CHAPTER FIVE: God’s Blessing and Your Stewardship
Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.
A GUIDING SCRIPTURE FOR ME IS PROVERBS 4:7: “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding.” Our God is the author of wisdom. He is all truth. We can count on Him and His Word to be our guiding light in all we do. Psalm 119:105 reminds us, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”
So as we focus on finances, we need to let Scripture be our highest authority and inform our attitudes and perspectives. In this chapter we’ll take a look at what God teaches us from His Word about prosperity, a hot topic in today’s Christian circles.
Before we begin, try to erase from your mind your current ideas about what prosperity means. Let’s learn the truth from God’s Word.
The word prosperity, or its derivatives, appears in the Bible as a whole more than one hundred times. We find it both in the Old Testament (originally written in Hebrew) and the New Testament (originally written in Greek). The Bible is clear that prosperity is a positive condition and a blessing of the Lord, and it encompasses so much more than money. The Hebrew word most often used for “prosper” is tsalach, which means “to push forward, to break out, to come mightily, go over, be good, to be meet (secure), and to be profitable.”[1] Another word that is sometimes translated “prosper” is the Hebrew word sakal, which means “to be intelligent, to be prudent, to have good success, to teach and give wisdom, to behave wisely and guide wittingly.”[2] The related word shalah, which means “to be tranquil (secure or successful), to be happy, or to be in safety,” is also sometimes used for “prosper.”[3]
One of the Hebrew words rendered “prosperity” is tob, which means “good or a good thing, well, beautiful, best, bountiful, cheerful, at ease, favor, fine, graciously, joyful, kindly, loving, merry, most, pleasant, ready, sweet, wealth, to be well favored.”[4] Another Hebrew word sometimes translated “prosperity” is shalom, meaning “safe, well, good health, prosperous, peace, all is well.”[5]
We can clearly see from these definitions that prosperity encompassed many different aspects of life, from wisdom to safety to character to health and peace. We read in the Old Testament that God wanted His people to prosper—to have all parts of their lives good and strong and at peace. He wanted them to be secure financially, but also to have good ways of thinking and behaving. He wanted His people to be aligned with His ways and to put their trust in Him as their God, the one above all else.
When the Lord prepared Joshua to assume leadership over the Israelites before they entered the Promised Land, He gave him this instruction:
This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.
The same Hebrew word is used here for both “prosperous” and “success.” The Lord was telling the people to live according to His ways in all areas of life, and the result would be good, peaceful, joyful, secure, and happy lives.
God wants you to be prosperous in the fullness of what we learn in His Word. He is first. And anytime we start thinking about prosperity in a prideful way, believing that it’s about us and having more possessions, we’re moving away from God and into worldly thinking. Multiple Scripture verses use variants of the word prosper. You can go to Daniel-Fast.com/breakthrough to find a more exhaustive list. Here are a few to consider now:
Therefore keep the words of this covenant, and do them, that you may prosper in all that you do.
Then the LORD your God will bring you to the land which your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it. He will prosper you and multiply you more than your fathers.
Keep the charge of the LORD your God: to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His judgments, and His testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn.
If they obey and serve Him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures.
Who is the man that fears the LORD? Him shall He teach in the way He chooses. He himself shall dwell in prosperity, and his descendants shall inherit the earth. The secret of the LORD is with those who fear Him, and He will show them His covenant.
The Greek word meaning “prosper” used in New Testament writings is euodoō, which is a compound word meaning “to succeed in reaching, as in business affairs or on one’s journey.”[6]
Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.
Prosperity from the Lord is a blessing. He wants you to prosper. He established a good life for humankind in the beginning when He gave Adam and Eve all they needed for wholeness, health, and well-being, and that’s what He wants for you now, under the new covenant with Jesus as your King.
However, the prosperity and success that God wants for you are not like those of the world. Today, people’s value is often measured by how much money they have or by their fame or their looks. Those are the world’s measurements of success. Our God measures success through the heart, as we see in these Scriptures:
The LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”
Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; try my mind and my heart.
