The
Father's Blessing
by John Garfield
The Feeling
Every
son and daughter loves to hear their father's praise. My own father didn't go
out of his way to be complimentary, but he did work hard to teach me how to
help out on the ranch when I was young. When he saw those new skills doing a
good job, he said so. Even seeing a difficult task completed, or done well,
left me with the feeling of his approval. Sometimes it was just a look or a
smile. Nothing gave me more pleasure than pleasing him.
When
we get saved, there is something very special about hearing “well
done” from our heavenly father. He is not only pleased
with us, but He delights in His people. It goes even farther… He
delights in blessing us abundantly and prospering us. Delights in the
prosperity of his servant.”
The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take
great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you
with singing. Zeph 3:17
NIV
Let them shout for joy and rejoice, who favor my vindication; And
let them say continually, "The Lord be magnified, Who delights in the
prosperity of His servant." Ps 35:27 NASU
Remember me, O Lord, in Your favor toward Your people; Visit me with
Your salvation, That I may see the prosperity of Your chosen ones. Ps 106:4-5
NASU
The Reason Cups Overflow
We
are not typically born with a prosperous mentality. Most of us have to dig
ourselves out of the attitudes and actions that produce poverty. Fortunately,
he leads out the prisoners into prosperity in every area.
God makes a home for the lonely; He leads out the prisoners into
prosperity. Ps 68:6 NASU
Why
does God sponsor prosperity? That's a good question. Many people don't assume
that God wants to favor us. They don't come close to a belief that God might
want to prosper us financially. We need to understand why our Father wants us
to operate from cups that overflow. Here's the reason:
All
ministry comes from abundance: an overflow of our hearts and our finances. I
want to suggest that believers are generous. We enjoy giving and blessing
others with whatever we have. The reality is that most have not yet learned to
multiply finances so that we can bless people financially. I learned another
thing from my pastoral days even spiritual ministry costs money.
In
this hour there is another lie of poverty circulating: abundance is bad.”The
favorite complaint of politicians and the media is the greed of wealthy
businessmen or corporate executives who make lots of money. I'm not defending
corruption or dishonesty. However, I'm boldly declaring that ministry flows
through finances. Kings with money can convert it to ministry!
Kings
in the business marketplace know how to multiply finances. Do I need to point
out that this skill of multiplication is totally absent from government
bureaucracies and from the Church?
Church
I
know there are ministries that claim God can miraculously provide finances. He
does do miracles on occasion. However, if you show me a ministry or a business
that depends on miracles for their provision, and you will also find an offering
mentality instead of an abundance mentality.
Government
Similarly,
governments don't know how to multiply finances either. Bureaucrats know how to
print it, borrow it, and tax it, but have no clue how to multiply wealth. Can
you see the anomaly with state welfare as a solution to poverty? An entity with
no talent for multiplying finances is using other people's money to lead
prisoners into prosperity. You can't impart what you don't have. That's why
welfare tends to produce poverty. I know there are exceptions, and I'm not
advocating abandoning support programs. We just need to sharpen our focus and
do what works best. People in need are not primarily looking for a hand-out;
they are looking for an opportunity… usually in the form of a job or
the things that lead to a job: vocational skills or more education. A hand-out,
absent an opportunity, kills self-respect.
Will God Favor Me?
More
specifically, can you believe that God's favor can include finances? Am I
willing to do the things that multiply finances? Am I willing to work hard,
seek out wisdom, and take risks in order to pursue my dream? Our answer has
roots in the Father's blessing. All of my confidence as a young man stemmed
from my natural father teaching me how to work, and extending his blessing through
his teaching, the fellowship of working together, and the satisfaction of
accomplishment. It was a natural step to leave home and know that I could be
successful in other areas. My Dad told me numerous times, when I asked about
careers, Johnny, you can do anything you decide to do.”
Father
God is saying the same thing. You can do anything you decide to do. You have
the Father's blessing. It's not magic or miraculous. It's the confidence that
allows us to come out of our shell and try new things with enough persistence
and wisdom and anointing to be successful, and to do whatever we set our hand
to do. Our inheritance and prosperity begins when we set our hands to the task
of doing, it's called work, but it's in the area of our heart's desire and it
reflects the will of God in our calling. It's fun and it causes finances to
multiply. Our will and God's will are both engaged…
blessing follows! Can you see the theme of personal initiative and
responsibility?
There, in the presence of the Lord your God, you and your families
shall eat and shall rejoice in everything you have put your hand to, because
the Lord your God has blessed you. Deut 12:7
NIV
…..and you are to rejoice before the Lord your God in everything you
put your hand to. Deut 12:18-19 NIV
Give generously to him and do so without a grudging heart; then
because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in
everything you put your hand to. Deut 15:10 NIV
You may charge a foreigner interest, but not a brother Israelite, so
that the Lord your God may bless you in everything you put your hand to in the
land you are entering to possess. Deut 23:20 NIV
The Lord will send a blessing on your barns and on everything you
put your hand to. Deut 28:8 NIV
How
much overflow? What level of prosperity should I expect from putting my hand to
the task? Abundant prosperity: the kind that overflows your cup and allows you
to bless others. It's a level of abundance that exceeds our expectations, far
more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think.”
But the humble will inherit the land and will delight themselves in
abundant prosperity. Ps 37:11 ASU
Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we
ask or think, according to the power that works within us. Eph 3:20 NASU
Hear
this in your heart. This level of abundance can solve poverty. It can pay off
the debt of nations. It can bless the nations. That's the creative,
entrepreneurial level that Kings are called to. It starts at home with you and
me. It's our land.
Spiritual Maturity
We
all value spiritual ministry: sharing the gospel, healing the sick, teaching
the word, worshipping in God's presence. I want to suggest that Biblical
maturity also includes the ability and anointing to multiply finances. Here's
the progression: First we become creative and entrepreneurial in the area of
our heart's desire or calling, 2) we leverage those skills to multiply finances
(we create a product or service others value to improve their lives, we start a
business, we employ others to help us - creating jobs), 3) the entire process
touches ministry in our personal sphere; however, when our cup really begins to
overflow with finances, we can take the ministry ingredient to a missions level
and reach out to our cities and bless nations in an even greater way. Instead
of complaining about the high salaries of those business owners and CEO's, we
become them. We esteem creativity, inventions and entrepreneurial pursuits as
spiritual endeavors that build the Kingdom and bless the nations.
John Garfield
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