Do You Want to Prosper?
I had a revelation today. For me, a revelation is simply saying: oh wow, I never noticed that before! Something new God is showing me in His word. So, before I tell you what it was, I must tell you that the Bible is alive! It’s the only Book like it, where God promises to reveal Himself to us. And He does it little by little, and the things He reveals to you will build on each other. First, He showed me that I am loved, and needed to repent of the sin that had become a stronghold in my life. At first, that seemed impossible. But then, as I kept reading, I had this thought: what if I am wrong and He is right? That led to a paradigm shift, and I began to believe that I can do what He says I can do!
Second, He showed me that He is God and never changes. Why is that so amazing? Because of Jesus! Jesus is the exact representation of the Father, so, if we get to know Jesus, then we get to know God! Jesus said this to his disciple, Philip, when Philip asked Jesus to show him the Father: ‘Have I been among you all this time and you do not know me, Philip? The one who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father?”’ (John 14:9). We can’t have the Father without the Son: we can only have the Father through the Son.
Third, God shows us patterns in His word! These are not just stories about people who had amazing things happen, they are patterns of what God is like! He is a God of patterns, so the things He did for people who honored Him in the Old Testament of the Bible: well, He still wants to do them for us! Maybe your giant doesn’t look like Goliath, but with God at the center of your life, you can take it down! And have the victory. So now I read the entire Bible eagerly: ‘What do you want to show me today, God?’
So, one day, a few years ago, after reading the Bible through a couple of times, I read this in the gospel of John: ‘If you believed Moses, you would believe me, because he wrote about me.’ (John 5:46). And my first thought was: where? I don’t remember seeing that. And I finally found it: ‘The Lord said to me, “What they say is good. I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites, and I will put my words in his mouth. He will tell them everything I command him. I myself will call to account anyone who does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name.”’ (Deuteronomy 18:15). There are also lots of other references to Jesus in the first 5 books of the Bible, but this one was eye-opening. Because in today’s reading, I read this: ‘There has never been another prophet in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face.’ (Deuteronomy 34:10)
And that’s when it hit me: this can only refer to Jesus! He is the only other prophet who God knew face to face! Jesus came to earth as a baby, but as God has always existed! (don’t try too hard to understand that: it’s literally beyond our comprehension. We will understand when we get to heaven, but for now we exercise faith. When you begin to realize what a miracle your existence is, then nothing else seems beyond God’s reach either.)
You might be saying: so, what? Does that even matter for my life? And the answer is YES! It matters! Because the Bible teaches us how-to live-in relation to God, in relation to each other, and how to prosper and be filled with joy while we wait for Jesus to return and fulfill every promise ever made to us! There was a time in my life when I was living without God. And I was miserable. My thoughts were dominated by the ways people had wronged me, or not valued me, and I needed to make sure I got what made me feel better. But I was doing it without regard for God. But it’s different now: I know I am loved. I don’t need another person to fill a void that only God can fill. But at first, the enemy had me thinking that I had gone too far to be forgiven. I stayed in that miserable spot for a long time, but then one day God gently nudged me to open my Bible. And the more I sought God, the more He revealed Himself to me. I have a future: and it’s good. Better than good! ‘What no eye has seen, nor ear has heard, and no human heart has conceived- God has prepared these things for those who love him.’ (I Cor 2:9). Do you love God? Maybe not yet, but if you start getting to know Him, you will fall in love with Him. So, I have good news for you: you can have this too! No matter what you’ve done, God will forgive you. He wants to be your best friend. He's mine, and He has room for you too.
Last night, at our Bible study, someone shared a secret they have discovered: peace. That’s what God wants for us! But it only comes by spending time with Him, agreeing with Him about our sin, and handing our troubles over to Him. The problems are still there, but we take them to God and wait for Him. If He impresses you with some thought of some action to take, well then do that. But if you’re not sure, just wait! And trust Him while you wait. So, open your Bible and hang on every word that Jesus said.
And this is what He said to Joshua (paraphrased): “Do you want to prosper? Then get to know my word. Obey it, meditate on it, study it, don’t forget it. Then you will prosper and succeed in all do. Staying close to me will make you strong and courageous. And I will be with you wherever you go.” (from Joshua 1:6-8). Do you know what I think it means to prosper? To live life with joy and peace and an eager expectation of Jesus’ return to take us home and be with Him forever. A confidence in Him to meet the needs that we have today. A hunger for His word; for His presence. He is trustworthy, and He wants you to prosper.
