The first group of wishes was for money or things that money can buy. In other words: financial provision. Jesus promises us that He will make sure we have all we need.
In Matthew 6:33 He was talking about the very necessities of life; food and clothing when he said,
“Seek first the kingdom of God and
all these things will be added unto you.”
If you put the Lord first in your life, you will have your basic needs met. Maybe not immediately, maybe not in the way you had imagined, but it will happen. One of the names of God is Jehovah Jireh -- the God of our provision. Jesus will meet your need for financial provision.
This doesn’t mean you can approach the Lord as if He is some sort of cosmic Santa Claus -- I am not suggesting that money will fall from the sky, or that Christianity is a get-rich-quick plan. I am saying that our loving heavenly Father will not abandon us in a time of need.When I got out of my first marriage in 1999, I had a net worth of exactly zero. I didn’t have a job, and I had to get out of the marital home. The debt matched the equity exactly, and so I started over again with two kids, a dog, and a 1996 red Sunfire. Hey, at least it was red!
By a miracle of God, I was able to buy a home. Then another miracle landed me a job near my new house. But for a long time I worried that we wouldn’t have enough. Every time I felt like poverty was squeezing the life out of me, I would practice generousity with someone else. I had a friend I would go shopping with, and she never had money to actually buy anything she liked, so I started buying her something each time I was feeling poor.
I didn’t realize it at that time, but I was practicing the Biblical principal found in Luke 21:2-4
“He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins.
“Truly I tell you,” he said,
“this poor widow has put in more than all the others.
All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth;
but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”
Now, I certainly didn’t give all that I had to live on, but I gave even in the midst of feeling impoverished.
And the Lord eventually blessed me just as his word says he will in Luke 6:38 --
“Give, and it will be given to you.
A good measure, pressed down,
shaken together and running over,
will be poured into your lap.
For with the measure you use,
it will be measured to you.”
Meanwhile, I was learning something more in scripture.
"Whoever can be trusted with very little
can also be trusted with much,
and whoever is dishonest with very little
will also be dishonest with much. ...
So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth,
who will trust you with true riches?
And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property,
who will give you property of your own?"
And so I prayed that God would help me become more trustworthy with what I did have.
Around that time, the Prayer of Jabez was really popular. So I had a good look at it and I realized that when you ask God to enlarge your territory, you are actually asking Him to increase your responsibility. Well, I didn’t really want MORE responsibility. So I didn’t ask for more territory, I asked for the wisdom and the ability to be faithful with what I had, and to be thankful for it.
It’s all about praying for what God wants you to have. I asked for wisdom, trustworthiness, and to be faithful and grateful for what I had. And I began to give.
See, God doesn’t want to bless you materially so that you line your own pockets and keep everything for yourself. He doesn’t want you to be financially constipated. Everything belongs to Him, and he wants to keep the finances flowing.
Did you know that the overwhelming majority of the world’s population lives on less than $2 a day? If you are not willing to give it away, don’t expect God to give to you.We have to start recognizing that money is just a tool that we are to use to advance His kingdom. Our money is not even ours! If you don’t believe me, check out the parable of the talents. :)
Love, Darilyn
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