Good Morning Everyone,
Our theme for this month: “A prosperous life”
Our Bible verse for today: “Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity.” Proverbs 21:5 (NLT)
Our thought for today: “Work is part of God’s plan for your prosperity.”
Every once in a while somebody on Facebook will post a picture of a large pile of money along with a caption that reads something like, “Type “Amen” and in 48 hours God will send money your way.” Or, “Share this with all your Facebook friends and in 30 days this money will be yours.” Those things are silly and childish. That’s the equivalent of wishing upon a star, or tossing salt over your shoulder, or looking for a four leaf clover.
Another Facebook post that I do like is similar but with a slightly different message. It too shows a large pile of money but then the caption reads “Get a job and in two weeks money will appear in your bank account.”
God intends for us to work and to support ourselves. Work is God’s idea. He created work. In the Garden of Eden, back when creation was still perfect, God required Adam to work in the Garden and to take care of it. Then throughout the Bible work is portrayed by God as a good thing. We as the people of God are urged to work hard, be good stewards of what we earn, and use our earnings to take care of ourselves, our loved ones, and those in need.
As we have been exploring this idea of what it means to live a prosperous life we have learned that true prosperity involves more than just money and possessions. In fact, of all the elements that go into making up a life that is prosperous in the Biblical sense, money and possessions are not at the top of the list. But that doesn’t mean such things aren’t important, they are – they just aren’t the most important. But still, having money is better than not having it and the way that God intends for us to get it is to work for it.
Proverbs 21:5 is just one of the many passages in the Bible that teaches this lesson. In this case reference is made first to good planning. That would include things like getting an education, learning a trade, being a good steward of your money, investing wisely, etc. Hard work is self-defining. There is an entire body of Biblical literature which teaches us to work, to work hard and well, and to then be good stewards of what we have earned.
It’s true that not everyone is able to work. Some are retired and others are disabled. Sometimes people cannot work for a season of life, and others will never be able to work again. Fortunately we live in a society that has a safety net in place designed to make sure that those who need help receive it. That’s as it should be. This too is Biblical. But if you can work, then you should.
When it comes to living a life that is prosperous, having a job and earning a good living is a key element in such a life.
God Bless,
Pastor Jim
Oak Hill Baptist Church 