Great Success.

“Wherefore it shall come to pass, if ye hearken to these judgments, and keep, and do them, that the LORD thy God shall keep unto thee the covenant and the mercy which he sware unto thy fathers: And he will love thee, and bless thee, and multiply thee: he will also bless the fruit of thy womb, and the fruit of thy land, thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep, in the land which he sware unto thy fathers to give thee. Thou shalt be blessed above all people: there shall not be male or female barren among you, or among your cattle. And the LORD will take away from thee all sickness, and will put none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which thou knowest, upon thee; but will lay them upon all them that hate thee.” (Deut. 7:12-15)

The Lord promised Israel that He would bless them, if they would keep His commandments. This promise is valid for us too; He greatly blesses the OBedient children. The Bible, in fact, tells us over and over again that we “shall not want” (Psa.23:1), and if we can believe God’s Word, we should not have need for anything. Proverbs has many, but to begin let’s look at the 3rd chapter:

Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones. Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine. (Vs. 7-10)

But not only does he promise these necessities, but also the Lord promises that all good shall come to us. In Psalm 84:11, He gives the stipulation plainly:

“For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.”

Some may wonder what God means by “good”, for those who want New Testament verses, we have Romans 8:28 where the promise is more general:

“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

God wants us to prosper, else He never would have promised to prosper us. Another wonderful, and well-known verse is Philippians 4: 19, where it is again more inclusive without the stipulation which is always implied nonetheless:

“But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

The word “all” means “all”. Why are we in need for anything then? God’s Word is true, and to deny that we should have need of nothing, is to deny the Truth of His Word. Incidentally, there are more verses, that support this, but how many is sufficient when it is right from the mouth of the Author? If you are struggling, seek the Lord in prayer, and don’t quit until you are satisfied with your answer. Look within yourself and ask “Am I honest in all aspects of business?” Or ask if there is any evil way in you that you are not aware of. Do you pay your debts? Would you make them a priority until you did? Often we have enough for that which we desire greatly, whether it is a vacation, a new car, or some material thing that we “just have to have”, but if we are putting the Lord first, we will see to our business, and He will intercede for us. Are you thankful for all things that He gives you? A complaining spirit does not go far with the Lord. We need to learn to be satisfied, lest by pride, we desire more than our peers. Is your mind set on the things of God, or are you burdened down by worldly things? Philippians 4:8 teaches us what we ought to dwell on;

“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”

We have here six definite things to occupy our minds with the right kind of thinking. Remember, the Lord blesses the righteous, and gives grace to the humble of spirit.

Praise is mentioned in the above verse, do we really take time to praise our Lord? He is more than worthy of our praise, and it is only by grace that He accepts our praise from these evil lips. Those that have learned to be thankful also know how to praise Him. Now back to Deuteronomy, but this time in chapter six we have much the same theme:

“That thou mightest fear the LORD thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son's son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged. Hear therefore, O Israel, and OBserve to do it; that it may be well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily, as the LORD God of thy fathers hath promised thee, in the land that floweth with milk and honey. Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.” (Deut. 6:2-9)

As I have stated earlier, These commands and promises were to the Jews, God’s chosen people, but they are just as valid for us today. Though we need not keep the law, per se, we are to OBey the same “rules” if you will, and receive the same blessing and curses. Can anyone deny that we are also to OBey? The entire chapter is not necessarily ours to claim, but the Lord will give us the same victories if we trust Christ and enter into His family.

“Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;” (Deut. 7:9)

The Lord keeps His covenant (promises), and His mercies are “new every morning” unto us too!

“It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3: 22,23)

We do not function off yesterdays blessings, because His mercies ARE new EVERY morning.


Prosperity is not merely “having” things”, but it has to do with “doing” also. It does include “having” though, as seen in Proverbs three:

Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.
“It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.
Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:
So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.” (Prov. 3:7-10)

The verses are self explanatory.

Look also at Joshua 1:

There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them.
Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest OBserve to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.
This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest OBserve to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. (Josh. 1:5-8)

And again in Psalms 1:1-3:

“Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.”

The Bible is full of such promises, but all have conditions; If we meet the condition, we OBtain the promise.

Do you see the inference on OBedience in nearly all these verses?

Look now at a few other verses.

Consider 2 Chronicles 26:5 “And he sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God: and as long as he sought the LORD, God made him to prosper.”

