verse was contrary to what I learned growing up.

Deuteronomy 8:18 But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.

That verse alone should arrest our attention when it comes to prosperity and wealth.  He gives us the power to get wealth, and then He tells us why; that He may establish His covenant which He sware unto the fathers.  The Church of born-again believers often needs money, so God gives His people the power to get wealth.  But He needs faithful people to store up the prosperity as it comes in so they can give to every good work. God does not usually ask you to give it all away.  That is important to remember.

In our search to learn what God really said and what He is really like, Hebrews 11 has some insight.

Hebrews 11:5-6  By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. But without faith (believing-trust) it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him

Believing or trusting God is pleasing to Him AND God says He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.  That is what we are doing here in the area of prosperity. This searching of the scriptures will bleed over into every aspect of our lives.  He also tells us that believing is what is really pleasing to Him as opposed to how we feel about money or what the world finds acceptable.

In diligently seeking God, keeping God first in our lives and hearts is a great key.  How do we keep him first? By obedience to His Word from our heart.

Here are a few verses that can help you get started:

Proverbs 3:8-10  It (the wisdom of God) shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones. Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.

3 John 1:2 Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.

Proverbs 8:21 That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance; and I will fill their treasures (storehouses).

As EW Bullinger, the great researcher of God’s Word, said, “Practical Christian Life and walk will be in direct proportion to our knowledge of God.” In our search to understand prosperity from God’s point of view, we need to increase our knowledge of God – increase our knowledge of what God has really said. This is truly the Christian’s greatest need.  The lack of this true knowledge of God is the basic reason so many of us lack the prosperity our Father truly desires for us. In the opening verses of both Ephesians and Colossians, God speaks to our great need for a true knowledge of Him.

Ephesians 1:17-19  That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,

Colossians 1:9-10  For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; 

If we would please Him (as we read in Hebrews) in all things, we must know what will please Him. We need to sit down before God’s Word and get to know Him through it.  He has given us His Word and revealed Himself therein so that we may find out what it is that pleases Him, what He loves what He hates.  What it is He does.  We are to get to know His will, His love, and His almighty power. We need to get to know His faithfulness, His truth, His goodness and mercy, His patience, His gentleness, His care for us, and all His other attributes.  As we get to know Him, we cannot help but trust that He will do as He has said. (Some of the above was paraphrased from The Christian’s Greatest Need by EW Bullinger).  Trusting God and believing what He has really said is pleasing to Him, and He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him!

Deuteronomy 28:8 The LORD shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses, and in all that thou settest thine hand unto; and he shall bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

As we see His will in His Word is for us to prosper, then we would want to search out how God has said to bring that prosperity to pass in our lives.  The first step is to believe His Word and then to learn about the law of giving and receiving which, Lord willing, we will cover next time.

Always remember “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet…”

It teaches me how to live and how to walk with God in this adventure of walking in The Prosperous Life.

Part of the challenge in understanding God’s Word is to rightly apply the verses in the right context in our lives. So, it is with the subject of prosperity. If we jerk a verse out of its context and apply it in the wrong area, we have taken what was the Word of God and changed it into the word of men – religion. This causes confusion and frustrates our understanding of God’s will for our lives.

First, there are a considerable number of instructions God gives about how to prosper to those who seek Him and love Him above all else. Abraham is a worthy example. God gave him great wealth, but Abraham loved God more than even his own son. God was first in his life above all else.

Deuteronomy 8:18 But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.

Deuteronomy 28:2,3 And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God. Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field.

Proverbs 8:21 That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance; and I will fill their treasures.

Psalm 1:1-3 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

Jeremiah 17:7,8 Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.

Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

 (Part of keeping God first would also include then, the verses on giving.

Those that keep Him first would naturally obey His Word.)

Second, the Pharisees and others were the opposite. They were covetous; they loved money, prosperity, prestige, and power more than they loved God. God was not first in their lives, money was. Money in and of itself is worthless if all you do is sit and look at it. It is what comes because of the money, or what the money brings you — power, position, prestige, etc.

