by Dr. Paul Chappell

"Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish."

Psalm 1

God prospers those who desire to honor Him with both their lives and their resources.

Christian author Randy Alcorn once wrote concerning a Christian's relationship to possessions, "If God was the owner, I was the manager. I needed to adopt a steward's mentality toward the assets He had entrusted-not given-to me. A steward manages assets for the owner's benefit. The steward carries no sense of entitlement to the assets he manages. It's his job to find out what the owner wants done with his assets, then carry out his will."

Many Christians turn aside from living for God due to finances. Some people struggle with understanding their relationship to finances, but God shows us that we are the stewards of what He owns. It is our responsibility to wisely use what He has entrusted to us.

Sometimes we look at our bank account, the size of our home, or our material possessions, and comparing them to others, we wonder why we don't possess more. Our world models that in order to be happy, one must amass much wealth. That mindset of self-created prosperity can cloud us from God's truth.

We don't have to rely upon ourselves to provide enough for our family. We aren't the ones who gain possessions and material wealth. Prosperity comes from the Lord. Notice two attributes of God's prosperity.

God prospers the righteous. God blesses those who are faithfully walking with Him and obeying His commands. As He says in Psalm 1:1-2, "Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night."

Imagine if you had spent the day with your child, planning to have some quality parent-child time, yet all they did was act up the whole day. They complained about where you took them to eat, griped about having to be away from their friends, and had a bad attitude all day long. That night if they asked you for some money for a new outfit, would you feel benevolent and loving toward giving them some money? Not at all! Their disobedience and bad attitude would hamper your giving. While God's love for us never changes, He does bless those who are obediently walking with Him.

God prospers the givers. All too often we regard stewardship simply as a matter of our giving to God, but this aspect is secondary. Before we can give, we must possess, and before we possess we must receive. Therefore, stewardship is, in the first place, receiving God's good and bounteous gifts. And once received, those gifts are not to be used solely for our own good. They must also be used for the benefit of others, and ultimately for the glory of God, the Giver. The steward needs an open hand to receive from God and then an active hand to give to God and to others.

Ask yourself two questions: Am I following God's will? Am I using the resources I have to help others and glorify God? God provides for those who desire to honor Him with both their lives and their resources.

To learn more about the ministries of Lancaster Baptist Church and Pastor Chappell, please visit lancasterbaptist.org, paulchappell.com, or follow him on twitter.

Daily Bible Reading
Psalms 40-42 | Acts 27:1-26