Don’t fall in the ditch Imbalanced teachings have left many in a ditch on either side of this ‘good road’. There are those in one ditch who teach that Jesus lived in poverty, that money is evil and that prosperity as the Bible teaches it has nothing to do with material well-being. There are others floundering in the opposite ditch who preach that God’s main concern is for our material prosperity, and that money is a true measure of our spirituality and closeness to God.

Between these two is a balanced road upon which our soul prospers in fellowship with God, who provides all of our needs according to His riches in glory, gives us all things richly to enjoy, and places within us His generous Spirit so that we become a conduit of this blessing to others. The balance is not one of a little bit of poverty and a little bit of prosperity, but rather a simple equation of simplicity + generosity = contentment. We are encouraged in Scripture to live moderate lives, not ostentatiously, yet lives of extreme generosity. As we prove our stewardship, our own prosperity will follow and increase, so that the fruits of our generous giving may increase also.

God takes pleasure in the prosperity of His servants

God takes pleasure in the prosperity of His servants The Bible plainly declares that God takes pleasure in the prosperity of His, and that there is a reward for living righteously and wisely in this life (Psalm 112; Prov 8:18-21). The word used for ‘prosperity’ in Psalm 35 is the Hebrew word ‘shalom’. Shalom means peace, prosperity, well-being, wholeness, health, protection. All of these bring pleasure to our Father when we walk in them.

It is worth noting that the Bible clearly teaches God’s desire to prosper His servants, yet also warns against setting our own will to be rich: “But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.” (1Timothy 6:9 KJV) As we set our will to serve God’s purpose, seeking first His Kingdom and His righteousness, all these things will be added to us (Matt 6:33) – if however we divert our will to pursue riches, or indeed any earthly thing, we will derail our destiny and fall into a ‘snare’ or a ditch!

“Oh, I did great things:

built houses,

planted vineyards,

designed gardens and parks

and planted a variety of fruit trees in them,

made pools of water to irrigate the groves of trees.

I bought slaves, male and female,

who had children, giving me even more slaves;

then I acquired large herds and fl ocks,

larger than any before me in Jerusalem.

I piled up silver and gold, loot from kings and kingdoms.

I gathered a chorus of singers to entertain me with song,

and—most exquisite of all pleasures—

voluptuous maidens for my bed.

Oh, how I prospered! I left all my predecessors in Jerusalem far behind, left them behind

in the dust. What’s more, I kept a clear head through it all. Everything I wanted I took—

I never said no to myself. I gave in to every impulse, held back nothing. I sucked the marrow

of pleasure out of every task—my reward to myself for a hard day’s work!”

(Eccl 2:4-10 MESSAGE)

Solomon’s conclusion:
“Then I took a good look at everything I’d done, looked at all the sweat and hard work. But when I looked, I saw nothing but smoke. Smoke and spitting into the wind. There was nothing to any of it. Nothing.” (Eccl 2:11 MESSAGE)

Prosperity with a Purpose

Solomon realised that without an eternal perspective all accomplishment and accumulation on this earth is futile.

“And I hated everything I’d accomplished and accumulated on this earth. I can’t take it with me—no, I have to leave it to whoever comes after me.” (Eccl 2:18 MESSAGE)

As Jesus Himself said, a man can gain the whole world yet lose his own soul:

“What kind of deal is it to get everything you want but lose yourself? What could you ever trade your soul for?” (Matt 16:26 MESSAGE)

Paul also entreated his disciple Timothy:

“But godliness actually is a means of great gain, when accompanied by contentment. For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either. And if we have food and covering, with these we shall be content. But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith, and pierced themselves with many a pang. But flee from these things, you man of God; and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance

and gentleness.” (1Tim 6:6-11 NASB)

Compare this to Solomon’s inquiries recorded in Ecclesiastes chapter 5:10-20 and 4:4-8. He realised:

“He who loves money will not be satisfi ed with money, nor he who loves abundance with its income. This too is vanity.” (Eccl 5:10 NASB)

Indeed, we can take nothing with us when we exit this planet: “As he had come naked from his mother’s womb, so will he return as he came. He will take nothing from the fruit of his labor that he can carry in his hand.” (Eccl 5:15 NASB)