Luke 16:14 And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him.

Luke 12:13-15  And one of the company said unto him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me. And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you? And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.

To take someone to court to get what they have is not necessary. It would be envy – you want what they have. God is more than able to supply you himself with a great abundance – just ask.

To Abraham and his offspring, the children of Abraham, believers that keep God first, God gave promises of prosperity. To the Pharisees and their like, God gave warnings or cautions against loving money more than God.

So, the challenge is to learn to keep the promises or the warnings in the category God put them in while rising up to claim and believe the promises of God. We practice our relationship with God by keeping Him first. This is us growing in godliness while being content, not anxious about tomorrow, or what others have, as we expect to see our Father bring His word to pass in our lives, and fill our treasuries.

First, Timothy has some instructions and two of the great warnings in the sixth chapter.

(WTJ) I Timothy 6:3-5 If anyone teaches something different and does not approach healthy words (those of our Lord Jesus Christ) and the teaching [what was taught] according to godliness, then he is puffed up with pride, knowing nothing but having an ailment of the mind relating to controversies and word battles. Of these come envy, strife, slander, evil suspicions, constant quarrels from people corrupted in the mind and deprived of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain.

These folks want what you have, envy, they want to end up on top in the argument and to be seen as the best around. If you slander someone, it implies you are better than they are. God says these people have a lot of pride, are corrupted in the mind, and are deprived of the truth. They believe that winning arguments and/or being wealthy shows they walk with God.

Vs. 6 Now godliness with contentment is a great means of gain. (Promise – correction and instruction)

This verse is commonly used as a warning to anyone trying to rise up and believe the promises of prosperity God has placed in His Word. But actually, it is instruction on the proper means of great gain. Contentment and walking with God as opposed to pride, envy, strife, etc. This verse sets, in contrast, the proper means of gain, developing godliness in your own life as opposed to what the ungodly do because of pride.

So, the challenge here to us is to be content with what we have while we are endeavoring to rise up and believe the promises of God. God is not saying in this verse to be content – in your poverty – when you cannot pay your bills – with large credit card debt. That would be like telling us not to rise up and believe that God is the Lord who heals but to be content with our sickness.

In the discussion of prosperity, one needs to make a distinction between the promises of God about prosperity and the warnings of God to not get out of bounds.

Vs. 9 However, those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a trap and many senseless and harmful cravings, which cause people to sink into ruin and destruction. (Warning)

 Rich in power, prestige, or wealth

Vs. 10 Certainly, avarice is a root of all the evils, to which some have aspired and have been led astray from the [right way of] believing and have wounded themselves with many sharp pains. (Warning)

Covetousness is translated here as avarice from an online dictionary: The meaning of “avarice” is excessive or insatiable desire for wealth or gain: greediness. This translator used the same word avarice in 1 Timothy 3.

1 Timothy 3:3 not a drunkard, not a pugnacious bully but forbearing, disinclined to quarreling, not avaricious,

The King James here says, “not covetousness.”  Many translate this as “not a lover of money.”

Many times, in His Word, God shows us how godly wealth is acquired. This thinking about prosperity may be different than what you have understood for years. But read the scriptures for yourself; read them in the context and see for yourself if this is true. It may take a while to wrap your mind around this way of thinking, but once you do, it will change your life. By rising up and keeping the promises of prosperity and the warnings against covetousness in their proper places, you will grow in godliness and in your journey of The Prosperous Life.

Note:  There is more on this topic in Poverty vs Wealth, Chapter 4.

