In less then two weeks. . .we will celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus.  His birth was the greatest gift ever given.

A gift that is priceless and never goes out of style or date.

Our Heavenly Father is a giver and He wants us to be givers as well.

He wants each of us manifesting all His precious promises that are in the Word of God and that includes prospering even in the midst of adversity.

But there’s a problem. . .

Some believers feel they’re not good enough to manifest His promises.  That’s a lie of the devil.

Some believers think that where they are in life. . .is where they will always be   ... or are destined to be.

Some believers don’t know what the Bible says about them prospering and being in health.

And, sadly some believers know more about the world economy than they do the Word economy.

We feel impress to stop and discuss this last point for a few minutes.

There is nothing wrong with lacking financial knowledge unless you have no motivation to increase your understanding.

James 1:5 in the Classic Amplified Bible says:

“If any of you is deficient in wisdom, let him ask of the giving God [Who gives] to everyone liberally and ungrudgingly, without reproaching or faultfinding, and it will be given him.”

The Message Bible translation of James 1:5 ends by saying:

“. . . Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought.”

Without hesitation or reservation . . . God will give you revelation and access to everything you need to know in the financial arena.

Once you understand that everything you have belongs to God. . .that you are just a steward of His resources. . .then you can begin to realize that God will hold you personally accountable on Judgment Day for how you’ve handled or mishandled His goods.  Then you will begin to view money differently.

I’m feeling impressed right now to tell you to remove all limitations to your thinking.

The enemy of your financial future will tell you that you’ll never understand either the Word or the world economy.  He is a liar, the father of lies and the truth is not in him as it says in John 8:44.

Hosea 4:6 in the King James Version says:

“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.”

The devil can’t keep you down … but a lack of knowledge can.

We suggest you write that statement down.

The devil can’t keep me down. . .but a lack of knowledge can.

Don’t reject knowledge. . .open your mind and heart to receive what God wants to release into your life.

In order to determine your world and Word financial IQ or knowledge I’m going to ask you seven questions in each area.

Don’t be discouraged if you don’t know the answer. . .the key is that you’re willing to do what is necessary to increase your understanding.

Remember the words of Proverbs 1:5 in the Classic Amplified Bible which says:

“The wise also will hear and increase in learning, and the person of understanding will acquire skill and attain to sound counsel [so that he may be able to steer his course rightly].”

First, seven basic questions about the world economy as it pertains to your financial finances.

1.  Do you know if your employer offers a 401K?  If so, do you know if they will match or add to your contributions?  If not, do you fully understand the options that are available to you individually?

2.  Do you know your credit score?

3.  Do you realize that getting a large income tax refund means you’ve been allowing the government to use your money for free during the past year?  Do you know what to do to stop that?

4.  Do you know the best way to price shop for a new or pre-owned car?

5.  Do you know the exact amount of your total indebtedness?

6.  Do you know how much surplus you have, if any, each month after all your bills are paid in full?

7.  Do you have a plan to pay off all your debts rapidly?

There is no passing or failing grade with the seven questions I’ve just asked.  It’s designed to provoke your thinking and allow you to see areas where you could increase your wisdom and understanding.

Remember, there’s nothing wrong with not knowing as long as you choose not to remain ignorant of your financial destiny.

1 Corinthians 15:34 in the Classic Amplified Bible

“. . .For some of you have not the knowledge of God [you are utterly and willfully and disgracefully ignorant, and continue to be so, lacking the sense of God's presence and all true knowledge of Him]. I say this to your shame.”

Now, let’s look at seven financial questions from the Word.

1.  Do you believe that Jesus came to this earth so that you might have abundant (now) and eternal life (later)?  John 10:10

2.  Do you realize that God takes pleasure in your prosperity?  Psalm 35:27

3.  Do you believe and practice giving tithes and offering?  Malachi 3:10

4.  Do you believe that God is no respecter of persons or that what He’s done for one He’ll do for you also?  Acts 10:34

5.  Do you understand that everything you sow in life will return a harvest? Galatians 6:7

6.  Do you understand that everything you’ve lost or has been stolen from you can be returned seven-fold?  Proverbs 6:30-31

7.  Do you know there is going to be an end-time wealth transfer and those who have shown themselves faithful will be involved?  Proverbs 13:22

Needless to say, we could go on with the questions. . .but it’s important for us to understand that every question we asked has a provision found in the Word.  God wants us to increase in wisdom and stature.

