Proverbs 10:22-23 

²²The blessing of the Lord brings wealth, without painful toil for it. ²³A fool finds pleasure in wicked schemes, but a person of understanding delights in wisdom.

Blessing

            Whenever you hear blessing, what can you easily imagine or think about? What is your idea of blessing? Practically, what do you receive when you are blessed? Blessing from the Lord includes practical and spiritual things. How about that? So, what is the most wonderful blessing that you received from the Lord, so far, that you want to thank and praise him all the days of your life until forever?

            We love the song “I surrender all!” We declare, “All to Jesus I surrender; All to Him I freely give; I will ever love and trust Him; In His presence daily live.”

            Whenever we sing “I surrender all!” may we be convicted by God’s grace to surrender to the Lord all we have in life: finances, time or career! Amen!

Probably, the Holy Spirit is active in our life when we sing, “I surrender all!” with deep conviction. Yet when our sinful humanity prevails in us, we hesitate and disregard such conviction to surrender to the Lord all we have. Can you agree?

            When we surrender all we have to the Lord, does it prove that faith in God get to the next level? We trust him to provide more than what we ask of him. By faith, we believe that even before we were yet to be born in this world, the Lord had created everything we need; so anytime anywhere, God can easily supply our needs to accomplish his will. May the Lord sustain our desire to surrender all!

Are you praying or are you ready to dedicate all your wealth to the Lord?

1.  Wealth

²²The blessing of the Lord brings wealth, without painful toil for it.

            What is your idea of wealth? Does it include finances? Do you interpret that blessing of the Lord makes a person rich? Readily, when we hear the term rich, it means great financial wealth. Great financial wealth is also blessing of the Lord. And, wealth brought by blessing of the Lord does not depend on hard work. Huh!

            Many farmers in Asia work very hard, yet they remain poor. In comparison, blessing of the Lord bring wealth without so much sweat or hard work. There’s a Filipino saying that goes, “Daig ng maagap ang masipag!”  “Smart defeats hard work!” Well, if you are smart, you also work hard. How can one work smartly?

If business opportunity and employment opportunity knock on your door, which one do you choose? Truly, there are more employees than employers.

Right! Why? Most people choose to be employed rather than starting their own business. Were they created that way? Well if employees work hard, they can support their selves. Is it possible to be employed without painful toil? It is!

Someone said, “Choose the job you love and you won’t work hard all your life!”How? It declares in Ephesians 2:10, ¹⁰For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

How do you personally interpret that? God prepared in advance the good works we should take. And as opposed to painful toil, we find rest in Christ, if we follow his will. If we follow the will of God, we should be ready also whatever it takes, even if requires us to leave behind our comfort zones. Are you willing?

Joseph the Son of Jacob

Before you quickly decide, remember the story of Joseph. He was sold as slave. Easily, slavery is the worst situation. But Joseph had firm confidence and kept on trusting the Lord, even as slave. Seriously, let’s reflect on Genesis 39:5,

⁵From the time he put Joseph in charge of his household and of all that he owned, the Lord blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph. The blessing of

the Lord was on everything Potiphar had, both in the house and in the field.

            Blessing of the Lord includes practical and financial. By faith, Joseph trusted that it was crucial part of the will the Lord for him to become slave; he endured the worst difficult situation, and it helped him understood the life of scarcity. Life of scarcity and poverty inspires the wise to save money. It is a practice of wisdom.

2.  Wisdom

²³A fool finds pleasure in wicked schemes, but a person of understanding delights in wisdom.

To excel their chosen career path, wise people exert their best efforts to be trained, and they practise their skills. For believers, God saved us because he has designed a career path pleasing to him. Therefore, we should seek confirmation from the Lord before we choose our career path. It declares in Psalm 24:5-6:

⁵They will receive blessing from the Lord and vindication from God their Savior.

⁶ Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek your face, God of Jacob.

If you want to get rich without painful toil, sincerely seek help from God.

Having much money is very desirable but, many people who were eager to get rich can be happy for few moments then suffer more grief than expected. Unmindful individuals try wicked schemes, graft and corruption in their hope to become rich very quickly; they carelessly ignore that penalty awaits illegal crime.

Sports

            The Olympics and professional sports have become popular path of escape from pangs of poverty. Throughout history, numerous stories of “Rags to Riches” had been published and appreciated. They inspire athletes to train hard in sports they prefer. Admirers of sport readily want to hear from their favorite players.

            Sad to say that, unmindful individuals were caught cheating in sports.

Do you know of rich people who sacrificially worked so hard? They spent so much time at workplaces; they worked night and day to get rich; and at the same time they’ve also raised children who become responsible citizens. Is it possible?

Many preachers had warned to be careful of our motivation of getting rich.

It warned in 1 Timothy 6:5-10, ⁵People of corrupt mind have been robbed of the truth and think that godliness is a means to financial gain. ⁶But godliness with contentment is great gain. ⁷For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. ⁸But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. ⁹Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.

¹⁰For 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.

            Politicians had been viewed as people who are eager for money because many of them had been charged with graft and corruption. Have you heard news about one politician, who is Christian and lived from “paycheck to paycheck?”

            To live from “paycheck to paycheck” suggests that this particular politician is not rich, and he did not make himself rich while in politics. Pray that more genuine Christians get involved in politics for us to have truly honorable leaders.

            Always remember what it says in 1 Timothy 2:1-4, ¹I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— ²for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. ³This is good, and pleases God our Savior, ⁴who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.

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