Psa. 84:11 “For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.”

Consider also, MT. 6: 25-34, where our Lord in v. 33 says “All” these things shall be added unto us. “Shall” is definite, it is not “may” or “could “ be added, but it “will” be.

“Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?
And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:
And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.”

God blessed and “prospered” Joseph in Egypt (Gen. 39:2,3)

“And the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.
And his master saw that the LORD was with him, and that the LORD made all that he did to prosper in his hand.”

He “prospered” Uzziah in 2 Chron. 26:5:

“And he sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God: and as long as he sought the LORD, God made him to prosper.”

God prospered Hezekiah in 2 Kings 18:6,7:

For he clave to the LORD, and departed not from following him, but kept his commandments, which the LORD commanded Moses.
And the LORD was with him; and he prospered whithersoever he went forth: and he rebelled against the king of Assyria, and served him not. (See also 31:21)

Daniel prospered in Babylon:

“So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.” (Dan. 6:28)

I believe the point is made.


Luke 6:38
“Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.”

Are you a giver or a taker?

2 Cor. 9:6)
“But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.”

(Some will argue the context of this verse, but it says what it says, regardless of where in scripture we put it.) Many look so deeply at the context, they miss the content of the scripture.

God is faithful to keep His promise:
“Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;” (Deut. 7: 9)

The following is a small list of verses to consider in this matter:

Psa 37:25 I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.

Psa 34:9 O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.

Psa 36:7 How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings.
Psa 36:8 They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures.

*Psa 84:11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.

Psa 92:12 The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.

*Psa 112:3 Wealth and riches shall be in his house: and his righteousness endureth for ever.

Psa 122:6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee.

Pro 10:3 The LORD will not suffer the soul of the righteous to famish: but he casteth away the substance of the wicked.

Pro 10:22 The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.

*Pro 11:28 He that trusteth in his riches shall fall: but the righteous shall flourish as a branch.


How many will it take to convince us? The Lord is faithful to keep His promises, we need but to trust in Him.

Rom 4:21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.

Being “Fully persuaded” may be the key to OBtaining the promises, as well as walking closely to the Lord, as most of the above verses imply.

For a Christian to suffer need is a bad testimony to our Lord. There is no reason why we should not be successful, at least not from the Lord’s point of view.



* Key verses.



Addenda:
Psa 1:1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
Psa 1:2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
Psa 1:3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

These verses describe the key to success. In these few verses one can find the answer to prosperity, and will be able to prosper in his way. Four things can ensure us of a prosperous lifestyle:

1. Walking not in the counsel of the ungodly. If we seek ungodly counsel, we receive ungodly advice. Too many Christians go to their friends, or the worldly system for counsel, and many times it is they that need counseling themselves! Too many go to court and ask an ungodly judge to arbitrate their cause, and they receive ungodly counsel based on worldly standards and doctrines. Be careful whom you seek for “wisdom” in certain matters, a man that is wise in this world may not be right in the eyes of God.

2. Standing not in the way of sinners. Do not become caught up in another mans schemes. Our friends are only concerned with their own well being when it comes right down to it, and if unsaved, they will go to great lengths to get what they want. The world is full of “schemers” against the law, government, and authorities in general to “prosper” themselves. Some men will kill merely for the feeling of dominance; many will steal to satisfy their unholy lusts, and if we align ourselves with them, we become partakers of their evil deeds. Even our “Christian” friends sometimes look for loopholes in the law, or in the rules of some establishment for their own gain. They may even look for loopholes in Gods laws. We would be wise to avoid them, as well as safer.

3. Sitting not in the seat of the scornful. They that scorn the holy things of God are worthy of His judgments. Many Christians will befriend them to try and help them, but beware! Scorning is dangerously contagious! Complaining can be a type of scorning, it is not trusting in the Lord or believing in His promises; it is evil, as if to say that what the Lord has done for you is not enough. That is bad enough, but pouring contempt on someone, or something is judgmental and hateful. That too is evil.

4. Delighting in the Lord. We must consider Him precious and His will a great desire for us. As a father loves his child, so does our Lord love us with an even greater love. If we truly love the Lord, the “meditate” in the Lord day and night will come easy. We must always keep our thoughts and hearts upon Him, and upon pleasing Him. There are ways that we can do this every day without being over taxed: We can read His Word, studying it also; we can sing praises to His