It is the blessing of the Lord that makes a man wealthy (Proverbs 10:22). And such wealth comes along with no toiling at all. To be blessed does not means that you have to be lazy. In fact God’s word warns us that, laziness is what makes a man poor. It says:
“Do not love sleep, lest you come to poverty; Open your eyes, and you will be satisfied with bread.”
Proverbs 20:13 NKJV
In other words the man who loves to sleep, instead of doing something tangible with his hands, so as to prosper himself with the blessing of the Lord, will eventually end up being poor. And God is not to blame for his poverty.
In most cases the problem with him is that, he loves to be engrossed with the desires of his flesh; rather than listening to God’s voice to him. He gets so busy with his flesh to the extent that, he is unable to recognize when poverty starts knocking on his doorstep.
Make no mistake about it that; God is never happy to see any man in this world living in poverty. He has provided everything for everyone to be prosperous on the earth. The desires of the flesh is actually what is keeping many from being able to lay hold on to, all that God has made available for them on the earth.
According to the above scripture text, another man whose eyes are opened or is spiritually alert, will see the very same opportunities in front of the poor man; but he is able to do great things with them. He is able to do exploits with them to prosper himself fully. He is empowered with all the resources of God to increase, multiply and and expand the blessing throughout all the earth.
Whatever God has blessed is meant to be prosperous. It is the blessing that causes every child of God to prosper in everything that we do. This ability to prosper with the blessing was imputed into you, from the moment when you got saved, and received the cleansing of the blood of Jesus Christ. You are therefore not trying to get blessed. You are already blessed.
You are unstoppable
And there is nothing that the devil can do about it. He can’t stop you from prospering. But many people are the ones stopping themselves from reaching their potentials to be prosperous.
The devil may lie to you about your prosperity. But you definitely have no business listening to him. You are free from all of his deceptions and lies, because you have God’s written word abiding in you (John 15:7), to be able to stand up against his lies. You also do have the authority to use the name of Jesus, in decreeing anything in this world, and see them come to pass (Job 22:28 AMPC). And most importantly you do have the Holy Spirit living in you, to guide and lead you into your prosperity (Romans 8:9).
These are some of the reasons why you have no business listening to anything, that the devil tells you about your prosperity. It’s none of his business.
But some people are just being lazy to use their faith, in prospering themselves with the blessing of the Lord. Laziness has nothing to do with the devil; but it has everything to do with the one who is being lazy. He has chosen to be lazy, while others around him are busy exploiting the numerous opportunities, that God brings to them daily. What you’re doing right now with your hands, determines whether you are prospering or living in poverty.
Those who are lazy will always be looking at the skies and the clouds, as if they are waiting for God to make something to fall into their hands. But that’s never going to happen, because God can only use whatever is in your hands right now; as you make it available for Him to use in prospering you. If you’re going to remain tight fisted with it, you’re never going to be able to do exploits with them. And that’s why many people become poor in life.
Lazy people can’t enjoy the benefits of all, that God has made available to them. Prosperity has eluded them because of the ongoing struggle, within their mind and flesh; which has rendered their faith inactive for prosperity.
This battle within them is preventing them from reaping the benefits of all, that belongs to them in Christ Jesus. It has clogged up the spiritual power of God in them to the extent that; they can only see and seek prosperity in the physical, instead of in the spiritual realm. Their born again spirit man is blessed; but their inability to use the blessing in prospering themselves, has made it unattainable for them.
It’s surprising to even see how some Christians will stoop so low for anything, that the devil brings across their pathway. God wants to give them more than enough; but they are struggling in their flesh and their minds, due to their ignorance in realizing that, every good things belongs to them already in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 1:3).
That’s why it’s possible for them to talk and confess about being blessed; but yet they are doing nothing to benefit from the blessing itself. We need to understand here that the blessing is not a religious cliche, that anyone can just say whenever they see someone else sneezing. It is much more powerful than that. It is a lifestyle pattern that we live by on a daily basis.
You don’t just talk about being blessed, only when it pleases you or it’s convenient for you. Many do like to talk about it in the Church, but when they get outside of the Church among the unbelievers, they will start talking like the world. And then they wonder why nothing is working for them. Living the blessing is meant to be the fused lifestyle of a Christian.