Solomon had witnessed the rat-race even in his day (whatever would he have concluded in our present cut-throat culture?): “Then I observed all the work and ambition motivated by envy. What a waste! Smoke. And spitting

into the wind.” (Eccl 4:4 MESSAGE)

The workaholic, trying to find meaning and satisfaction in all his ‘great’ accomplishments, forgetting what is of real and lasting value in this life under the sun: 

“…I turned my head and saw yet another wisp of smoke on its way to nothingness: a solitary person, completely alone—no children, no family, no friends—yet working obsessively late into the night, compulsively greedy for more and more, never bothering to ask, “Why am I working like a dog, never having any fun? And who cares?” More smoke. A bad business.” (v 7-8)

and its opposite: “The fool sits back and takes it easy, His sloth is slow suicide.” (v5)

The remedy?

“One hand full of rest is better than two fi sts full of labor and striving after wind.” (Eccl 4:6 NASB)

Solomon extols the virtue of balanced living, with proper perspective and time to enjoy the fruits of one’s labour with the people we love:

“Furthermore, as for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, He has also empowered him to eat from them and to receive his reward and rejoice in his labor; this is the gift of God. For he will not often consider the years of his life, because God keeps him occupied with the gladness of his heart.” (Eccl 5:19-20 NASB)

Paul picks up this same theme, again to his son in the faith, Timothy:

“Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fi x their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share,” (1Tim 6:17-18 NASB)

Prosperity – Principles and Foundation
Lev 26:3-5; 27:30; Deut 6:1-3; 28:1-2; 30:19-20; Joshua 1:7-8; 1 King 2:3; 1Chron 22:13; 2 Chron 20:20; 26:5; 31:21; Job 36:11; Psalm 1:1-3; 122:6-7; Prov 3:9-10; 10:2-6; 11:25; 13:4, 11-13; 19:17; 28:13,25,27; Eccl 11:1; Isa 1:19; 58:10-11; Jer 17:7-8; Mal 3:10-12; Rom 13:7-8; 1 Cor 13:3; 2 Cor 9:6-7; Gal 6:6-10; Titus 3:8; Heb 11:6

Prosperity – is a Covenant blessing
Gen 13:2, 5-6, 14-17; 17:1-9; Deut 7:9; 8:17-18; 11:11-15; 28:1-14; 29:9; 30:15-16; Psalm 111:1-6; 112:1-9; 132:12-18; Zech 8:12; Heb 7:19-22; 8:6

Prosperity – is wisdom, favour and success
WISDOM 2 Chron 1:12; Prov 2:6-7; 3:13-18; 4:7-9; 16:16; 24:14; Eccl 2:26; Luke 21:15;1 Cor 1:30; Col 1:9-10; 2:2-3; James 1:5; 3:17
FAVOUR Genesis 39:2-4, 21-23; Esther 2:15; Psalm 5:11-12; 30:4-5; Prov 3:1-6; 11:27; 12:2; Daniel 1:8-9; Rom 8:31; 2 Cor 9:8-11
SUCCESS Josh 1:5,7-8; 1Sam 2:7-10; 2 King 18:7; 2 Chron 15:7; 17:3-6; Pslam 18:19-22; 23:6; 65:4-13; Isa 30:23; 45:2-3; 48:15-17; Jer 33:9; Eph 3:19-21

Prosperity – is provision, protection and well-being

PROVISION
Gen 15:1; Deut 2:7; 8:7-10; 32:13; 2 Chron 29:2; 32:27-29; Psalm 34:10; Phil 4:19
PROTECTION
1 Chron 16:20-27; Job 1:10; Psalm 61:3-4; 91; Isa 54:17; Ezek 34:27; 2Thess 3:3
WELL BEING
Gen 12:1-3; 26:1-3; Ex 3:7-8; Deut 6:18; Neh 9:21; Psalm 36:7-10; 68:19-20;103:2-5; 107:31-32, 35-38; 128:1-2; Prov 10:22

Prosperity – is our inheritance
Prov 13:22; Matt 19:29; Luke 4:18; 2 Cor 8:9; Gal 3:13-14; Eph 1:17-23; Col3:23-24; 1 Tim 6:17-19; 1 Pet 3:9-12; 2 Pet 1:3-11

What Jesus said about prosperity
Matt 6:3-6, 19-21, 25-33; 7:7-11; 10:8, 41-42; 21:21-22; 25:31-40; Mark 4:20-25; 10:17-21, 29-20;