I believe that God wants me to prosper

Zach's Grandpa

Old Mossy Horns
Over the years I have done a lot of financial counseling with people. Some were in a near bankruptcy state and others were just not good managers of their money. Most asked the same question; "Why doesn't God ever bless us financially"?

The first question I always ask is are you tithing? Needless to say most weren't. God cannot, according to His word not mine, bless our finances if we are in disobedience to what His word says about finances. There are more than 2,000 references to finances in the Bible, more than on any other single subject. So finances are important to God, He doesn't need money but God realizes that to grow His kingdom through churches and ministries finances are needed. After all God set it up so He knows and Jesus had a treasurer so there must have been finances if a treasurer was needed. The guy turned out to be a thief but that's another subject. In Malachi 3:10 God says "test me in this" when speaking of tithing. That's the only scripture where God says "test me". You want God to bless your finances, and I'm not talking about winning the lottery, then do what God says with your finances and watch what happens.

If we walk in His word with our finances then we can trust the scriptures like Jer. 29:11 where God says that He knows the plan He has for us and that it is filled with hope and promise. We can believe in the scripture of Jer. 17:8 that we are as trees planted by the water and that our leaves will never wither. Or how about Ps. 1:3 that echoes this same scripture and adds that we will prosper in all that we do? Gen. 39:3 says that the Lord caused all that he did to prosper. The last sentence in 2nd Chron. 31:20 says; "and so he prospered". Ps. 35:27 says that the Lord delights in the prosperity of His servant.

So do I believe that God wants me to prosper? I sure do and I am a witness to that. Because of bad decisions and poor choices I found myself in my forties with nothing of financial value after being a self made millionaire, at least on paper. I had not yet accepted Christ as my savior therefore not one dime went to honor the Lord. Did God wave a wand and make me prosperous again? Nope and I didn't expect Him to, but slowly over the years He has proved to me that I can trust Him. Submitting to Him and allowing Him to guide me in everything that I do including my finances and realizing that it all belongs to Him has blessed me more than I could have ever done without Christ in my life. Am I rich? Heck no, but my wife and I have been blessed with more than we ever thought possible and much more than we as sinners deserve. We all can choose but I choose to believe that God wants me to be prosperous in all that I do as the scriptures read. My part is to, as best as I know how even with sinful blood running through me, walk in His word and be obedient to it.

Blessings to all,

ZG
 
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badlandbucks

Ten Pointer
Well that's a head scratcher....
I agree that God does want us to prosper, but to my knowledge it does not say anywhere in the Bible that if you "tithe" you will reap any sort of financial benefit
 

Zach's Grandpa

Old Mossy Horns
What about Malachi 3:10? That says the Lord will pour out such a blessing there won't be room to receive it and even says if you don't believe it then test the Lord in it. If not there then it comes under being obedient to God's word in general. There are many scriptures that relate to tithing, Luke 6:38 comes to mind although it doesn't specifically use the word tithe it certainly leads one to believe that it is good to do so. Tithing is being obedient to the word of God. No one is required to do so and I don't know of any church that requires you to tithe to belong. There might be some but none that I know of. Tithing is not for God it is for us to learn to trust God with our finances.
 

Banjo

Old Mossy Horns
What about Malachi 3:10? That says the Lord will pour out such a blessing there won't be room to receive it and even says if you don't believe it then test the Lord in it. If not there then it comes under being obedient to God's word in general. There are many scriptures that relate to tithing, Luke 6:38 comes to mind although it doesn't specifically use the word tithe it certainly leads one to believe that it is good to do so. Tithing is being obedient to the word of God. No one is required to do so and I don't know of any church that requires you to tithe to belong. There might be some but none that I know of. Tithing is not for God it is for us to learn to trust God with our finances.

I disagree. It is to support God's work and to put God's work before yourself. To think that tithing and being a faithful Christian can lead to prosperity is very far from the truth.
 

Zach's Grandpa

Old Mossy Horns
I disagree. It is to support God's work and to put God's work before yourself. To think that tithing and being a faithful Christian can lead to prosperity is very far from the truth.

I never said that it was, but do you think tithing and being a faithful Christian will lead to poverty? I don't buy into the vow of poverty and suffering because I am a believer.
 

Banjo

Old Mossy Horns
I never said that it was, but do you think tithing and being a faithful Christian will lead to poverty? I don't buy into the vow of poverty and suffering because I am a believer.

No I don't think it will lead to poverty, but I know Christians that are full of love, knowledge and wisdom that are dirt poor. They give of all they have from their hearts and bank account, but have no money or worldly goods to speak of. Their prosperity is in Heaven and that is the goal. I need not be prosperous on this earth to be a benefactor of God's glory.
 

firedawg60

Twelve Pointer
I believe in giving, but not tithing- as in the standard 10% rule that is usually taught and preached today.

2 Corinthians 9

Edited to add, this belief isn't so we can give less than 10%, quite the contrary. If we love God, put Him first, and want to show Him our thankfulness for His grace and mercy, then giving should be a joy. This is the blessing we will receive. Banjo said it best with his example of the poor believers giving everything they can.
 
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badlandbucks

Ten Pointer
What about Malachi 3:10? That says the Lord will pour out such a blessing there won't be room to receive it and even says if you don't believe it then test the Lord in it. If not there then it comes under being obedient to God's word in general. There are many scriptures that relate to tithing, Luke 6:38 comes to mind although it doesn't specifically use the word tithe it certainly leads one to believe that it is good to do so. Tithing is being obedient to the word of God. No one is required to do so and I don't know of any church that requires you to tithe to belong. There might be some but none that I know of. Tithing is not for God it is for us to learn to trust God with our finances.
Malachi 3:10 does say that, but nowhere does it say those blessings will be material or financial ones. He was referring to eternal blessings. God does instruct us to contribute materially in order to further his purpose, but he never said we would gain a financial reward for doing so. God never contradicts himself, and if he rewarded his servants with money or material prosperity it would be contrary to his teachings. Throughout the Bible, frugality is encouraged and the love of money is spoken of as highly undesirable quality. For example, at Matt 6:19, we are admonished to "not store up treasures on earth, but to store up treasures in heaven."

1 tim 6:10 states that the love of money is the root of all sorts of injurious things, clearly God does not condone the pursuit of money, rather, as stated at 1 Tim 6:8, he tells us we should be content with sustenance and covering, meaning as long as our basic needs are met, there are other things more worthy of our attention.

Col 3:2 tells us to keep our eyes fixed on the things above, not on things here on the earth.



If this is the case then why would he encourage the pursuit of wealth by rewarding faithful servants with money? Money can be a trap and a snare for people, God would not do that to his servants. The reward he offers is much greater than anything material here on earth.
 
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