During your Daniel Fast, I encourage you to examine your heart. You can identify attitudes, desires, and beliefs that are not consistent with the way of the Lord—and then change them. Allow new understanding to permeate your thoughts. Let your attitudes about possessions, wealth, success, and health be renewed by truths from God’s Word.
Those who examine their thoughts become the best thinkers, which may be why God’s Word calls us to test every thought against the truths of Christ. Scripture tells us, “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled” (2 Corinthians 10:4-6).
Because God is most concerned with our hearts and minds—our inward thoughts and attitudes—it’s clear that his view of prosperity involves so much more than finances. Prosperity is living a Kingdom-of-God lifestyle. It’s putting God first in your life and seeing Him as your Provider. It’s loving Him, serving Him, and inviting Him to be the Master over every part of your life. It’s the life in Christ that each of us can live as we enter the Kingdom of God and accept the invitation of our Lord Jesus to change the way we think.
YOU ARE GOD’S STEWARD
Are you ready for an additional transformation of your thoughts? I’m inviting you to make a shift in your thinking about all that you have now and all that you want for your future.
The Bible teaches us that everything is God’s. We read in Psalm 24:1, “The earth is the LORD’s, and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein.” And the Word also teaches us that God gave humankind, including you and me, possession of the earth: “The heaven, even the heavens, are the LORD’s; but the earth He has given to the children of men” (Psalm 115:16).
Everything is God’s through His creation. After He created, He gave the earth to Adam and all humankind that would follow:
Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth. . . . Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
To help understand this concept of stewardship and our role with God, we can consider a human example. You’ve most likely heard of Bill Gates, the cofounder of Microsoft and one of the richest men in the world, whose net worth is more than $100 billion. He and his wife lead a nonprofit called the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. At this writing, they have donated more than $27 billion through their acts of philanthropy and give about $5 billion each year focusing on global health, education, and poverty.
Bill and Melinda Gates fund the foundation. They set the mission and the direction for the work that will be conducted through the foundation. But they don’t run the day-to-day operations. It’s their money. It’s their foundation. It’s based on their hopes and dreams. But the administration of the charity is the responsibility of their CEO (Chief Executive Officer). He is the steward, or the caretaker. And he has been given the task of making sure everything functions in the manner that Bill and Melinda Gates desire.
The same is true for you and me and everyone to whom God has given the goods of the earth. It’s all His as the Creator and as almighty God. He shares it with us and gives us the responsibility to wisely care for all that He’s placed in our possession.
Take a minute right now to look around at the things you consider yours. If you’re reading this book in your home, you might see furniture, books, a vehicle, clothes, food, a roof over your head, and much more. Everything you have is from God through His creation. He’s put you in position as the steward, or the caretaker, for what He’s placed in your care.
King David talked about the things that come from God:
Both riches and honor come from You, and You reign over all. In Your hand is power and might; in Your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all.
We’re not only stewards of money and physical things but of spiritual gifts and skills as well:
As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
Imagine that your life purpose is to fulfill the mission of your Lord. He is the leader. He is the one who set the mission, He is the one who provides the resources, and He is the one who places you in the position of responsibility to fulfill His desires. You are a caretaker. You are the CEO of your life.
When we adopt the role and the mindset of being God’s stewards, we behave differently. We come under His authority in a more profound way. We realize that we are vital members of God’s purpose on the earth, and we want to align our lives and actions with His ways. We are His and He is ours! Hebrews 8:10 underscores our identity: “I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.”
Here is the simple yet profound truth about God, you, and your life.
- God created you in His image in the exact way He wanted you to be.
- When you accepted Christ as your Lord, you became a child of God and a dwelling place of God’s Holy Spirit.
- As you love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind, His laws are written on your heart.
- You have become a citizen of the Kingdom of God through your faith. You are in this world but not of it. You are a member of the holy family, separated for His purposes on the earth.