If Abraham did it, so can you
The Bible tells us about Abraham while he was living among the Philistines. God had promised him on oath to give him the land. He was told:
“I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”
Genesis 12:2-3 NIV
The very moment when God told Abraham these words, all of heaven’s resources were released for the manifestation of the blessing into his life. But Abraham had to learn how to constantly conduct his lifestyle, to fit into what God had promised him on oath. He learnt how to keep faith with God. He had to see himself blessed among the Canaanites, so that the windows of opportunities to manifest the blessing, will become opened into his life. This was important for God to be able to do, what He had promised to him in the covenant.
Abraham learnt to train his flesh and mind to live, as he was constantly and consciously meditating about the blessing; instead of paying attention to a lot of things going on around him. He refused to pay attention to those things, but his focus remained on the promise of God to him, in becoming the possessor of the land he was living on as a foreigner. The scripture says:
“Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises. And because of Abraham’s faith, God counted him as righteous.”
Romans 4:20-22 NLT
The words of the blessing that Abraham believed and walked in, became part of his lifestyle. He later passed those words orally on to his son (Isaac). And Isaac gave the same legacy of faith to his descendants after him. The Philistines could see the blessing upon his life undeniably. And every attempts by them to stop him from living in the promise of God failed. Abraham chose to believe God, instead of what the world around him was telling him (Genesis 15:6).
Do the people around you see Christ in you everywhere you go? Are they seeing you blessed of God? Or do they see you struggling in the flesh and mind like them? Abraham was determined not to stoop low like the people of his world. The standard of God’s word in the promise to him, kept him strong and highly favored before God and men.
The Bible says later about him one day:
“And it came to pass at that time that Abimelech and Phichol, the commander of his army, spoke to Abraham, saying, “God is with you in all that you do.”
Genesis 21:22 NKJV
What a testimony of God’s faithfulness to His word, coming from the lips of this ungodly king to Abraham! That’s exactly how the people around you need to be seeing you as a child of God. They ought to be saying: “God is with you in all that you do.”
The Philistines saw the hand of God in the life of Abraham. Abimelech (the king of the Philistines) saw the blessing in Abraham; but there was nothing he and the commander of his army could do, to stop him from being prosperous while he lived among them.
They were therefore forced to enter into a covenant with him. A covenant that they thought would protect them, and not exterminate their own people. They knew that Abraham would continue to wax stronger and stronger, while they would continue to wax weaker and weaker. Abraham knew that he was not to allow himself to be moved, by what was going on around him at the time. He was living among those who despised him, but his faith remained unshakable in God.
Abraham’s sowed seeds into his future
Abraham went ahead to do an amazing thing during this visit by Abimelech. He sowed to reap from the blessing of the land, by sowing into the life of the King and his subjects. His seed was prophetically speaking into his future, in the land of the Philistines. He knew that his seed would eventually bring forth a harvest.
The scriptures continued:
“And Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves. Then Abimelech asked Abraham, “What is the meaning of these seven ewe lambs which you have set by themselves?” And he said, “You will take these seven ewe lambs from my hand, that they may be my witness that I have dug this well.” Therefore he called that place Beersheba, because the two of them swore an oath there.”
Genesis 21:28-31 NKJV
It is amazing to note that this particular well, which was dug by Abraham is still bringing forth water till today at the same location. Abraham through an action of faith sowed into the promise of God for the blessing to possess the land of the Philistines. The seed opened the door for Abraham to live among the Philistines for as long as he wanted, knowing fully well that God had given him the land already. The seed opened the door for his prosperity in the presence of the king, who had the spiritual headship authority over the land where Abraham was a foreigner.
That’s why it’s important to never forget, to sow seeds into the land where you are living right now as a child of God. When you are sowing seeds of faith into your community, you are sowing into your future. You are sowing into your destiny among the people, to whom God had sent you to minister the gospel.
As you sow believe that you will reap a harvest. But don’t just sow one time within the community. Let it be part of your lifestyle as a Christian among them. This was what Abraham did continually. And his descendants have cultivated the same habit up till today. They do love to invest into the communities, wherever they are living around the world. That’s the secret to their prosperity.
The Bible also showed us this from the example of David after defeating the Amalekites. The people who went with him into that battle, never wanted to share of their plunders with those who did not go. But David refused to do that:
“But David said, “My brethren, you shall not do so with what the LORD has given us, who has preserved us and delivered into our hand the troop that came against us. For who will heed you in this matter? But as his part is who goes down to the battle, so shall his part be who stays by the supplies; they shall share alike.” So it was, from that day forward; he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel to this day.”
I Samuel 30:23-25 NKJV
What David did at the time later became the lifestyle pattern of his people till today. It was not that those who did not go to the battle were lazy. No, the scriptures actually said that they were tired (see verse 10). And there is a difference between laziness and tiredness. There are lazy people who will give the excuse of being tired, to cover up their laziness.
