“Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.” 3Jn2
To prosper simply means to achieve one’s goal. To achieve your purpose. To succeed in reaching. A state of wholeness in relationship with God and man. God wants us to prosper spiritually, in the soul, in our health, in our social lives and in every other part of life.
Poverty is not virtuous. Poverty and holiness are not synonymous. Being rich is not a bad thing. It is not evil. It is not ungodly.
The bible is full of examples of rich people that were prospered by God and people who obtained great wealth by trusting and following God.
When God called Abraham out of his father’s house He made him a promise to bless him and make him great. This promise served as the foundation for Abraham’s prosperity.
Genesis 12 1 Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: 2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: 3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed”
Abraham obeyed God and left his father’s house to go to a new land that God would show him. In the next chapters we are told that Abraham became a very rich and prosperous man. This was because of the blessing of God that was upon him. This statement in Genesis 13 stands out;
“And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold.” Gen13:2
Abraham’s son Isaac being a partaker of the blessing was also a very rich man;
Genesis 26 12 Then Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year an hundredfold: and the LORD blessed him. 13 And the man waxed great, and went forward, and grew until he became very great: 14 For he had possession of flocks, and possession of herds, and great store of servants: and the Philistines envied him.
It didn’t matter that Isaac sowed during a famine and during harsh conditions. Because he was blessed of God he was able to reap a hundred fold in the same year. Our physical conditions cannot limit us from operating in God’s prosperity if our heart is in the right place.
Later on, Isaac’s son Jacob became a partaker of the same blessing and also obtained great wealth and riches. God blessed Laban’s household greatly because Jacob worked for him.
Laban realized that he was prosperous because of Jacob.
“And Laban said unto him, I pray thee, if I have found favour in thine eyes, tarry: for I have learned by experience that the LORD hath blessed me for thy sake.” Gen30:27
Later on, Jacob’s son Joseph became a partaker of this incredible blessing of God. his boss Potiphar realized that he was prospering because of Joseph; Genesis 39 1 And Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him of the hands of the Ishmeelites, which had brought him down thither. 2 And the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. 3 And his master saw that the LORD was with him, and that the LORD made all that he did to prosper in his hand. 4 And Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him: and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand. 5 And it came to pass from the time that he had made him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, that the LORD blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake; and the blessing of the LORD was upon all that he had in the house, and in the field. 6 And he left all that he had in Joseph's hand; and he knew not ought he had, save the bread which he did eat. And Joseph was a goodly person, and well favoured.
Potiphar was so impressed by what Joseph was doing and the great wealth he was making for him that he basically let Joseph run his entire household and businesses. Later on Joseph got in trouble for refusing to betray God and sleep with Potiphar’s wife. She lied on him and he was thrown in jail. However even in jail, the jail keeper quickly recognized the blessing that was on Joseph’s life and put him in charge.
22 And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph's hand all the prisoners that were in the prison; and whatsoever they did there, he was the doer of it. 23 The keeper of the prison looked not to anything that was under his hand; because the LORD was with him, and that which he did, the LORD made it to prosper.
But this wasn’t the end of the matter. Joseph got out of jail and went to work for Pharaoh in a miraculous turn of events. Pharaoh too quickly realized the blessing on Joseph and put him in charge of all his kingdom and wealth.
Genesis 41 39 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art: 40 Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou. 41 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt. 42 And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph's hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck; 43 And he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him, Bow the knee: and he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt.
Joseph maintained his trust in God and God blessed him and made him very wealthy and great.
Job was the richest man in the east during his life time.
Job1 1 There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil…3 His substance also was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she asses, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the east.
The question is who prospered Job? How did he become so rich?
“Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.” Job1:10
God is the one who blessed Job and made him very wealthy and great. Later on, after satan had wrecked Job’s life and destroyed everything he had God restored him and his wealth twice as much.
Job 42 10 And the LORD turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before...12 So the LORD blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses.
God is the one who gave him twice as much as he had at the beginning. It was God’s will for Job to be prosperous.
David was a very prosperous and wealthy man. God blessed him greatly. He died full of riches and honor.
“And he died in a good old age, full of days, riches, and honour: and Solomon his son reigned in his stead.” 1Chro29:28
Solomon was very wealthy and successful. He was the wealthiest man that had ever lived. God made him wealthy and successful and very great. During his reign silver was as common as stones are today. It was dumped as gravel. It was material for making roads and pathways. The scripture says that Solomon was so rich that it would have been impossible for him to be audited. He had too much it couldn’t be counted.
“And all the drinking vessels of king Solomon were of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold: none were of silver; it was not anything accounted of in the days of Solomon.” 2Chro9:20
God has pleasure in our prosperity. “Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the LORD be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.” Psa35:27
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