The principle of giving is a law; it is a principle that God set up to govern life. This law of giving works for anyone, whether you are a Christian, Buddhist, Hindu, or atheist. It is a law.  God is a giver. He so set life up that we are to follow His pattern and be givers also. Giving is a physical act. The act of giving is one of the fundamental rules of prosperity. God invented these rules, and men have discovered them by observation and have written books about these rules or laws. For example, consider the law of gravity. Newton did not invent the law; he simply observed it and then wrote the observation down.  Although we could study these rules or principles or laws about prosperity from other books, it is best to go to the source. God is a giver. God set life up to operate on the principle of giving because that is what He is, and we are to follow His example.

Remember John 3:16: “God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son.”  By the death of God’s only begotten son, God was able to pay for the sins of the whole world so that all who would confess Christ as Lord and believe in their hearts that God raised Christ from the dead would be saved. God gave His son and received back millions of children.  It is the principle of giving and receiving, and God shows us how it works by operating it Himself with His son. He does not ask us to give our firstborn – only a few dollars.  Nice! 

Philippians 4:15  Now ye Philippians know also, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only.

When we give we also receive back from God way more than we gave.  Once we have given, we need to expect the promises of God to come to pass in our lives. We not only learn to give, but also we learn to expect His bounty, His abundance flowing back toward us. It is what He wants to do.  It is not automatic, but it comes as we believe or expect God to bring His Word to pass in our lives.

Once we incorporate this principle of giving into our lives, we should expect to see God’s abundance flow back to us.

Luke 6:38   Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

Proverbs 19:17   He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the LORD; and that which he hath given will he pay him again.

God says that which you give is the same as giving it to Him, and He will repay you again.  Nice! God is not a taker.  If He asks you to give or to teach or minister in some capacity, He will abundantly repay you for your help and service.

Proverbs 11:24   There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty.

2 Corinthians 9:6-8  But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.   Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.   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:

When we learn these rules of prosperity along with the promises, we need to expect the promises of God to come to pass in our lives.

Remember:

3 John 1:2   Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.

The prospering of the soul should involve reading and studying the accounts of the Word, thinking, pondering, or mediating on what you know from God’s Word.  Make the Word part of your life because of your love for God.  For example, being kind, forgiving and loving one another becomes part of our lives as we meditate on God’s love for us in Christ. As our soul prospers, our believing of God’s Word increases; we learn the principle of giving and receiving, and we find it easier to prosper.

In some of the verses above, God tells us, rather implores us to give.  Then He explains that we will not be poorer for doing so, for we will receive back in the same measure that we gave.  If we give sparingly, we will receive back sparingly, but if we give bountifully, we will receive bountifully.

As a side note, the record in 2 Corinthians says that He makes all grace (or money, in this context) abound toward us – so we will have enough to give even more!!

We have learned that we will receive back as we give.  But we also learn that if we do not give, if we withhold what is proper, that tends towards poverty.

Giving is one of the overall fundamental principles of prosperity.

What we are going to look at now is giving within the church. It is still giving but in a specific area — in or to the church.

This form of giving is a subset of the general overall principle of giving. There do not seem to be any additional promises, except that when we stand at the bema (the judgment seat from which rewards are given at the return of Christ), this giving qualifies as walking in the love of God, according to Romans 13:1-6.

This giving is often called tithing, giving, abundant sharing, or, as in Galatians, it is called sharing fully.

Here are some verses talking about this form of giving in or to the church:

(Technically, in the Old Testament, the temple was not called a church, but it functioned as the center of spiritual growth for God’s people, similar to how the church functions today.)

Malachi 3:10-11  Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.  And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts.

“Prove me” is used only here, and it is used in conjunction with prosperity.

Proverbs 3:9-10  Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the first fruits of all thine increase:  So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.

Galatians 6:6-7   Let him that is taught in the word communicate (share fully) unto him that teacheth in all good things. Be not deceived: God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

Galatians 6:6-7   Those who are taught must share all the blessings of life with those who teach them the Word.  Make no mistake — God is not to be mocked — a man will reap just what he sows; (Moffatt’s Translation)

To “communicate” simply means “to share fully.”  Thus, it is giving in to the church.

