MORE ON FLOURISHING

Still thinking about these uncertain economic times. There seems to be more nausea and nail-biting over bailouts and corruption each day. Even optimistic reports are saying that the economy will get worse before it gets better.

Money doesn’t magically appear for people, simply because they call themselves Christians, or donate to the Gospel Telethon. The blessing of God isn’t a genie lamp, which need only be rubbed and wished upon. Every biblical promise has a condition - usually without lamp rubbing!

The good news is that when the conditions are met (and often when they’re merely attempted from right motives), The promises are fulfilled. God’s blessing is the exponential, factored into whatever project that’s commited to the Lord. Zero to the nth power is still zero. But when one of God’s children actually applies something to a situation, let the multiplication begin! Psalm 1 describes the righteous person this way:


He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. -Psalm 1:3

• The righteous will experience stability. “...like a tree planted...”

• The righteous will experience refreshing. “... by streams of water...”

• The righteous will experience productivity. “...which yields its fruit...”

• The righteous will experience consistency. “...in season...”

• The righteous will experience longevity. “... and whose leaf does not wither...”

• The righteous will experience prosperity. “Whatever he does prospers.”

As long as I’m doing something, it will prosper. "...at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up" (Galatians 6:9b). I need to keep doing something! Things have a funny way of working out. For example, five years ago, when we needed the money, I was working two jobs. Amazingly, the part time job was earning only a little less than the full time job. Don't give up. God has a way of working things out for his people.