How can I know such a thing with absolute certainty?  Consider these two verses.

First, John 14:12 says:

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

Second, Luke 2:52 says:

“And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.”

If He increased . . . just think how much more He wants us to increase in knowledge and understanding when it comes to money.

Proverbs 4:7 in the Classic Amplified Bible says:

“The beginning of Wisdom is: get Wisdom (skillful and godly Wisdom)! [For skillful and godly Wisdom is the principal thing.] And with all you have gotten, get understanding (discernment, comprehension, and interpretation).”

J. Paul Getty once said:

“Your money’s only as good as what you do with it.”

Let’s look at the words of Hosea 4:6 again but this time in the Classic Amplified Bible:

“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you [the priestly nation] have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you that you shall be no priest to Me; seeing you have forgotten the law of your God, I will also forget your children.”

Hosea 4:6 in the Contemporary English Version says:

“. . .my people are destroyed by refusing to obey. . .”

It’s a fact. . .you can’t obey. . .what it is you don’t know. And you can’t profit from it either.

Proverbs 9:4-6 in the Message Bible says:

“. . .Lady Wisdom goes to town, stands in a prominent place, and invites everyone within sound of her voice: "Are you confused about life, don't know what's going on?  Come with me, oh come, have dinner with me!  I've prepared a wonderful spread—fresh-baked bread, roast lamb, carefully selected wines.  Leave your impoverished confusion and live!  Walk up the street to a life with meaning."

It’s not what you don’t know that matters. . .but rather what you’re willing to learn and put into practice.

Over the  years. . .we encountered many believers who say:

“I’ve sown and sown. . .when am I going to receive my harvest?”

This attitude reflects a lack of understanding God’s Word and will cause crop failure for the seeds that have been sown.

Here are a couple of things to consider.

First, you must never doubt or give up on your seed.

If God directed you to sow the seed and you sowed the exact amount He told you where He directed you to. . .then you will receive a harvest.

It’s not a matter of if you will receive the harvest … just when.

Galatians 6:9 says:

“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”

The Greek word for due is idios (G2398) and it means:  “pertaining to one's self, one's own, belonging to one's self” and it is primarily translated as his own.

The Greek word for season is kairos (G2540) and it means:

“due measure; a measure of time, a larger or smaller portion of time, hence; opportune or seasonable time; the right time.”

In other words, this scripture is saying that if you don’t get weary then you will reap a harvest when the time is right for you.

The New Living Translation of Galatians 6:9 says it this way:

“So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.”

As I was looking at the various translations and Greek definitions of the words, it stirred in me that each person has a “right time.”

God created each of us unique in all the earth. . .everything that is unique has its own “right time” for reproduction from a seed.

If you sow lettuce seeds you can have a harvest in 3 to 8 weeks depending on the soil and meteorological conditions.

Carrots take 16-20 weeks from seedling to harvest.

Onions take 22-46 weeks.  Asparagus takes one year.

If the farmer began to meddle in any of his plant’s “due seasons,” then he would never have a harvest.

I love macadamia nuts.  If you’ve ever purchased macadamias you know they’re not cheap.  They’re produced almost exclusively in the state of Hawaii due to the excellent growing conditions there.

According to experts there are six steps to growing macadamia nuts although technically macadamia nuts are known as fruit.

First, find the right spot for a tree that can grow for more than 100 years to a height of 60 feet and a width of 40 feet.

Second, you then plant the tree.

Third, you keep the tree happy. Seriously, that is the way it’s explained in a growing guide I bought. Needless to say, that doesn’t mean telling the tree jokes.  It means that a happy macadamia tree needs tropical climates, lots of sunlight, adequate rainfall and protection from high winds because it has a shallow root system.

Fourth, be willing to wait for six years.  It takes 6-7 years before the tree will ever produce its first nuts.

Fifth, look at the nut.  When it’s ready there will be a fleshy husk over a hard shell.

Sixth, crack the shell.

Now I fully realize this is probably a lot more information than you wanted to know about macadamia nuts and trees, however, there is a parallel to the seeds you plant in God’s Kingdom.

First, pick the right spot for your seed. 

Second, sow the exact amount God tells you to sow, where He says sow it and when He tells you to do it.  Just wishing, hoping or thinking about sowing is not the same as putting the seed into the ground.  Nothing happens until the seed goes in the ground.