Just to be clear, the word “tithe” appears only three times in the King James Version of the New Testament: twice in the gospels and once in Hebrews.  The church epistles, Romans through Thessalonians, do not use the word “tithe”.

To distinguish between the overall principle of giving and giving to or in the church, I have chosen to call it “giving in or to the church.”  It communicates well to people, and there can be no argument over the use of the word “tithe.” Sometimes in this work, you will still see the word “tithe,” but what I mean by that is “giving in or to the church.”

Romans 13:1  Let every soul be in subjection to the excelling authorities, In fact, there is not real authority except from God, and those that exist have been appointed by God.  (A Journey through the Acts and Epistles)

These authorities are the governing ministries in the church.

Romans 13:6 For this reason, pay tribute also, for they are servants of God giving persistent attention to this same thing. (A Journey through the Acts and Epistles)

The footnote on verse 6, (Pg. 248 in A Journey Through the Acts and Epistles) is interesting: “The word phoros was also used to refer to any payment.  Here, in Romans 13:6 and 7, it is used in comparison to refer to that which is due to the excelling authorities mentioned in verse 1. As a citizen of Rome would pay the tribute, the custom, the respect and honor to Rome, so verses 6 and 7 speak of rendering that which is due to the excelling authorities commissioned by God. ”

This rendering would then be another place where God tells us to give in or to the church – those excelling authorities that govern in the church and that teach God’s Word.

Since the word “tithe” is not used in the church epistles, the question arises: how much do I give to or in the church?  As we read before, “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.”

Romans 15:4   For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.

1Corinthians 10:11   Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

In the Old Testament times, they did not have Bibles as we do.  The scriptures were in the temple, and perhaps the king had a copy if he made himself one as God told him to do, but the everyday person had no copies. God had many things that happened back then written down for our learning, for our admonition.  We should feel greatly privileged to own a Bible and go to it daily to determine if the things we believe and are taught are so.

If we wanted to know an amount to start with for giving in or to the church, in the Old Testament they gave a tithe, or a tenth (some say that when you totaled up all they were to give it came to about 40%).  Now, at least, we have a number.  If you cannot do that much, do what you can and ask God to help you grow the amount. Remember, he that sows bountifully reaps also bountifully.

Just to clear up a point.

I have heard this question asked on a couple of occasions and never heard a good answer for it, nor I did not know what to say either. “Does it count as tithing if I give my money to someone in need?  For instance, the neighbor girl is a single mom with three kids, not much money, and the tires on her car are threadbare.  Can I give her my tithe?”  That is a good honest question.  But, I believe they are asking the wrong question.  What they really want to know is:  “Will God bless me back if I give her the money?”  The answer is:  “Absolutely, yes!”  But does giving to the girl qualify as giving in or to the church as in Romans 13:1-6 and Galatians 6:6-7 that we read?  The answer is, “No.”

We are to have enough to give both in and to the church and to give to every good work!  We should be so prosperous that we can give to every good work that we desire.

I was taught that if you were going to give, you should give it to the church and only to the church.  Anything else was second rate. However, God says that He will enable us to give to every good work.  Here is another verse along that line:

Ephesians 4:28  Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.

We are to so prosper that we can give in or to the church (to those that teach and share God’s Word), and we are to so prosper that we can give to those that need, and to every good work.

Now I can buy Girl Scout cookies without feeling guilty, tip the waitress, and be blessed doing it. We can also give to those that help with storm relief or for any good work we desire to give to, or that God puts in our hearts, anything we know is His will, and He will abundantly bless us back financially for doing so.

When your child receives his first dollar, teach him to give part of it and to save part of it. Then teach him that God will bless him back for doing His Word.  Teach this to your children. Learning these truths and principles and God’s word, practicing them, and then teaching them to your children is all part of The Prosperous Life.

There are two fundamental principles of prosperity that God put in His Word.  The first is the principle of giving.

