Wealth – Gods Way

Gen 26:12 When Isaac planted his crops that year, he harvested a hundred times more grain than he planted, for the Lord blessed him. 13 He became a very rich man, and his wealth continued to grow.

I see a couple life principals in the life of Isaac that help me this morning:

1. He honored God. He prayed, obeyed, and sought God for direction. In the natural, this was a dry year, a year of famine, but because of supernatural direction, In the natural, it appeared to be good business sense to go down to Egypt, and he was obviously thinking about it. Yet, He prayed, and renewed the covenant his family had with God, and God told him to stay in Gehar, and not to go down to Egypt. Isaac planted his precious seed, worked his field, and received a bumper crop that year.
   

2. He honored his parents. All his life, he served and obeyed his dad Abraham, and learned the principals of love by which he operated. Abraham had 400 employees, so while we know him as the father of faith, he is also a leader with great integrity and responsibility. We know he is governed by love for his people, as demonstrated by the way he handled the conflict over well water with the herders. He didn’t end the conflict by digging more wells, not with the sword, though he was a warrior and could have surely handled it that way.
   
3. Though I said it in point one, I say it again. He worked. While waiting for a woman for his wife we see him m Gen 24:63 One evening as he was walking and meditating in the fields, he looked up and saw the camels coming. He understood the natural laws of the land, seedtime and harvest. He met with God in the fields, while checking and carefully guarding his crops, meditating on the promises of God after his days work. Surely he began his day with God, and now we see him ending it seeking our heavenly father. He was single at this time, and he was not a prodigal, chasing women, for he exemplified Proverbs 24:27 Prepare thy work without, and make it fit for thyself in the field; and afterwards build thine house He got his education, learned to handle the responsibility of the family business, then allowed God to add to him his precious Rebekah.
   

This is all I am going to say today, but as I  meditate upon it more, I will probably add more:

Joshua 1:8

This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

 

Prosperity Gods way is not about just money. It includes wisdom to deal with your career, the ability to balance the conflicting demands of family, work, culture, employees. It includes your health, no fun having money, when you are sucking your meals through a feeding tube…

 

God is love, and He is holy. In my opening verse, we see the organic nature of God’s prosperity: Gen 26: 13 He became a very rich man, and his wealth continued to grow.

 

We grow, spiritually, academically, relationally, in responsibility, in wisdom, ‘as our soul prospers’ and lo and behold, our wealth grows too.

 

Let’s do our part, and determine to grow.

 

Let’s pray:

 

‘Father, I determine to serve You, and seek You for Your supernatural directions and provisions. I want to grow. Teach me how to take more responsibility, and to grow as an adult, learning continually academically, spiritually, financially, and becoming a loving, firm spouse, parent, and honorable member of my community. I ask that you prosper me, and bless my house, and the families of all of those I am called to serve and lead. In Your wonderful name I pray Lord Jesus, Amen.’