Arguably the most controversial subject in the Christian church today, financial abundance means many different things to different people. Studying ancient Israel, however, offers clues to how God designed financial abundance and the abundant life associated with being God’s “chosen people.”
The land of “milk and honey”
After calling them out of slavery in Egypt, God sent the Israelites to Canaan. This country was repeatedly referred to as “The Promised Land” in the Bible – a land of “milk and honey” where all of their needs were not only barely met, but also copiously supplied. The Israelites were sent to an environment that was full of green pastures and was beautiful to behold.
As God uses our circumstances to shape us into the image of Christ we will all experience seasons of relative plenty and lack, but if you find yourself rarely living in a “milk and honey” situation financially you may want to look a little deeper and spend some time in prayer asking God why you seem to struggling all the time. You may be surprise at what He reveals to you!
Steps toward achieving the “promised Land”
- “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” (1) Whether it is getting out of credit card debt, saving for your children’s college education, or planning for retirement keep God in the center of it all. Pray, seek profession counsel, and wait until He reveals the path you should take toward financial abundance.
- “There are precious treasures and oil in the dwelling of the wise, but a self-confident and foolish man swallows it up and wastes it.” (2) The Bible tells us that the “fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” (3-4) In other words, as we seek the Lord and reverentially fear in Him in worship, respect, and love He lavishes His wisdom upon us. Ultimately, we will be better prepared to handle the temptations of wealth, and will gain valuable insight into how to obtain it.
- “There are precious treasures and oil in the dwelling of the wise, but a self-confident and foolish man swallows it up and wastes it.” (2) Remember that it is God’s intention to abundantly bless you and your family with not only your daily necessities, but to lavish on you precious treasures as a parent desires to bless their children with all sorts of pleasant things. What “precious treasures” looks like is relative and really should not matter. What is important, however, is that we do not waste what God has given us on fruitless endeavors. Investing carefully, being generous to the needy, and valuing our gifts by making the most out of them honors our Creator.
- “I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread.” (5) We are the righteousness of God in Christ and our citizenship is in Heaven. (6) Walk in confidence that God will lead you to financial abundance. Financial abundance is not worrying about tomorrow or next month or next year. Faith is a foundational principle.
- “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.’ Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. Instead, you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.’ (7) Planning too far ahead can be disastrous. Being prudent about retirement and future expenditures is one thing. Living for tomorrow by neglecting today is quite another. Practically speaking, we really have no idea what tomorrow will bring forth so balancing the duties of today with the preparation for tomorrow is pivotal.
References:
- Proverbs 3:5-6
- Proverbs 21:20
- Psalm 111:10
- Proverbs 1:7
- Psalm 37:25
- II Corinthians 5:21
- James 4:13-15
Health coach, life coach, author and speaker, Eric L. Zielinski is a Chiropractor who continues to seek out ways to influence the world toward achieving the Abundant Life. Eric’s work can be seen in a wide variety of venues including Christian, health/wellness, and academic peer-reviewed literature. Eric lives in Atlanta, GA with his wife Sabrina and three children.