Luke 6:38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

If you will notice in this verse, God says that as you give, it will be given back to you again.  God is not a taker; He is a giver. Not only will what you give, be given back to you so that you have no loss, but it will also come back abundantly more than that which you gave.

The second principle of prosperity that God put in His Word is the principle of saving part of what you earn, part of what He gives back to you.  This is shown in many verses.

Deuteronomy 28:8 The LORD shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses, and in all that thou settest thine hand unto; and he shall bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee

A storehouse is where the surplus is kept.  Many Christians are taught that to save is sin. They say we are to live from paycheck to paycheck and then believe God will cover everything else.  In other words, trust God will give them what they need in the event of emergencies.  Most of the time emergencies end up on credit cards, and we go deeper into debt.

God teaches us to both GIVE AND SAVE. (The two four letter words) Saving always reminds me of this Aesop Fable:

The Ants & the Grasshopper

One bright day in late autumn a family of Ants were bustling about in the warm sunshine, drying out the grain they had stored up during the summer, when a starving Grasshopper, his fiddle under his arm, came up and humbly begged for a bite to eat.

“What!” cried the Ants in surprise, “haven’t you stored anything away for the winter? What in the world were you doing all last summer?”

“I didn’t have time to store up any food,” whined the Grasshopper; “I was so busy making music that before I knew it the summer was gone.”

The Ants shrugged their shoulders in disgust.

“Making music, were you?” they cried. “Very well; now dance!” And they turned their backs on the Grasshopper and went on with their work.

There’s a time for work and a time for play.

God uses the example of the diligence of the ant in Proverbs.

Proverbs 6:6-8  Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.

God teaches us to store up money by way of the wisdom of the ant.  The ant does not live paycheck to paycheck like the grasshopper.  The ant stores up food (money) against the winter ahead.  Winter for us as people can be when the washer breaks down and we have no funds, or the kids get sick, or the freezer quits, or the transmission goes out in the car, or worse that we lose our job (our income).

After giving, the second fundamental principle of prosperity is saving.

The first is saving for emergencies.  Many financial experts recommend at least three to six months of wages saved.  This is money kept in reserve in case of emergencies. Saving starts with a dollar.  Just get started.

At the beginning of our saving journey, we used that emergency fund several times.  BUT it no longer had to go on a credit card!  We did not go deeper into debt.  Our emergency fund was empty, but we kept up the savings, and it grew again.  Then, another emergency! But it was nice being able to cover the emergency with cash instead of credit, which was less stressful for our marriage.

Storing up for emergencies is a biblical principle.  What did Joseph do for the first seven years?  He saved the grain. We cannot prevent surprises or calamities, but we can prepare for them because it is not a question of if they come but when.  Not being prepared is part of what keeps us in debt.  Being in debt is not what God wants for us.

Once we understand what God’s will is for finances, rather than reinventing the wheel in saving, we can learn from others who have been there before us.  Here are some quotes I found in the book, Uncommon Cents, by Lynn G Robbins.

“The art of getting riches consists very much in thrift. All men are not equally qualified for getting money, but it is in the power of everyone alike to practice this virtue.” — BENJAMIN FRANKLIN

“What are three words that profile the affluent? FRUGAL FRUGAL FRUGAL.” — THOMAS J. STANLEY AND WILLIAM D. DANKO

“Most people have it all wrong about wealth in America. Wealth is not the same as income. If you make a good income each year and spend it all, you are not getting wealthier, you are just living high. Wealth is what you accumulate, not what you spend.” — THOMAS J. STANLEY AND WILLIAM D. DANKO

“Part of all you earn is yours to keep.” — George Clason’s The Richest Man in Babylon

“Even if you are heavily in debt, hold back some in your Master Account—or you can never be free.” – A Financial Planner

“Remember that Money is of a prolific generating Nature. Money can beget Money, and its Offspring can beget more, and so on. He that kills a breeding Sow, destroys all her offspring to the thousandth Generation. He that murders a Crown [coin], destroys all it might have produc’d—even Scores of Pounds.”  Ben Franklin

Money is a large part of our lives.  Most of us work eight hours a day, and sometimes both spouses work to have enough to live on.  If you are spending 40 to 80 hours per week to earn money, you should spend some time each week learning how to manage it.  Learn the fundamental principles God has laid out then learn how others incorporated those principles into their lives/finances.

