Tuesday, February 13, 2007

The Power to Create Wealth: The Blessing

Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your god, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the LORD your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the LORD your God. (Deuteronomy 28:1-2)
The blessing of God is His power and all the resources of heaven brought to bear on behalf of the one who is blessed. It belongs to all those who diligently obey His voice and walk in His righteousness — His way of doing and being right.

Notice how Moses details the blessing in this passage. They speak of the abundant prosperity and protection God has for His people:

(You can hear this passage in streaming MP3, with a background of relaxing music. This track is called Choosing Life, from our Healing Scriptures and Prayers CD Vol. 2.)
  • Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country. (v.3)
  • Blessed shall be the fruit of your body, the produce of your ground and the increase of your herds, the increase of your cattle, and the offspring of your flocks. (v. 4)
  • Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. (v. 5)
  • Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out. (v. 6)
  • The LORD will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before your face; they shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways. (v. 7)
  • 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. (v. 8)
  • The LORD will establish you as a holy people to Himself, just as He has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the LORD your God and walk in His ways. (v.9)
  • Then all peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of the LORD, and they shall be afraid of you. (v. 10)
  • And the LORD will grant you plenty of goods, in the fruit of your body, in the increase of your livestock, and in the produce of your ground, in the land of which the LORD swore to your fathers to give you. (v. 11)
  • 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. You shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow. (v. 12)
  • 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. (v. 13)
Then Moses adds this important warning from the Lord: “So you shall not turn aside from any of the words which I command you this day, to the right or the left, to go after other gods to serve them” (v. 14). We follow after other gods whenever we make anything other than the LORD God our primary concern. If we are not careful, we can idolize even the very abundance and prosperity God desires to give to us. Jesus give us the correct order for living a life of blessing: “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).

God blesses us with the means and opportunity for abundance and prosperity, even for the creation of wealth, that His name may be glorified and others may be blessed through us.

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