THE CURSE OF POVERTY

Over the centuries, a tradition has developed within the body of Christ that poverty is God's way for His children. For some reason, some well meaning Christians thinks that God inflicts poverty upon His children so that they will live a life of humility. You don't have to be broke in order to be humble! That is a lie straight from hell! God will never put you in the pit of poverty to make you humble. God doesn't work that way.

Our God is a God of abundance:

2 Cor 9:8 says, 'And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always have all sufficiency in all things, have an abundance for every good work.

This verse shows us how generous our God is! 'Jesus came to give us life and life more abundantly' (John 10:10). God's covenant is a covenant of abundance. 'Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us' (Eph 3:20). He wanted man to be prosperous from the very beginning (Gen 1:28). God's plan was for man to be prosperous. All these verses talk about the abundance that God wants His children to have. Indeed! Our God is a God of abundance.

Poverty is a curse:

'You are cursed with a curse, For you have robbed Me, Even this whole nation' (Mal 3:9). God calls man cursed here because of robbing God. People's hands are tied many times by their own poverty. And poverty is mainly because of disobedience to the Word of God. Mal 3:8-10 talks about those who withhold their tithes and offerings are robbing God. As a consequence, they are also robbing themselves of the blessings of God.

'Is it time for yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, and God's temple to lie in ruins?'...Consider your Ways! He who earns wages, earns wages to put into a bag with holes...Therefore the heavens above you withhold the dew, and the earth withholds its fruits (Hag 1:4-11). Here, the people neglected the house of God but beautified their houses and therefore brought a curse upon them selves. God is a benevolent God but He cannot overwrite His laws.

In today's terms, God cannot tolerate His work being stopped for lack of funds when His people are working on their own selfish desires. That doesn't add up. You might want to consider your ways as I consider mine. Let us do the right things in God's eyes.

Wealth is a blessing:

Many say that they are against the 'prosperity theory'. They say they do not want anything more than what they need! That to me is 'selfishness' because they are not ready to share it with the ones that need it. Jesus said,' feed the poor'. How are you going to feed the poor if you have just enough to feed yourself?

'That I may cause those who love me to inherit wealth, that I may fill their treasuries (Pro 8:21). God is still in the business of filling our treasuries. He has not changed ever since. 'The blessing of the Lord makes one rich, And He adds no sorrow with it' (Pro 10:22). Look at Isaac! 'He sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year a hundred fold; and the Lord blessed him. The man began to prosper, and continued prospering until he became very prosperous' (Gen 26:12,13).

In all the above scriptures, God wants His children rich. Some of the wealthiest men of old are Abraham, Isaac, Solomon and Job. These were all the men of God and they were all wealthy. This is what the Bible teaches. Get this well! Remove the poverty mentality! God wants you prosperous. Never let anyone talk you out of this.

Prospered to Bless:

Wealth is not to be squandered selfishly. The Bible declare,' for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day' (Deut 8:18). God gives everyone of His children the ability to get wealth. He gives us the insights, plans and strategies as to how to get wealth. But God wants us to deal with the wealth in godly way.

The Bible encourages us to 'excel in the grace of giving'. 'Therefore, as you abound in every thing, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us, see that you abound in 'the grace of giving' also' (2Cor 8:7). We see the body of Christ wanting to excel in every gift in the Bible but what about the 'grace of giving'? Think about it! One preacher said,' I have to beat my congregation over the head every time until they feel so guilty that they have to reach down to their pockets and pull out some money'. How pitiful!

When God brought the children of Israel out of Egypt, they had so much wealth with them. They had Gold, Silver, precious stones and much more. But when Moses wanted to build God's tabernacle, the people gave so much that they were restrained from bringing any more offering (Exo 36:6). 'The children of Israel brought a freewill offering to the Lord, all the men and women whose hearts were willing' (Exo 35:29)

Dear saints of God, in order for God to trust you with more riches, you need to be faithful in little! 'If you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? (Lk 16:11). You are a 'channel of God's blessing'.

God wants to commit true riches. Will you be faithful in the little that you have? You may say, let the Lord bless me first the way I want it, then I will become a blessing. No! If you do not start where you are, you probably never will!

May the 'Blessing of the Lord' be upon you in Jesus' name. Amen.