Even if you are heavily in debt, start now to save some money in an emergency fund to help prevent further debt. The biggest mistake you can make with money is neglect.

The road to The Prosperous Life is paved with Give and Save.  So, add these two four-letter words into your vocabulary and start both today! God will bless your efforts to walk believingly upon His Word.

Proverbs 21:20 There is treasure to be desired and oil in the dwelling of the wise; but a foolish man spendeth it up.

Proverbs 8:21 That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance; and I will fill their treasures.

Recently, I listened to a few videos that some claimed were prosperity ministries. It was interesting that most of them promised great miracles and prosperity and success if you would plant “seed money” in their ministry. Right or wrong I don’t know, as I am not their judge. I would rather stick with pondering on what God has said in His Word.

I have been involved in construction for almost 40 years or more. I used to think it would be great fun to be a builder. But as time went on, I began to realize the position the builder stood in. First, he borrowed money from the bank that needed to be repaid. He owes the bank the day after he borrows the money. It may be months before the house is completed and sold. (I have seen houses that were finished and took so long to sell that the builder went broke paying the interest on the debt.)

Once he borrows the money, all kinds of people and entities line up with their hands out wanting a part of his borrowed money. First is the developer of the land. The builder must buy land to build on. Then he must buy a permit (the first of many) from the city or county to be able to build. Here is a partial list of the permits that may be required:

Grading Permit

Building Permit

Electrical Permit

Mechanical Permit

Plumbing Permit

Septic Permit

Plans Inspection

Sediment Control Inspection and many more

I picture this in my mind like a circle of people standing around that builder (he is the one with the money) and sticking their hands out for a portion of his borrowed money.

Now, he must pay the grading company, the foundation and stem wall people, then the first part of the plumbing, electrical, and then the concrete people for pouring the slab, driveway, and the sidewalks. Then come the framers, the plumbers again, and electrical, HVAC, sheet rockers, and on and on until the house is finished. It is a lengthy list of people – trades that have their hands in the builder’s pockets. AND he must produce a finished house that will sell in a short order of time. All the pressure is on him. He must pay the bank back for the money he borrowed. He is like a target for those who want his borrowed money.

Proverbs 22:7 The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.

The builder must work hard to pay back the banker. We are to serve God and not man.

Proverbs 22:26-27  Be not thou one of them that strike hands, or of them that are sureties for debts. If thou hast nothing to pay, why should he take away thy bed from under thee?

The wisdom of God says to not be a guarantor for the debts of others because if the other does not pay and you cannot pay, they will take your home (bed). It would not be wise to borrow money yourself. I have known many seemingly wise people that mortgaged their homes to drill oil wells or develop land and when the economy turned, they lost everything. It takes longer to wait until you have the cash to invest, but if you wait, they will never take your bed if you invest your own money and the house, for instance, does not sell right away.

If you do have a mortgage work day and night to get it paid off. Then do not borrow against it for any reason. This is finely stated in Proverbs also:

Proverbs 6:1-5  My son, if thou be surety (guarantee the loan) for thy friend, if thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger, (the banker) Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth.  Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself, when thou art come into the hand of thy friend; go, humble thyself, and make sure thy friend. (get him to pay the loan back) Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids. Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.

Nehemiah 5:4-5  There were also that said, We have borrowed money for the king’s tribute, and that upon our lands and vineyards. (mortgaged) Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, our children as their children: and, lo, we bring into bondage our sons and our daughters to be servants, and some of our daughters are brought unto bondage already: neither is it in our power to redeem them; for other men have our lands and vineyards.

