You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” 18 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
The bike I received at age nine was truly awesome. It had monkey handlebars, a banana seat, sissy bar, a rear slick and five gears.
It looked like this:
The bike was next to the Christmas tree, and I was ecstatic.
Even though it was cold outside, the entire day was spent riding outside until the sunset sent me in. I must have said thank you, but frankly the gift was so great that the givers (my parents) were not the focal point.
That bike captured my heart and to this day, is one of the greatest gifts I have ever received. It never crossed my mind that my dad and mom had worked to earn the money to buy me that bike.
No consideration was given to the fact that they had five children, and my bike was a sacrifice. There was no realization that generosity made it possible for me to own that bike.
My attention was glued to the bike. It gave me status in the neighborhood, made me proud, allowed me to win some races and generally elevated my status.
Three Responses to Wealth and Prosperity (Deuteronomy 8:17-18)
This is the issue swirling around Deuteronomy 8:17-18, where Moses cautions the Israelites regarding focusing on the gift and not the giver.
These two verses come at the end of a section that begins in Deuteronomy 8:1. Moses warns the Israelites about the temptation to turn away from Yahweh when the prosper in the land they are about to enter.
Several warnings are given about following, keeping and observing the commands that God has given (8:1, 2 and 6). Moses warns the Israelites not to forget the things He did to bring them out of slavery in Egypt, through the wilderness wanderings and into the promised land (8:2-5).
He foresees the temptation that will come with prosperity and wealth. At the end of the section (8:17-18) he urges three responses to wealth and prosperity.
1. Remember God
First is to remember God (vs. 18). It is foolish to think that strength, wealth, and prosperity are the results of our own handiwork.
The Hebrew word (zakar) connotes more than simply acknowledging that He exists. It is recognizing His actions past and present. The cure to pride is to acknowledge God and His actions on our behalf.
The more we experience success, prosperity, and material wealth the more likely we are to focus on ourselves and less on God.
One of my mentors in life started a commercial real estate company that built some of the largest office buildings in Southern California.
One of his repeated stories was the first job he had building an outside staircase to an over the garage apartment. When he won the bid, he had to spend two days in the Pasadena library getting plans and instructions for such a staircase.
He readily admitted he did not know what he was doing with that staircase project. He always completed the story reminding the listeners that from the beginning, God was given credit for his work success. He was a man of incredible generosity.
2. God Created a World for Workers to Enjoy the Fruits of Their Labor
Second, we recognize that we may prosper through hard work and effort, but it is God who has given us that ability (vs. 18). He has created a world where the worker can enjoy the fruits of his/her labor.
As our wealth increases, we are more likely to credit ourselves. We focus on the material and forget that it is God who has given us the ability to work and produce wealth.
3. God Gives Us Strength and Energy Not Primarily for Our Own Benefit
Finally, God gives us strength and energy not primarily for our own benefit. Wealth and prosperity are given fulfilling God’s covenant promise (vs.18).
Material possession are a blessing from God and to be dedicated to God’s work and purposes for this world. God promised to bless Abraham’s descendants and subsequently to bless the nations through them.
Prosperity and wealth are ultimately to glorify God and be dedicated to God’s work in this world.
Closing Thoughts
While serving as the President of Every Generation Ministries I would meet with business leaders who supported the ministry. Jim was one of those leaders.
Whenever we met, you could count on sometime during the conversation Jim would say “every day I wake up and wonder will this be the day that the employees realize I don’t know what I’m doing.
He ran a large company with hundreds of employees working in four states and was tremendously successful. Every day he was aware of God’s hand on his work. God had allowed him to prosper. Jim and his wife are some of the most generous people I have ever met.
God is the giver of gifts, including our ability to work and create wealth. We can focus so much on the gift that we forget the giver.
Moses instructions to the Israelites remain true today. As we prosper in life, don’t forget God. He is the one who makes prosperity possible. Through generous giving we can join Him in bringing the good news of Jesus Christ to the nations around us.
Join EGM-US!
If you're serving in a church in the United States, you can be part of the exciting new launch of EGM-US by hosting a vision meeting in your area, attending a training, or just contacting us for more information about how this could benefit your next generation ministries by contacting us contacting our team at (951)587-3825 or [email protected].