But what David did here in teaching his soldiers to be a blessing to their fellow soldiers, has become an established practice among the Jews till today. They practice this as a way of life – sowing seeds into places and investments, that they have recognized to yield a great return in blessing their own people. And that’s what you’re meant to be doing (as a Christian) to possess the land that God had given you also.
Your harvest will surely come in the works of miracles, signs and wonders to follow your ministry. It may even come as a great harvest of souls. Don’t ever forget that God has millions of ways to bless you in the harvest. So put aside the works of the flesh. Open up for Him to be able to work through your life. God alone determines how your harvest will come into manifestation. So stop trying to figure it all out.
Abraham knew that his seed would yield the harvest to possess what God had promised him. And today that very land of Canaan is owned by his descendants. God’s promise of prosperity to Abraham has been fulfilled.
This does not means that Abraham was never faced with the same issues, that confronts you today as a Christian. On one occasion the Bible tells us that he was tempted in the flesh, just as many believers can be tempted with worldly riches today. But he never caved in to it.
On that occasion he was returning back from his victory over the five kings, who had captured his cousin (Lot) with his household. On returning back the king of Sodom, where Lot once lived met with him.
The scriptures says:
“The king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give back my people who were captured. But you may keep for yourself all the goods you have recovered.” Abram replied to the king of Sodom, “I solemnly swear to the Lord, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, that I will not take so much as a single thread or sandal thong from what belongs to you. Otherwise you might say, ‘I am the one who made Abram rich.’ I will accept only what my young warriors have already eaten, and I request that you give a fair share of the goods to my allies—Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre.”
Genesis 14:21-24 NLT
Abraham resisted and rejected the offer from this unrighteous King. He gave everything that he got in the war to the king. The ungodly don’t understand how the blessing works. People often talk about the blessing in the world, but what many do associate it with is nothing compared to, what God gives those who releases their faith for it. Abraham knew the source of his blessing. He was not ready to exchange God’s glory for men’s.
The blessing is the empowerment of the Lord for prosperity. When Abraham sowed in the land of the Philistines, he knew that he was being empowered to be prosperous in the land. The seed sowed opened the doors to him. It enlarged his sphere of influence among those in the high places of the land.
Favored to be prosperous
The favor of God is what connects you with the blessing. And to be favored of God you must first be born again. There is no short route into the blessing. It’s great to be making those wonderful confessions. But are you sowing financial seeds constantly into what you are expecting? Words are good to be confessing, but if your flesh is becoming a hindrance to you into the blessing, you will be unable to constantly sow seeds into your prosperity.
There are Christians who think that, because they had given financially once to the Lord, then that’s all they needed to do in order to reap a harvest. So they’ve stopped giving to the Lord. But does a farmer ever sow one seed in order to reap a multiple and bountiful harvest? No, he sows bountifully to reap a bountiful harvest. And he does not sow just once to feed his household. Seed sowing is a lifestyle habit to the farmer, who is expecting a continuous flow of harvest. It’s what he does constantly.
The Bible says:
“But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.”
2 Corinthians 9:6 KJV
It also says:
“Send your grain across the seas, and in time, profits will flow back to you. But divide your investments among many places, for you do not know what risks might lie ahead.”
Ecclesiastes 11:1-2 NLT
The act of seeds sowing by a believer in Christ is never a one time spiritual exercise. If you are expecting a constant flow of harvest, then you need to be constantly sowing seeds. That’s how you are able to guarantee a continuous flow of harvest into your reservoirs. Your financial sources will never run dry. And the grace of God will constantly flow through your life, into the overflow of His abundance for your life.
Apostle Paul once said about the Philippians:
“Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only; for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid more than once when I was in need. Not that I desire your gifts; what I desire is that more be credited to your account.”
Philippians 4:15-17 NIV
The Philippians gave to Paul continually. And he said here that this will go into their credit before God as a remembrance or memorial. That means there ability to continually give into the work of the Lord, will automatically and constantly attract the favor of God, for anything that they set their hands upon to accomplish.
When you begin to value your relationship with God, based on your covenant with Him by the blood of Jesus Christ; then you are indeed positioned for the blessing. Your ability to sow financial seeds constantly, opens the doors of favor into your life in multiple ways.
And if you’re constantly saying that you have nothing to give, you will never be able to give anything in sowing seeds financially. God is not stopping you from sowing seeds. You are the one limiting yourself before the God, who is unlimited in blessing you.
