THE BIBLICAL PATHWAY TO PROSPERITY , WEALTH AND ABUNDANCE
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OUTLINE
1. BELIEVE THE PROMISES OF GOD
2. OBEY THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD
3. GIVE HEED TO THE WARNINGS OF GOD
4. GIVE GENEROUSLY TO THE KINGDOM OF GOD
5. PROVIDE SUFFICIENTLY TO YOUR FAMILY GIVEN BY GOD
6. WORK DILIGENTLY FOR THE GLORY OF GOD
7. TRUST ONLY IN THE PROVISION OF GOD
THE MESSAGE
THE BIBLICAL PATHWAY TO PROSPERITY , WEALTH AND ABUNDANCE
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1. BELIEVE THE PROMISES OF GOD
The Lord has given us many promises concering our material prosperity. These promises clearly reveal that it is the will of God to bless and prosper His people. He wants to meet our needs and ensure that we do not lack any good thing. We must have a strong conviction that it is God’s good pleasure to bless and prosper us in every area of our life . Then we would be able to exercise our faith to claim the blessings of God in our life.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
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PSALM 23:1
The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
PSALM 34:8-10
Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.
Fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him lack nothing.
The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.
PSALM 35:27
May those who delight in my vindication shout for joy and gladness; may they always say, "The LORD be exalted, who delights in the well-being of his servant."
PSALM 84:11
For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.
PROVERBS 10:22
The blessing of the LORD brings wealth, and he adds no trouble to it.
ECCLESIASTES 5:19
Moreover, when God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work—this is a gift of God.
JOEL 2:23-27
Be glad, O people of Zion, rejoice in the LORD your God, for he has given you the autumn rains in righteousness. He sends you abundant showers, both autumn and spring rains, as before.
The threshing floors will be filled with grain; the vats will overflow with new wine and oil.
"I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten— the great locust and the young locust, the other locusts and the locust swarm — my great army that I sent among you.
You will have plenty to eat, until you are full, and you will praise the name of the LORD your God, who has worked wonders for you; never again will my people be shamed.
Then you will know that I am in Israel, that I am the LORD your God, and that there is no other; never again will my people be shamed.
NEHEMIAH 2:20
I answered them by saying, "The God of heaven will give us success. We his servants will start rebuilding, but as for you, you have no share in Jerusalem or any claim or historic right to it."
3 JOHN 2
Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.
MATTHEW 7:11
If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!
2. OBEY THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD
We must obey the commandments of God in order to enjoy the promises and the blessings of God. When we fear the Lord and delight in His commandments then the Lord would take pleasure in prospering us. He will grant us good success in all our endeavours. We must diligently meditate on the scriptures to learn and follow the precepts and principles of the Lord. This would prepare our hearts to receive the blessings of God. We must lay a good foundation in order to be filled with the blessings of God.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
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DEUTERONOMY 28:1-14
If you fully obey the LORD your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations on earth.
All these blessings will come upon you and accompany you if you obey the LORD your God:
You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country.
The fruit of your womb will be blessed, and the crops of your land and the young of your livestock—the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks.
Your basket and your kneading trough will be blessed.
You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out.
The LORD will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you. They will come at you from one direction but flee from you in seven.
The LORD will send a blessing on your barns and on everything you put your hand to. The LORD your God will bless you in the land he is giving you.
The LORD will establish you as his holy people, as he promised you on oath, if you keep the commands of the LORD your God and walk in his ways.
Then all the peoples on earth will see that you are called by the name of the LORD, and they will fear you.
The LORD will grant you abundant prosperity—in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your ground—in the land he swore to your forefathers to give you.
The LORD will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none.
The LORD will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the LORD your God that I give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom.
Do not turn aside from any of the commands I give you today, to the right or to the left, following other gods and serving them.
