I believe we are going to have to raise our level of thinking where prosperity is concerned. Too many of us are not yet on God’s level of thought. To show you what I mean, let’s look at that scripture which promises us that the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just.
That sounds like a marvelous promise to the believer and it is; but let’s examine the first part of that verse: “A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children: and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just” (Prov. 13:22).
Now God’s idea of prosperity is not just our having a bare minimum, just enough to meet our own needs. To God we are not fully prosperous until we have enough to meet our current needs, plenty to give to meet the needs of others, and then on top of that, enough left over to leave an inheritance for two succeeding generations!
Now I surely don’t mean to imply that I have reached that level of divine prosperity yet. I haven’t. Few Christians have. But that doesn’t mean that it is not available to us. I believe God wants to raise up some modern-day, New Testament Abrahams. People who are blessed, and who can be a blessing to “all the families of the earth.”
Why not? If the heavyweight boxing champion of the world can go into a ring and earn $35 million dollars in 90 seconds, then surely God can find ways of supplying His children with enough riches to bless millions of people around the globe.
But isn’t it amazing that a prominent sports figure can “earn” millions of dollars a year, and be made to look good in the headlines? But if a preacher gets even so much as fine new car, he gets “headlines” of a very different sort!
But that really doesn’t matter. The important thing that more and more of us are going to be blessed and prospered of the Lord in the days to come. That is all part of God’s overall plan for the salvation of the world.
He is going to “transfer” some of the wealth of the sinner to some of us (the righteous) so we can have the means to publish this Gospel throughout all the world; as He has expressly commanded us to do. Mark 16:15 says, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.”
There are millions of people who have yet to hear the old, old story. And you and I are responsible for getting it to them. God wants us to prosper. He wants us to be blessed. Of course, He doesn’t want us to allow money to come between us and Him. But at the same time, He doesn’t want us to get the mistaken idea that it is impossible to have money and still serve Him. Abraham had riches, and he served the Lord faithfully. So did Isaac. So did several others in Scripture.
Yes, the Bible does warn us about allowing material goods to interfere with our spirituality. The Bible does say that prosperity destroys fools (Prov. 1:32). But you and I are not supposed to be fools, we are supposed to be wise sons and daughters of God. As children of the King, we ought to have sense enough to know how to handle our Father’s estate.
Fools are destroyed by prosperity. But you and I have access to the mind and wisdom of God. We don’t have to be foolish with prosperity, and thus be destroyed by it. We can use it wisely for God’s purposes.
And the Bible indicates that if we are seed-minded rather than need-minded, God can trust us to handle His goods, knowing that they will be directed to those who need them most. He knows that we can be trusted to meet our own needs, and then to go on and give generously to meet the needs of those around us.
Look at what Paul says about God’s purpose in prospering us: “For God who gives seed to the farmer to plant, and later on, good crops to harvest and eat, will give you more and more seed to plant and will make it grow so that you can give away more and more fruit from your harvest” (2 Cor. 9:10-11).
Yes, God will give you much so that you can give away much.
Excerpt permission granted by Jerry Savelle Ministries
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Dr. Jerry Savelle was an average, blue-collar man who was struggling and needed God's help. While he considered himself a "nobody," when he became a believer God told him not to worry about it because He was a master at making champions out of nobodies. God has since taken Dr. Savelle from being a constant quitter to a man who knows how to stand on the Word of God until victory is experienced. Because of the life-changing combination of God's faithfulness and Dr. Savelle's "no quit" attitude, his life is totally different than it was thirty-eight years ago.
Since 1969, Dr. Savelle traveled the world teaching people how to win in life. Dr. Savelle ministered in more than three thousand churches and in twenty-six nations, and has overseas offices in the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada.
God used Dr. Savelle to impact people who are burned out on religion and who have backslidden in their walk with God, as well as Christians who have a need to hear the Word of God presented in terms applicable to their lives, dreams, and destinies. He hosted the Jerry Savelle Ministries television broadcast which airs in two hundred countries worldwide.
Dr. Savelle authored more than forty books, including his bestsellers, If Satan Can't Steal Your Joy, He Can't Keep Your Goods and You're Somebody Special to God. He served as one of the founding Pastors of Heritage of Faith Christian Center in Crowley, Texas.
Jerry J. Savelle, 77, went home to be with the Lord on April 15, 2024. He spent his last day on earth fulfilling his purpose teaching people the Word of God