At the beginning of this year, the Lord had me laser-focused on Psalm 23, and as this year has progressed, I can see why He led me to that particular Word. It seems like everywhere we turn, we are confronted with lack and struggle…almost as if it is in the air. However, this “buzz” is not what God planned for you in 2022, and today, I want to remind you of God’s plan to prosper you and bless you abundantly.
Psalm 132:13-16, “For the Lord hath chosen Zion; He hath desired it for His habitation. This is my rest forever: Here will I dwell; for I have desired it. I will abundantly bless her provision: I will satisfy her poor with bread. I will also clothe her priests with salvation.”
In the Old Testament, Zion meant Israel, but today, Zion means you and me. We, the church, are Zion, and God has said that He will abundantly bless us. Not slightly, not partially, not just enough for us to get by, but abundantly!
Now, what exactly is abundance? How do we define it? Abundance can mean a very large quantity of something. It can be a state or condition of existence. One definition of abundance is, “plentifulness of the good things in life.” Hallelujah!
God says that He will abundantly bless us, or provide in plentifulness all of the good things in life! Another way to read abundance is wealth, which is, “the abundance of material possessions or resources, abundant supply; profusion.” Wealth is an abundant supply manifested materially, and it is available to you, no matter what your situation looks like.
God has provided, and all that is left for us to do is possess our inheritance by standing on His promise and expecting the provision by faith! It’s simple enough, yet sometimes something so simple can be difficult for us to comprehend, and we end up not being able to accept what has been freely and cheerfully given to us. Many good, upstanding, and faithful Christians walk out their days living from paycheck to paycheck, crisis to crisis. They know the Word, and they know they are loved by a good and generous God, but the connection is never made between salvation and prosperity, and they are unable to accept and walk in the full abundance of their inheritance. It is a crying shame when this situation plays out over the course of a lifetime, not only for the individual, but for those that they are connected to.
God has called each and every one of us and placed us here as agents for good. The reason we are on earth is to do good, to be a blessing, and to spread the Gospel. We’re not confined to a short, simple life leading up to death. We have the life of God in us. We are here for a purpose, and part of that purpose is establishing His covenant, His ways, and His ministry on the earth.
Many times throughout the Word, we see examples of God promising to bless individuals for their own sake and for the benefit of others that they came into contact with. In Genesis 12:1-2, God tells Abraham to separate himself from his family and to follow Him, and that He will not only meet Abraham’s needs, but He will bless him, and make him a blessing. Look over the life of Abraham, and you will see the life of a man who could not escape divine increase! You will also see a man who was generous and open handed when it came to giving to others, and when it came to giving to God.
In Galatians 3:13-14, we find Paul speaking by the Holy Ghost to Christians (you and me) when he said, “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, cursed is every man that hangeth on a tree: that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.”
The curse of the law, or the curse of this world, is lack and struggle. In the world’s system, it seems that wealth can only be achieved by sacrificing in another area of life, be it family or health. But God has a better way of obtaining wealth, and that is through THE BLESSING. According to Proverbs 10:22, The Blessing of the Lord maketh rich, and He adds no sorrow with it. Look at the people of influence, power, and wealth in our country. They may look like they have it all, but look closely, and you’ll usually find that somewhere in their lives, there is sorrow. We don’t have to pay that price, because Jesus already did.
As a partaker of the new covenant, you qualify as the seed of Abraham, and his blessings (and more!) are yours! I want to encourage you today to continue to lay hold on the promises of God regarding your redemption. He has already abundantly blessed you, and now is the time to take your stand of faith and walk in it.