DEUTERONOMY 30:9-10
Then the LORD your God will make you most prosperous in all the work of your hands and in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your land. The LORD will again delight in you and make you prosperous, just as he delighted in your fathers,
if you obey the LORD your God and keep his commands and decrees that are written in this Book of the Law and turn to the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
PSALM 112:1-10
Praise the LORD. Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who finds great delight in his commands.
His children will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed.
Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever.
Even in darkness light dawns for the upright, for the gracious and compassionate and righteous man.
Good will come to him who is generous and lends freely, who conducts his affairs with justice.
Surely he will never be shaken; a righteous man will be remembered forever.
He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD.
His heart is secure, he will have no fear; in the end he will look in triumph on his foes.
He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor, his righteousness endures forever; his horn will be lifted high in honor.
The wicked man will see and be vexed, he will gnash his teeth and waste away; the longings of the wicked will come to nothing.
JOSHUA 1:5-9
No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.
"Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them.
Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go.
Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."
PSALMS 1:1-3
Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.
But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.
He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.
DEUTERONOMY 29:9
Carefully follow the terms of this covenant, so that you may prosper in everything you do.
1 KINGS 2:3
and observe what the LORD your God requires: Walk in his ways, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and requirements, as written in the Law of Moses, so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go,
PROVERBS 8:17-21
I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me.
With me are riches and honor, enduring wealth and prosperity.
My fruit is better than fine gold; what I yield surpasses choice silver.
I walk in the way of righteousness, along the paths of justice,
bestowing wealth on those who love me and making their treasuries full.
3. GIVE HEED TO THE WARNINGS OF GOD
We must pay careful attention to the warnings that God has given concerning the love of money and coveteousness. Our hearts must be free from the love of money which is the root of all evil. The greed for money will lead us astray into the path of unrighteousness which will destroy our lives. We must learn to be content in every situation. We should not set our hearts on worldly possessions and allow it to affect our relationship with God. We should not become proud in our time of prosperity and rely on our own strength and ability. We should not become greedy , selfish and coveteous people. We should not put our trust in uncertain riches which can be lost at anytime.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
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1 TIMOTHY 6:6-10 , 17-19
But godliness with contentment is great gain.
For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.
But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.
People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction.
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.
Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.
In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.
MATTHEW 6:19-21
"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.
But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
HEBREWS 13:5-6
Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."
So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?"
PROVERBS 23: 4-5
Do not wear yourself out to get rich; have the wisdom to show restraint.
Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle.
PHILIPPIANS 4:10-13
I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you have been concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it.
I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.
I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.
I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
DEUTERONOMY 8:7-18
For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land—a land with streams and pools of water, with springs flowing in the valleys and hills;
a land with wheat and barley, vines and fig trees, pomegranates, olive oil and honey;
a land where bread will not be scarce and you will lack nothing; a land where the rocks are iron and you can dig copper out of the hills.
When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the LORD your God for the good land he has given you.
Be careful that you do not forget the LORD your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day.
Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down,
and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied,
then your heart will become proud and you will forget the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
He led you through the vast and dreadful desert, that thirsty and waterless land, with its venomous snakes and scorpions. He brought you water out of hard rock.
He gave you manna to eat in the desert, something your fathers had never known, to humble and to test you so that in the end it might go well with you.
You may say to yourself, "My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me."
But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today.
LUKE 12: 13-21
Someone in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me."
Jesus replied, "Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?"
Then he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."
And he told them this parable: "The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop.
He thought to himself, ’What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’
"Then he said, ’This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.
And I’ll say to myself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry." ’
"But God said to him, ’You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’
"This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God."
JAMES 1:9-11
The brother in humble circumstances ought to take pride in his high position.
But the one who is rich should take pride in his low position, because he will pass away like a wild flower.
For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich man will fade away even while he goes about his business.
JAMES 2:5-7
Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?
But you have insulted the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court?
Are they not the ones who are slandering the noble name of him to whom you belong?
JAMES 5:1-6
Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you.
Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes.
Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days.
Look! The wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty.
You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter.
