THEME: THE OTHER SIDE OF
PROSPERITY
Memorise: Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches;
feed me with food convenient for me: proverbs 30:8
Bible Text: 2nd Chronicles 18:1-3, Bible in one year: 1st
Kings 9-10, Luke 3:7-22
Prosperity is good, and it is far better than poverty. As a matter of
fact, God wants His children to prosper (3rd John 2). However, we
cannot wave off the words of Agur’s prophesy in today’s memory verse. One may
wonder why he would make this strange utterance. The answer lies in Proverbs
30:9
“Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the
LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.”
The first part of his reason for this statement is what I consider to
be the other side of prosperity. When you become so prosperous that you forget
the God who prospered you in the first place, you are in very serious trouble.
My prayer for you is that the prosperity that will make you forsake God will
not come your way in Jesus’ Name.
In our Bible reading, we see how God prospered King Jehoshaphat with
abundant riches; but after he experienced prosperity, he made a military
alliance with the wicked King Ahab. He would have lost his life through this
evil association with Ahab, but for the mercy of God (2nd Chronicles
18:31). You must be very careful of the people you associate with as you climb
the ladder of prosperity (Proverbs 19:4). Some people suddenly become clubbers
after they start commanding wealth. They now enjoy the world of vanities, and
no longer value time for fellowship with the brethren. The story of King David
in 2nd Samuel 11:1-2 is an example of what prosperity can do to a
one-time valiant warrior. David had no time for extra-marital affairs when he was
running for his dear life from cave to cave. But after the crown came, at a
time he was supposed to lead Israel to battle as he used to do, he was busy
enjoying a sinful holiday.
Should we then conclude that prosperity is evil? Not at all; all we
need to do is to fellow the pattern of prosperity management used by the
fathers of faith like Abraham. No matter how wealthy you become, keep standing
out as a lover of God who trembles at His commandments. Your wealth has a
purpose, which is to serve the interest of God and His Kingdom through the
machinery of the Church. You cannot imagine that God will bless someone with a
car, when the motive is to use it for seducing innocent girls to defile them.
This is the reason why some children of God are yet to receive their promised
prosperity: God knows they cannot handle it yet.
Prayer Point: Father, grant me the wisdom and the spiritual maturity to handle
wealth.
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