What a sad position to be in. Mortgaged their land and vineyards and were not able to buy back their sons and daughters from slavery. SAVE SOME MONEY!! These examples are here to teach us to save against unexpected expenses.

It is interesting that in the world a great proponent of buying real estate to become wealthy teaches that the way to wealth is through borrowed money. Borrowing money can be a great trap. At the least when we do, we serve the lender. At the worst, if the economy changes as it is sure to do because it has done it many times in the past, you could lose everything. We cannot see what the future holds. So, God warns us not to go into debt. If you are in debt, get out quickly.

I realize others have gone into debt and sometimes have made a lot of money, but there is no guarantee for that. God’s wisdom is DO NOT BORROW!

I had someone argue with me about borrowed money by saying in the world of finance structured debt is a good thing. Bankers and finance people have many high-sounding phrases and words. Many of the wise of this world will be brought down. God does not consider structured debt in His Word to be His wisdom. If everything stays the same, you may be successful. You are trusting the wisdom of the world and believing the economy will stay the same. But the economy can turn on a dime and then you lose.

Our Father warns us about the many pitfalls of borrowing money in His Word. I came to realize that we as believers (and as consumers) are in some ways in the same position as a builder. We are the ones with the money. We actually produce something.

We, too, are like targets because of our earned income. Many entities stand around us with their hands out wanting a piece of our money – a piece of what we have produced. First in line is the tax man. Next are services that we need in our culture. We also need food, electrical, water, sewer, gas for our cars and to heat our homes.

Many of them want to palm themselves off as our friends. They want us to consolidate our bills and credit cards and put them on a second mortgage. I see a billboard occasionally with a picture of a local banker with his hand stretched out toward the passerby as if to say let’s be friends. But he is a salesman. He wants to sell you some of his money to buy a home, to expand your business or buy more land for your farm. You in return will pay the banker part of your income for years. One man I read about lately lost the family farm that his family had owned for five generations. He borrowed against the farm, and something turned sour. Now the banker, “his friend,” owns it. This is true for credit cards, car loans, mortgages, school loans, and other consumer goods we finance. Credit cards can run 20% which is twice what we tithe. Mortgage rates are climbing again. That is in part, where our prosperity goes.

God is telling us by way of these verses that we are servants to those who lend us money. No matter how friendly they are, they are not your friends. It reminds one of the expression, “I owe, I owe, so off to work I go.” We need to change our thinking and remember that we are His sons and daughters, and we are to serve Him. He promises to meet all our needs.

So, if you have a need, pray first and then be patient. See what God will do. If you do not have the cash, do not buy it. This is where saving money in an emergency fund comes in so handy for unexpected expenses. What would it have been like for those thousands of businesses that went broke during the Covid crisis if they had been saving part of their income over the past years?  It is likely they could have survived.

Here is something to ponder. If we take the example of the tithe being 10% of our income, would it be appropriate to expect God to give back to us at least the same amount as what we gave? But what we do with the minimum of 10% back is we pay it to the credit card companies, the banker, and the local car dealer. Then we wonder, “Where is the prosperity you promised, God?”  He says, “You gave it to the banker!”

Dave Ramsey says to buy a car you can pay cash for, then put that $500 – $650 a month (the national average payment) in a good growth mutual fund. Think. If you buy a nice car and make payments for six years, what is that car worth after six years? What would that same amount of money you would put into car payments be worth in six years if it were invested in a good growth mutual fund? The difference is drastic. Prosperity at times is not an increase in funds but a reorganizing of how we deal with the money God trusts us with.

Rather than trusting in “seed money” to produce a miracle, try reorganizing your finances. Get out of debt, be a giver and a saver and utilize some of the other things we have talked about in these blogs. Watch the wisdom of God produce in your life — The Prosperous Life.

Matthew 25:21 His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.