You have condemned and murdered innocent men, who were not opposing you.
4. GIVE GENEROUSLY TO THE KINGDOM OF GOD
The Lord wants us to prosper through giving to the Kingdom of God. Prosperity through giving is an unselfish and compassionate pathway to abundance. Our giving will bless the Kingdom of God and everyone who benefits through it . It is twice blessed and blesses those who give and those who receive. The Lords challenges us to test Him through the giving of our tithes and offerings and see if He will not bless us till we do not even have room to receive it. Giving is compared to sowing and therefore when we sow generously , we will reap bountifully. Not only will our giving cause blessings on earth , it will also bring eternal rewards in heaven.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
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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."
ACTS 20:35
In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ’It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ "
MALACHI 3:10-12
Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.
I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit," says the LORD Almighty.
"Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land," says the LORD Almighty.
2 CORINTHIANS 9:5-13
So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to visit you in advance and finish the arrangements for the generous gift you had promised. Then it will be ready as a generous gift, not as one grudgingly given.
Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.
Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.
As it is written: "He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; his righteousness endures forever."
Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.
You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.
This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.
Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else.
PHILIPPIANS 4:14-19
Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles.
Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only;
for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid again and again when I was in need.
Not that I am looking for a gift, but I am looking for what may be credited to your account.
I have received full payment and even more; I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God.
And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.
PROVERBS 3:9-10
Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops;
then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.
PROVERBS 11:24-25
One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty.
A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.
PROVERBS 22:9
A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor.
PROVERBS 28:27
He who gives to the poor will lack nothing, but he who closes his eyes to them receives many curses.
5. PROVIDE SUFFICIENTLY TO YOUR FAMILY GIVEN BY GOD
The Lord wants us to fulfill our resposibility to our family and dependents and provide for all their needs. We should not be careless and fail to provide for those who are in our care and responsibility.Parents have a great responsibility to provide for their children during their lifetime . They must also provide an inheritance for their children and grandchildren . This is the godly principle of the Kingdom of God.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
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1 TIMOTHY 5:8
If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
2 CORINTHIANS 12:14
Now I am ready to visit you for the third time, and I will not be a burden to you, because what I want is not your possessions but you. After all, children should not have to save up for their parents, but parents for their children.
PROVERBS 13:22
A good man leaves an inheritance for his children’s children, but a sinner’s wealth is stored up for the righteous.
6. WORK DILIGENTLY FOR THE GLORY OF GOD
The Lord wants us to diligent and hard working. The Lord does not promise wealth and prosperity to the lazy and the slothful who refuse to labour and be diligent in their responsibility. When we are diligent and skillful in our work , the favour of the Lord will be on us and He will exalt us to higher levels. We should not be lazy and idle and expect others to take care of us and provide our needs . We should not become a burden to others because of our idleness. It is not scriptural to help the lazy and slothful.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
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2 THESSALONIANS 3: 6-12
In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers, to keep away from every brother who is idle and does not live according to the teaching you received from us.
For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you,
nor did we eat anyone’s food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you.
We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help, but in order to make ourselves a model for you to follow.
For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: "If a man will not work, he shall not eat."
We hear that some among you are idle. They are not busy; they are busybodies.
Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the bread they eat.
1 THESSALONIANS 4:11-12
Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you,
so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.
COLOSSIANS 3: 23-24
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men,
since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
PROVERBS 10:4
Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth.
PROVERBS 13:4
The sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied.
PROVERBS 20:4
A sluggard does not plow in season; so at harvest time he looks but finds nothing.
PROVERBS 21:5,25
The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty
The sluggard’s craving will be the death of him, because his hands refuse to work.
PROVERBS 12:24,
Diligent hands will rule, but laziness ends in slave labor.
PROVERBS 22:29
Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will serve before kings; he will not serve before obscure men.
PROVERBS 24: 30-34
I went past the field of the sluggard, past the vineyard of the man who lacks judgment;
thorns had come up everywhere, the ground was covered with weeds, and the stone wall was in ruins.
