07/10
The Ability
to Produce Wealth
You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today. - Deuteronomy 8:17-18
One of the most enjoyable things in life is watching people do what they are gifted at. Think of a talented juggler, magician, dancer, singer, or athlete. Watching people do what they are incredibly talented at doing is a joy. We are often led to ask a question like this: How did they learn to do that? And the answer to that question is always partially related to a lot of hard work, practice, and dedication. But that’s not the whole answer. There is also the element of God-given talent.
The truth is that God has given you your mind, your talents, your ability to think, to speak, to reason, to solve problems. You were born to do something. Every person reading this has the ability to make a living and produce wealth using some skill or ability, whether that is through manual labor or through using your mind. But where does that come from?
Today’s passage from Deuteronomy urges us not to forget God or turn from Him, because it is God who gives us the ability to produce wealth. It’s interesting that right after the passage mentions this statement it says that God has done this as a way to confirm His covenant with us. A covenant is a two-sided promise, like a contract entered into by two parties. In this case the covenant is between God and his people. All throughout history, God has had a covenant with his chosen people starting with Adam; then Noah, Abraham, Issac, David, and finally the Church. God has never broken His contract with us or failed in holding up His end of the covenant; but we continually have fallen short and broken our end of the contract time after time.
Think of this in terms of two business partners who enter into a business relationship. One partner is always honest and trustworthy, yet the other is constantly acting in a way that is selfish, untrustworthy and dishonest. Under normal circumstances, this partnership would end quickly and badly. But thank God He has not abandoned us. God continually extends His mercy and grace and gives us chance after chance to repent and get back into a covenant relationship with Him.
What we do with the wealth God has blessed us with is another aspect of this covenant. God confirmed His part in the agreement when He gave us the ability to produce wealth. Our end of the covenant, and our role in this contract is to remember God, give back to him the first and the best of what he has blessed us with, and then to steward wisely all that he has provided.
God has always been faithful to us. So why is it so difficult to be faithful to him? This faithful devotion to God starts with a decision to view God correctly. If we remember that it is God who gives us the ability to produce wealth, it becomes more natural to keep him first. We know that God is looking for people who can be faithful in the little things. These are the people God knows can be trusted with much more.
Let’s be people who leave a legacy of always recognizing God as being the one who gives us the ability to produce wealth!
The truth is that God has given you your mind, your talents, your ability to think, to speak, to reason, to solve problems. You were born to do something. Every person reading this has the ability to make a living and produce wealth using some skill or ability, whether that is through manual labor or through using your mind. But where does that come from?
Today’s passage from Deuteronomy urges us not to forget God or turn from Him, because it is God who gives us the ability to produce wealth. It’s interesting that right after the passage mentions this statement it says that God has done this as a way to confirm His covenant with us. A covenant is a two-sided promise, like a contract entered into by two parties. In this case the covenant is between God and his people. All throughout history, God has had a covenant with his chosen people starting with Adam; then Noah, Abraham, Issac, David, and finally the Church. God has never broken His contract with us or failed in holding up His end of the covenant; but we continually have fallen short and broken our end of the contract time after time.
Think of this in terms of two business partners who enter into a business relationship. One partner is always honest and trustworthy, yet the other is constantly acting in a way that is selfish, untrustworthy and dishonest. Under normal circumstances, this partnership would end quickly and badly. But thank God He has not abandoned us. God continually extends His mercy and grace and gives us chance after chance to repent and get back into a covenant relationship with Him.
What we do with the wealth God has blessed us with is another aspect of this covenant. God confirmed His part in the agreement when He gave us the ability to produce wealth. Our end of the covenant, and our role in this contract is to remember God, give back to him the first and the best of what he has blessed us with, and then to steward wisely all that he has provided.
God has always been faithful to us. So why is it so difficult to be faithful to him? This faithful devotion to God starts with a decision to view God correctly. If we remember that it is God who gives us the ability to produce wealth, it becomes more natural to keep him first. We know that God is looking for people who can be faithful in the little things. These are the people God knows can be trusted with much more.
Let’s be people who leave a legacy of always recognizing God as being the one who gives us the ability to produce wealth!