Third, keep the seed happy by maintaining the proper atmosphere of expectancy.  Maintain confidence that your obedience in sowing will return a harvest 30, 60 and 100fold as described in the Bible.

Fourth, know that your harvest will come in your own due reason . . . the right time.

Fifth, recognize the manifestation of your harvest.  Your harvest will most likely come in at the rate you planted seed. However, there are times when you may receive a windfall harvest.

Sixth, when your receive any harvest progressive or otherwise . . . make sure you don’t eat all of your harvest . . .  you must use some of it to sow again. That is what guarantees that your harvests continue.

Sometimes when we plant for a harvest to come in for a particular need, we can be so happy over meeting the need we forget to plant for the next harvest. 

Sowing should become as much as habit as taking a shower or brushing your teeth.

When a farmer plants seeds in the ground he knows that a certain amount of time is required before the seed produces a harvest.

It would be foolish for a farmer to stop watering the seed or neglect keeping his seed sight free from weeds unless he’d given up on receiving a harvest.

Every farmer knows it takes time for a harvest.

God not only planned seedtime & harvest, He gave us their example.  We know that money seeds produce money harvests.

When you sow. . .according to His divine instructions you have His absolute scriptural guarantee that you will receive a harvest.

Galatians 6:7 in the Classic Amplified Bible says:

“Do not be deceived and deluded and misled; God will not allow Himself to be sneered at (scorned, disdained, or mocked by mere pretensions or professions, or by His precepts being set aside.) [He inevitably deludes himself who attempts to delude God.] For whatever a man sows, that and that only is what he will reap.”

This scripture is clear. . .God will not allow His percepts to be set aside.  What is the scriptural percept in this verse?

“. . .whatever a man sows, that and that only is what he will reap.”

Whatever you sow. . .you can expect to reap more of the same in your due season. . .your right time.

It doesn’t matter what your circumstances look like. . .your right time is coming.

It doesn’t matter if you’ve lost your job. . .your right time is coming.

It doesn’t matter what’s happened to your investment portfolio. . .your right time is coming.

Perhaps any or all of these circumstances were the reason you were led to plant your seed.

Galatians 6:9 in the Classic Amplified Bible says:

“And let us not lose heart and grow weary and faint in acting nobly and doing right, for in due time and at the appointed season we shall reap, if we do not loosen and relax our courage and faint.”

This scripture in Galatians gives us seven very specific directives in order to reap.

1.       Do not lose heart.

2.       Do not grow weary.

3.       Do not faint in acting nobly.

4.       Do not faint in doing right.

5.       You will reap at the right time. . .if you do not lose your hope.

6.       You will reap at the right time. . .if you have courage.

7.       You will reap at the right time. . .if you do not faint.

It’s clear that you should never doubt. . .nor give up while waiting for your harvest.  What should you do?

Get ready to shout. . .as we look at Isaiah 40:28  in the Classic Amplified Bible which says:

“Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, does not faint or grow weary; there is no searching of His understanding.”

In other words, the scripture says. . .how many times do I have to tell you this?  Have you not been reading my instructions and listening to my voice?  I haven’t changed my mind or my promises to you.

What you sow. . .that and that only will you reap.

Isaiah 40:29 in the Classic Amplified Bible says:

“He gives power to the faint and weary, and to him who has no might He increases strength [causing it to multiply and making it to abound].”

Are you hearing/seeing this. . . “He gives power to the faint and weary.”  Could that be you?

We’re not just talking about any kind of power. . .we’re talking about the resurrection power of God flowing through you and working on your behalf.

Not only does He give you power. . .but He is increasing your strength.

Here’s the bottom line. . .when it appears that you’re not seeing any movement toward your harvest. . .hold fast to the confession of your faith.

God is doing things for you right now that you can’t see so He can bring into manifestation the things that you can see.

There may be times when you feel like your back is against the wall. . .when you feel like giving up. . .DON’T.  Remember this great quote:

“Be like the Mona Lisa. She keeps smiling when her back’s to the wall.”

One more scripture . . .  Joel 2:12 in the Classic Amplified Bible says:

“Therefore also now, says the Lord, turn and keep on coming to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning [until every hindrance is removed and the broken fellowship is restored].”

Tonight. . .today. . .right now. . .pray and ask God to remove every hindrance to your manifesting financial prosperity and surplus.

He’s been waiting for you to ask. . .do it now.

BLOG COMMENTS POWERED BY DISQUS