Greetings dear Readers of Steem and Brothers of the SteemChurch!
What is the purpose of prosperity, according to God?
"Take heed that you do not forget the Lord your God, ceasing to keep his commandments, and his judgments, and his statutes which I command you today, lest by eating and being fed up, and having built good houses and dwelt, And if your cattle and your flocks have increased, and silver and gold are added, and all that you have is multiplied, If you lift up your heart and forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the the house of bondage, but remember the Lord your God, who is the one who gives you the strength to acquire wealth, to confirm his covenant, which he swore to his fathers, as seen in this day.-Deuteronomy 8: 11-14 , 18)
Canaan represents the abundant life here on Earth and God has a Canaan for us too. In verse 18 we see God revealing the purpose of prosperity: to confirm his covenant.
The covenant that God promised to the fathers of the faith began with Abraham in Genesis 12, when he said:
"I bless you, and you will be a blessing."
The prosperity of God has this double function: to bless us and make us a blessing for others.
God wants to bless us!
Some people have difficulty believing that God literally wants to bless them with finances and possessions. They believe that He is not interested in those little details of our life. God is also Father and, as Father, He loves to bless us.
"(The Lord) is pleased (pleasure) in the prosperity of his servant." (Psalm 35:27)
God wants you to be a blessing!
But God not only wants to bless, He also wants to use us to bless others and, of course, I can not give if I do not have it myself. If people's financial investment has been used to reach Christ, then our finances can be used to reach people too and that is what God wants.
Give and take
In Philippians 4:15, Paul was speaking to the only church he had offered for him and his ministry. He boldly states that their needs would be met, because they were getting involved in meeting the needs of others.
"The generous soul will prosper, and whoever gives to drink will be toothless." (Proverbs 11:25)
It is interesting that the Apostle Paul does not simply speak that they were the only church that had given him offers, but he says that they were the only church that had associated with him in terms of giving and receiving. The reason he spoke like that is because the two things go together. The Bible does not talk about sowing, let alone harvesting.
