"If they obey and serve him, they will spend the rest of their days in prosperity and their years in contentment."
There's that word again...prosperity. Amazing how the word reminds us that God wants us to prosper. Some days its hard to believe, isn't it? We suffer a loss, perhaps a loved one, a friendship, maybe a job or maybe our home or our family to divorce. We then begin to question the word, "Father you tell us that you will prosper us but yet I've lost..." fill in the blank with your own loss. No loss is ever easy, often it's hard to understand how it could possibly be part of His plan. But sometimes the loss is our road to prosperity if we remain obedient to His voice and follow the path He lays before us.
For each loss you have had in your life, can you think of anything positive that has come from it? Perhaps you've lost your marriage only to find the man or woman God purposed for you. Maybe it was the loss of a job only to find a job that satisfies and provides contentment in a way that your old job could never provide. We have a hard time seeing these as "positives" when we are traveling through the vast forest, but when we reach the clearing there we see God's provision of prosperity yet again because we were obedient and trusted that He'd see us through just as He promised He would.
I've learned through my obedience that God prospers me in wisdom, in hope, in relationships and yes in material things. God has called me to serve, sometimes I do that willingly and sometimes I wrestle with Him and think I am just too busy or don't really like what He's calling me to do. I guess you could say I'm a slow learner at times because I've never seen my obedience unrewarded. Today God has called me to write a blog to encourage others.
What has God been calling you to do? When will you stop wrestling with Him and be obedient? When will you begin to allow Him to place you on the paths to prosperity?
Blessings,
Heather