I applied my heart to what I observed and learned a lesson from what I saw:
A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest-
and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man.
PROVERBS 26: 13-16
The sluggard says, "There is a lion in the road, a fierce lion roaming the streets!"
As a door turns on its hinges, so a sluggard turns on his bed.
The sluggard buries his hand in the dish; he is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth.
The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who answer discreetly.
PROVERBS 6:6-11
Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise!
It has no commander, no overseer or ruler,
yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest.
How long will you lie there, you sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep?
A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest-
and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man.
LUKE 19:11-27
While they were listening to this, he went on to tell them a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once.
He said: "A man of noble birth went to a distant country to have himself appointed king and then to return.
So he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas.’Put this money to work,’ he said, ’until I come back.’
"But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, ’We don’t want this man to be our king.’
"He was made king, however, and returned home. Then he sent for the servants to whom he had given the money, in order to find out what they had gained with it.
"The first one came and said, ’Sir, your mina has earned ten more.’
" ’Well done, my good servant!’ his master replied. ’Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.’
"The second came and said, ’Sir, your mina has earned five more.’
"His master answered, ’You take charge of five cities.’
"Then another servant came and said, ’Sir, here is your mina; I have kept it laid away in a piece of cloth.
I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man. You take out what you did not put in and reap what you did not sow.’
"His master replied, ’I will judge you by your own words, you wicked servant! You knew, did you, that I am a hard man, taking out what I did not put in, and reaping what I did not sow?
Why then didn’t you put my money on deposit, so that when I came back, I could have collected it with interest?’
"Then he said to those standing by, ’Take his mina away from him and give it to the one who has ten minas.’
" ’Sir,’ they said, ’he already has ten!’
"He replied, ’I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away.
But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them—bring them here and kill them in front of me."
7. TRUST ONLY IN THE PROVISION OF GOD
The Lord wants us to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and then He promises that everything that we need will be added to us. We need not be anxious or worried about ur material needs because the Lord who provides for the birds and flowers will take care of us. We must put our trust entirely on the Lord . The rich young man could not inherit eternal life because he was not willing to give up his riches . It is hard for those who trust in riches to enter the Kingdom of God. The Lord has promised a hundred fold blessing for everything we have sacrificed for the sake of the Kingdom of God. The Lord has warned that we may face persecution when we receive the hundred fold blessing. Isaac was persecuted by the envious Philistines when he received a hundred fold blessing from the Lord. But we must not allow persecution to prevent us from enjoying the blessings of God. We must always trust only in the Lord and not in uncertain riches.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
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MATTHEW 6:25-34
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?
Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?
Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin.
Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.
If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
So do not worry, saying, ’What shall we eat?’ or ’What shall we drink?’ or ’What shall we wear?’
For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
MARK 10:17-31
As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. "Good teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
"Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good—except God alone.
You know the commandments: ’Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.’"
"Teacher," he declared, "all these I have kept since I was a boy."
Jesus looked at him and loved him. "One thing you lack," he said. "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.
Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!"
The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, "Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God!
It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, "Who then can be saved?"
Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God."
Peter said to him, "We have left everything to follow you!"
"I tell you the truth," Jesus replied, "no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel
will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life.
But many who are first will be last, and the last first."
PSALMS 62:8-10
Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge. Selah
Lowborn men are but a breath, the highborn are but a lie; if weighed on a balance, they are nothing; together they are only a breath.
Do not trust in extortion or take pride in stolen goods; though your riches increase, do not set your heart on them.
GENESIS 26:12-15
Isaac planted crops in that land and the same year reaped a hundredfold, because the LORD blessed him.
The man became rich, and his wealth continued to grow until he became very wealthy.
He had so many flocks and herds and servants that the Philistines envied him.
So all the wells that his father’s servants had dug in the time of his father Abraham, the Philistines stopped up, filling them with earth.
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