Prosperity

A greedy man stirs up dissension, but he who trusts in the Lord will prosper. – Proverbs 28:25

Olivia slammed the kitchen door and threw her purse on the counter. Her mother peered over her glasses from the table. “Issues?”

“I’d say. Get this. I made the final cut for the squad. But I wanted squad captain. Merissa got it. I worked, I mingled, I talked, I smoozed. But I didn’t get captain. That just tees me off.”

Olivia’s mother sighed and shook her head. “Honey, you’re sounding a little selfish here. You should be thrilled you made the team. I’m very proud of you.”

“Mom, you don’t get it. I had no doubt I’d make the team. I’m good. But, I wanted captain. I wanted to be the captain.”

“Well, aren’t you Miss Greedy? I didn’t think your dad and I raised such a shallow daughter. Greed never gets you where you want to go. It’s a temporary thing. But when you grow into a position, earn it with honesty and integrity, you find a real satisfaction.”

Olivia hung her head, shamed into submission. “I know, you’re right. I just wanted it so badly.”

Isn’t this true of most of us? We see things lying in our future that we want so badly we can taste them. Sometimes they consume us completely. Our lives can’t function normally because all we can manage to think about is how to get that dream.

God is a God of abundance. He loves for His children to prosper. However, prosperity in God’s eyes may not be that of the prosperity in our own eyes. Sometimes we have to learn to appreciate the deeper vision of God’s plan and once that happens, then we blossom into the physical rewards of abundance. Learning to find kindness, real kindness, joy and understanding, and a depth of relationship with the Father puts us in line to experience the pouring out of His abundance. It may be that our deepest desires are provided, or it may be simply the grasp of something our heart needs to pull us through another day. Either way, trusting that God knows the way leads us into His overflowing abundance. In His time, in His way, we are blessed with the prosperities that suit us best. Sometimes it’s fame or wealth but at other times it may be contentment.

Prosperity comes at the time in our lives when God knows we are equipped to utilize it appropriately. Trust in Him. Believe that good things come through the God who has created us. Abundance will follow.

Prayer: Father we want so often that it’s hard to weed out the true needs. Help us to trust that You will bring us into the appropriate abundance of Your love.