Prosper the work of our hands (Psalm 90:17).
The Lord is good and his love endures forever.
I would like to share with you three things to prosper in your business:
Count the cost
Evaluate your would be partner
Careful about surety.
Psalms 90:17. And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.
They are successful (Psalm 1:3). How to be successful the psalmist says that those who meditate the word of the Lord for day and night (Psalm 1:1-2). It means the one who places God place God first in everything you do. You always have the counsel of the word of God.
Psalms 1:1-3.
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.
2. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
3. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he does shall prosper.
1. Estimate the cost -Luke 14:28
Luke 14:28-30. 28. For which of you, intending to build a tower, sits not down first, and counts the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?
29. Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him,
30. Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.
To become a true disciple of Jesus involves inherent dangers. Jesus is speaking to a crowd about these. A "disciple" is someone who bases his worldview and way of living around the teaching and lifestyle of a teacher.
Plan the complete projects, the date of commencement, the date of completion. The cost of the projects, the resources you are thinking of, your economical strength and your ability to carry on, the men power, the money power and the expected returns in an year.
To press the importance of considering a lifetime of sacrifice, Jesus gives two examples. In the first, a man wants to build a tower, so he sensibly begins by determining if he has sufficient funds. If he builds the foundation but runs out of money before it's complete, he will not only have wasted his money, but will also be subject to ridicule (Luke 14:29-31).
The building of the tower represents what every human life ought to aim at. We are always building, consciously or unconsciously. By our transitory actions we are all rearing up a house for our souls in which we have to dwell; building character from out of the fleeting acts of conduct, which character we have to carry with us for ever. What are we building? A prison; a mere garden-house of delights; or a temple fortress in which God may dwell reverenced?
Building is an expensive amusement, as many a man who has gone rashly in for bricks and mortar has found out to his cost. And the most expensive of all sorts of building is the building up of Christian character.
They are significant lessons on the duty of deliberate choice which will not shrink from the ultimate consequences— the duty of counting the cost. So, as to give himself time for making a summary calculation of his means and resources. So too inLuke 14:31 [??f??e?, calculates). This calculation of the expenses of build.
Proverbs 20:18 “Every purpose is established by counsel: and with good advice make war.”
2. Evaluate the would be partner
2 Chronicles 20:35-37. 35. And after this did Jehoshaphat king of Judah join himself with Ahaziah king of Israel, who did very wickedly:
36. And he joined himself with him to make ships to go to Tarshish: and they made the ships in Eziongaber.
37. Then Eliezer the son of Dodavah of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, Because thou hast joined thyself with Ahaziah, the LORD hath broken thy works. And the ships were broken, that they were not able to go to Tarshish.
Partnership is good, two will strengthen a lot. Two can achieve anything on the earth (Matthew 28:19). Two can withstand and prevail the struggles (Ecclesiastes 4:12), two are better than one because they have a good reward for their labour (Ecclesiastes 4:9). Can two walk together, except they be agreed? (Amos 3:3).
2 Chronicles 20:36-37: King Jehoshaphat and king Ahaziah are business partners. Jehoshaphat was a god fearing, ethical, disciplined king, Ahaziah was an unethical, indisciplined wicked king.
The seer told Jehoshaphat that you should not help the wicked (2 Chronicles 19:1-2)
He appointed good judges - 2 Chronicles 19:5.
He appointed priests and levites to do justice -2 Chronicles 19:8-9.
Believed in fasting prayer and seeking God - 2 Chronicles 20:3-4, 12, 22, 29
But, Ahaziah was doing wicked things- 2 Chronicles 22:2-3
He had evil counsels to ruin him - 2 Chronicles 22:4-5
3. Careful about surety- Proverbs 6:1, 11:15, 17:18.
Proverbs 6:1-5.
1. My son, if thou be surety for thy friend, if thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger,
2. Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth.
3. Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself, when thou art come into the hand of thy friend; go, humble thyself, and make sure thy friend.
4. Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine
5. Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the
This word surety is used in three different connections or groups:
(1) As a derivative of the word "sure" it means "of a certainty" or "surely."-- in Genesis 15:13, 18:13 In Hebrew 'omnam’ is translated "of a surety." In Acts 12:11 ‘alethos’ is translated "of a surety," or "of a truth."
(2) In the sense of security or pledge for a person.--This means that one person may become security for another, that such a one will do a certain thing at a time in the future. Judah was "surety" to his father Jacob that Benjamin would safely return from Egypt (genesis 43:9, 44:32). Hezekiah says, "O Lord, I am oppressed, be thou my surety." (Isaiah 38:14). Jesus is called "the surety (egguos) of a better covenant" (Hebrews 7:22).
(3) It is used to describe the practice of going security for another by striking hands with that person and becoming responsible for money or any object loaned.--The Book of Proverbs unhesitatingly condemns the practice. The Book of Proverbs makes no distinction between a stranger and a neighbor; the person who does such a thing is likened unto an animal caught in a trap. He is exhorted to sleep no more until he has got out of the trap, or freed himself from this obligation (Proverbs 6:1-5).
Conclusion:
May God bless you to prosper your business. Always watchful of your business with spiritual counselling of God. Choose right partner to spread across the globe. Be doubly careful about your surety for anyone, even for your friends. Amen.
