What does God think about our prosperity? - Prosperity - TouchPoints

Psalm 24:1-2The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him. For he laid the earth’s foundation on the seas and built it on the ocean depths.

Job 41:11Who has given me anything that I need to pay back? Everything under heaven is mine.

Psalm 50:12If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for all the world is mine and everything in it.

Haggai 2:8The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

God never wants us to forget that all prosperity is simply stewardship of what is rightfully his as Creator. Our possession of anything material is temporary, and restricted to this world. We can’t take material prosperity with us when we die. All of it remains God’s property.

Proverbs 22:2The rich and the poor have this in common: The Lord made them both.

1 Samuel 2:7The Lord makes some poor and others rich; he brings some down and lifts others up.

The Lord makes one poor and another rich; he brings one down and lifts another up.

Ecclesiastes 5:19And it is a good thing to receive wealth from God and the good health to enjoy it. To enjoy your work and accept your lot in life—this is indeed a gift from God.

Deuteronomy 8:17-18He did all this so you would never say to yourself, ‘I have achieved this wealth with my own strength and energy.’ 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.

He did it so you would never think that it was your own strength and energy that made you wealthy. Always remember that it is the Lord your God who gives you power to become rich, and he does it to fulfill the covenant he made with your ancestors.

Genesis 26:12-13That year Isaac’s crops were tremendous! He harvested a hundred times more grain than he planted, for the Lord blessed him. He became a rich man, and his wealth only continued to grow.

Deuteronomy 26:9-10He brought us to this place and gave us this land flowing with milk and honey! And now, O Lord, I have brought you the first portion of the harvest you have given me from the ground.’ Then place the produce before the Lord your God, and bow to the ground in worship before him.

Job 1:21He said, “I came naked from my mother’s womb, and I will be stripped of everything when I die. The Lord gave me everything I had, and the Lord has taken it away. Praise the name of the Lord!”

God does not seem to criticize his people who prosper, as long as they honor him with their prosperity. God has a role in the circumstances that bring about prosperity, but prosperity is not necessarily a reward. Those who do not materially prosper are not being punished or forgotten. It is not what we have, but what we do with what we have that counts.

1 Timothy 6:17Tell those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which will soon be gone. But their trust should be in the living God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment.

Revelation 18:14, 20“All the fancy things you loved so much are gone,” they cry. “The luxuries and splendor that you prized so much will never be yours again. They are gone forever.” . . . But you, O heaven, rejoice over her fate. And you also rejoice, O holy people of God and apostles and prophets! For at last God has judged her on your behalf.

Matthew 6:19-24¹⁹“Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal.²⁰ Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal.²¹ Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.²² “Your eye is a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is good, your whole body is filled with light.²³ But when your eye is bad, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is!²⁴ “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

God lovingly and generously provides for our needs. God’s desire is for us to trust in him as the living provider—not to trust in the provision itself or the pursuit thereof. Those who choose to trust in anything or anyone other than God will be judged by God. If they die in possession of the world but cut off from God, they will have nothing.

Ephesians 1:3How we praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we belong to Christ.

Ephesians 3:8Just think! Though I did nothing to deserve it, and though I am the least deserving Christian there is, I was chosen for this special joy of telling the Gentiles about the endless treasures available to them in Christ.

Philippians 4:19And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.

1 Peter 1:4For God has reserved a priceless inheritance for his children. It is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay.

God’s glorious riches are available to all those who believe in Christ Jesus. But we must think of them as coming from him, and not of our own doing or fully in our own possession. This is ultimate and eternal prosperity.

Matthew 16:26And how do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul in the process? Is anything worth more than your soul?

1 Peter 1:18For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver.

Luke 12:21“Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.”

1 Timothy 6:6-7Yet true religion with contentment is great wealth. After all, we didn’t bring anything with us when we came into the world, and we certainly cannot carry anything with us when we die.

As tempting as the prosperity of the world is, God points to a greater, richer, and ultimately satisfying prosperity with him. It allows us to be content in whatever circumstances we might be.

Psalm 19:8-11The commandments of the Lord are right, bringing joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are clear, giving insight for living. Reverence for the Lord is pure, lasting forever. The laws of the Lord are true; each one is fair. They are more desirable than gold, even the finest gold. They are sweeter than honey, even honey dripping from the comb. They are a warning to your servant, a great reward for those who obey them.

Psalm 119:14I have rejoiced in your decrees as much as in riches.

Proverbs 16:8Better to have little, with godliness, than to be rich and dishonest.

Proverbs 23:23Get the truth and never sell it; also get wisdom, discipline, and good judgment.

Get the truth and don’t ever sell it; also get wisdom, discipline, and discernment.

Proverbs 16:16How much better to get wisdom than gold, and understanding than silver!

God’s instructions and rules for living are priceless. The value of a life lived by them cannot be measured, but God treasures it.

1 Kings 3:9-13“Give me an understanding mind so that I can govern your people well and know the difference between right and wrong. For who by himself is able to govern this great nation of yours?” The Lord was pleased with Solomon’s reply and was glad that he had asked for wisdom. So God replied, “Because you have asked for wisdom in governing my people and have not asked for a long life or riches for yourself or the death of your enemies—I will give you what you asked for! I will give you a wise and understanding mind such as no one else has ever had or ever will have! And I will also give you what you did not ask for—riches and honor! No other king in all the world will be compared to you for the rest of your life!”

Proverbs 22:1Choose a good reputation over great riches, for being held in high esteem is better than having silver or gold.

Too often we define prosperity quantitatively by how many possessions we have or how much financial wealth we have. Instead, we should think of prosperity as God does, counting highly the true value of our souls, our relationship with him, his Word, godliness, truth, wisdom, and a good reputation. These are riches that are lasting and priceless. When Solomon chose to ask God for wisdom to rule well instead of fabulous wealth and power, God answered with his request and then added what he had not asked for but demonstrated by his choice that he could receive.

Proverbs 12:11Hard work means prosperity; only fools idle away their time.

Proverbs 13:11Wealth from get-rich-quick schemes quickly disappears; wealth from hard work grows.

The Bible recognizes the God-created cause and effect relationship between hard work and material prosperity. It offers a scathing rebuke to those unwilling to work who expect to reap benefits in spite of their sloth.

Philippians 4:18At the moment I have all I need—and more! I am generously supplied with the gifts you sent me with Epaphroditus. They are a sweet-smelling sacrifice that is acceptable and pleasing to God.

2 Corinthians 9:11Yes, you will be enriched so that you can give even more generously. And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will break out in thanksgiving to God.

Regarding “financial” prosperity, God is pleased when we work diligently and we share generously. God is concerned with our attitude about, and stewardship of, financial wealth. When we have those assigned the right priority, he may be more apt to entrust us with great resources. Don’t assume, however, that everyone with financial prosperity has the right attitude about wealth. It is more important to have the right attitude about wealth than to have great wealth.