- God gives you everything you need to live for Him, safe and secure in His love, finding happiness and success in His will. You are a steward of all that He has placed in your hands.
- You are a vital player in His work.
As you gain understanding of God’s ways for your life as a steward, see yourself in the parable of the talents:
For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord’s money. After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.
Do you see the similarity between this parable and the story about Bill and Melinda Gates? In the parable, the master placed his money into the hands of three different men. He gave them the responsibility of managing the resources and acting in his best interests. Then he came back to see how the men had served him.
He who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, “Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.” His lord said to him, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.” He also who had received two talents came and said, “Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.” His lord said to him, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.”
There are a few valuable lessons for us in this passage. First, the master expected the men to use his resources wisely and act on his behalf as a prosperous businessman. He expected them to be wise stewards, as careful with his money as they would be with their own. Second, while the two men were given different amounts, one more and one less, they were both expected to do their best with what they had for the sake of their master. And in fact, they both doubled the investment and they both gained the same reward.
The reality is that some people do have more than others. However, no matter what our income level, we are each called to use the resources put into our care wisely and for the purpose of our Master. What does He want us to do with the money, possessions, and abilities He has given us?
Now let’s look at the third man who received money from the master:
Then he who had received the one talent came and said, “Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.”
What can we learn from this part of the story? First, the third man perceived the master in a way that didn’t match who he really was. Don’t we do the same at times? We need to make sure we know the truth about God so we respond to Him the right way. We get to know Him by developing a relationship with Him, studying Scripture, and learning His true character.
Second, the man acted in fear. His motivation for hiding the money was to be safe. He didn’t serve his master; he served himself, which is the opposite of being a good steward. His master was not pleased.
Third, the man focused on what he didn’t want—the negative response from the master—rather than what he did want, which was success for himself and the master.
His lord answered and said to him, “You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.
“For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.”
The consequences of poor stewardship in this parable are fierce. Yet the rewards for responsible stewardship are better than we can ever create for ourselves. The master said to his faithful servants, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.”
Faithful servants are rewarded. Our faithfulness and our abilities are expected to grow and get better. And as they do, we are given more. More for ourselves? No, more to be of service to the Lord.
GROWING IN ABUNDANCE
As you prepare for your Daniel Fast and consider yourself as the steward of all that God gives you, take hold of the truths about financial resources in this passage from His Word:
God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.
Our God is so amazing, and His Word is powerful and awesome. Look at what He’s showing us in this passage.
First, God puts His grace into action so that you will have what you need for your livelihood—and “plenty left over” so you can be generous with others. Some translations use the word “abundance.” I believe that means bills paid. Food in the cupboard. Clothes on your back. A roof over your head. And more to share . . . that’s abundance.
And it all comes from Him. We’ll talk more about seeing the Lord as your Provider in the next chapter, but start to get this truth into your thinking. Bill and Melinda Gates are the ones who fund the good works of the Gates Foundation. The master in the parable of the talents was the one who funded the work of his servants. And here we see that God is the one who, through His grace, serves as our Provider. Yes, we work for wages. We are part of the equation. But He is the force behind it all. Deuteronomy 8:18 says, “You shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.”
God is the funder! He is your Source. He is your Jehovah Jireh, God the Provider. He is the one who is able to make all grace abound toward you so you will have everything you need for your life.
He provides more than enough for you because it’s part of His economic plan! He wants you to have a good life. He wants you to serve Him by ministering for Him on the earth, so He gives you more than you need so you can do His work as His steward. When you do, you’re beginning to fulfill your purpose.
Faithful Servant Action Steps
- What are three things you’ve learned about God’s vision of prosperity that you want to embrace and experience in your life? List them in your journal.
- What do you believe to be God’s purpose for giving you money?
- Pause and think about where you get your attitudes and beliefs about money and finances. Do your beliefs come from your parents? From the world? From the teachings of friends or associates? Or do they come from God and His Word?