Contrary to what some believe, God is not against wealth, blessing, or prosperity. In fact, Scripture paints a very different picture. Look at this blessing spoken by Moses over Joseph:
âMay their land be blessed by the Lord with the precious gift of dew from the heavens and water from beneath the earth; with the rich fruit that grows in the sun, and the rich harvest produced each month; with the finest crops of the ancient mountains, and the abundance from the everlasting hills; with the best gifts of the earth and its bounty, and the favor of the one who appeared in the burning bush.â
âDeuteronomy 33:13â16 (NLT)
These arenât just poetic lines. They are a declaration of Godâs will for His people: abundance, favor, and provision.
We see another blessing over Zebulun and Issachar:
âMay the people of Zebulun prosper in their travels. May the people of Issachar prosper at home in their tents.â
âDeuteronomy 33:18 (NLT)
Whether youâre called to go or stay, God has blessings for both. Thereâs no need to fight over callingâjust walk in yours with confidence. Itâs all part of Godâs plan, and thereâs no competition in the Kingdom.
Some people read warnings in the Bible and think theyâre warnings against prosperity. But when we read carefully, we see that God isnât warning us against wealthâHeâs warning us not to forget Him in the midst of it.
âBeware that in your plenty you do not forget the Lord your God and disobey his commands, regulations, and decrees... For when you have become full and prosperous and have built fine homes to live in... be careful! Do not become proud... Remember the Lord your God. He is the one who gives you power to be successful, in order to fulfill the covenant he confirmed to your ancestors with an oath.â
âDeuteronomy 8:11â14, 18 (NLT)
The danger isnât having moneyâitâs forgetting who gave you the power to create wealth. Prosperity is a tool, not a god. And the safeguard is humility and remembrance.
A lot of Christians misread Jesusâ words about money:
âNo one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.â
âMatthew 6:24 (NLT)
Jesus never said you shouldnât prosperâHe said donât serve money. Donât put your trust in it. Donât be greedy. Live generously and with purpose. Thatâs the heart behind His teaching.
Jesus wasnât creating a new teachingâHe was reaffirming what God had already said in the Old Testament. Deuteronomy 8 lays it all out:
âHe did all this so you would never say to yourself, âI have achieved this wealth with my own strength and energy.â Remember the Lord your God. He is the one who gives you power to be successful...â
âDeuteronomy 8:17â18 (NLT)
If you can keep that posture, youâre safe. Humility and gratitude will protect you from being owned by the very blessings God gives.
Hereâs a wild story that proves how God can even use the IRS to bless you. After a misfiled crypto report, I was told I owed thousands. But once we corrected it, it turned out the IRS owed me $10,000âplus another $1,500 in interest for being late.
I didnât chase it. I didnât sit around waiting for it. I put my hands to work and trusted God. Thatâs how prosperity works: He blesses what you put your hands to.
God is raising up a prosperous churchânot so we can hoard wealth, but so we can be a blessing to the world. We give, we serve, and we remain grounded in the truth that âThe Lord did it.â
Prosperity wonât destroy you if you never forget where it came from. So ask God, âWhat do You want me to do? What can I put my hands to?â And as you walk in obedience, youâll see multiplication, blessing, and impact follow.
Letâs be the most prosperous church the world has ever seenânot because we chase money, but because we follow the Lord who gives us power to create wealth.