Prosper: September 27, 2012

TODAYS WORD FOR THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 27, 2012

PROSPER

DEFINITION:

To be successful or fortunate; thrive; flourish; to make successful or fortunate.

SCRIPTURE:

"If you do not obey the Lord your God -- you shall not prosper in your ways." Deuteronomy 28:15&29.

“He sought God in the days of Zechariah and as long as he sought the Lord, God made him prosper." II Chronicles 26:5.

"Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you." Psalm 122:6

"Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers." III John 2.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

We all want to prosper and be successful. Moses was very specific in Deuteronomy chapter 28 in telling the Children of Israel what they must do if they wanted to receive God's blessings and prosper in life. They must obey the Lord their God and carefully follow all His commandments. (Verse 1) In the following verses he lists the blessings they would receive. In verses 15-68, Moses details the curses that will come on them for disobedience. Moses warned them if they disobeyed God they would not prosper. Are you living in disobedience to God and wondering why everything is going wrong?

Every person wants to prosper today and when they see others prospering and they are not they become envious and many times bitter. We have two thoughts on this for your consideration today.

First, what is meant by “prospering”? God may prosper you with specific talents to do His work. If he has, are you using them as He would desire? God may prosper you with time so that you can help others in their times of need. If so, how do you spend your time? Finally, God may prosper you with wealth. Can He trust you with what He has given you? Do you use your money wisely?

Another thought for you to consider is that God will only prosper you, according to the scriptures, when you put Him first place in your life, all of the time! You cannot live for the Lord on Sunday and not on the weekdays and expect God to prosper you. You cannot treat your friends kindly and your family unkindly and expect to prosper. Really, the decision is yours because God wants us all to prosper.

In II Chronicles 26, we read of Uzziah who became King of Judah at the age of 16. It is recorded that as a younger child when Uzziah was living under King Zechariah, he continually sought God in all that he did. When he became King, God said that as long as he sought Him, he would prosper. Notice that the verse says "as long as." For a time, Uzziah was obedient to God and did prosper. Unfortunately, he became proud which led him to be unfaithful to God. God afflicted him with leprosy until the day he died.

Psalms 22:6 instructs us as Christians to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. The Psalmist here says if we do God will prosper us. Do you pray for this each day? God expects us to do this. God's chosen people turned away from Him but God has never turned away from them.

And finally John in his third book writes to Gaius, who he calls the beloved believer in the first century church. Because of his faithfulness to God and his consistent daily walk in truth, John prays that God will prosper him in all things and give him good health. Likewise, we as Christians are to pray for our fellow believers and ask God to bless them in their faithfulness to the Lord.

Our prayer for you today is that God will prosper you in all that you do. But remember it will only happen if you obey God's commands, continually seek God, pray for the peace of Israel and be faithful and truthful in all you do for the Lord.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in James 1:22.

But be doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

PRAYER:

Thank You for giving me these illustrations from the scripture that challenge me to honor You in all that I do so I may prosper. Help me to understand that prospering means that I will receive Your blessings on my life. As I prosper may my family and my friends see Christ in me and may they give up their worldly traits and honor You in all that they do. Help me to pray daily for my family, my friends, and my fellow believers and for the peace of Jerusalem.