God's Prosperity

The REAL Gospel of Prosperity

I found one foundational scripture for the real prosperity gospel today. It says that, IF you obey the Lord’s commands, then “The LORD will grant you abundant prosperity—in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your ground—in the land he swore to your ancestors to give you.” Deuteronomy 28:11 The real trouble starts when the prosperity movement also use this for their ends, so let’s have a closer look at this passage.

I don’t have any trouble with the ‘if/then’ first bit. It is the rest that has caused so much strife and argument. If we obey God; if we do all that He asks of us; if we walk the walk as well as talk the talk, then we can expect Him to prosper us greatly. But it’s not just the sowing and reaping that will prosper us – no, no, no – it is the obedience to the Lord, and the attitude of our hearts as well that will prosper us.

So many folk in these days seem to think that if we give, then God will not be outgiven, He is no man’s debtor, and will give us in return thirty, sixty, or one hundred fold. This is true BUT depends upon our obedience and our attitude. We must never give in order to receive His blessing. That is seeking His hand rather than seeking His face.

So, how will we be blessed?

God promises to bless the fruit of your womb - your children, and your children’s children, and so on for generations. Family always has been so important to God. His first command to Adam and Eve, after they were thrown out of the garden of Eden, was to go forth and multiply. The Word tells us the be good husbands, good wives, good parents, and good workers. Why? So that He can prosper us as we raise our families.

He promises to bless the young of your livestock – or these days, perhaps, He will bless where you have been good stewards and good shepherds. He will grow your church, and your business. He will bless your family’s stewardship and their shepherding.

He promises to bless the crops of your ground. In other words, He will bless where you have sowed in righteousness. Where you have worked – the fruits of your labour. Look how He blessed Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Look how He blessed the children of Israel when they obeyed Him and served Him with their whole heart. Look how many people today live by faith alone – no job, no income – yet they sow whatever they can and our Father clothes them, houses them, and feeds them. The birds and flowers have no means of supplying their own food but God ‘clothes’ and feeds them doesn’t He?

The populist prosperity gospel only works where there is already prosperity for it to feed on. It cannot work where there is none. God’s prosperity Gospel works justly for everyone – and it doesn’t need us to name and claim anything because God already knows everything that we need.

God has no Joneses with whom to keep up. He is not concerned whether or not you or I do. His only concerns are our needs – not our wants. Sometimes He does prosper us beyond our needs but sometimes He simply meets our needs at the point at which we need them. Not more, not less, but on time and sufficient.