A Prosperous Life - Lesson 12 - True Prosperity

Psalm 1:1-3, ‘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 word prosperity is only found in the Old Testament
The word is found between prophet and prostitute.
Do we yet have a definition of true prosperity?




Some synonyms for this word are:
Wealth, affluence, opulence, riches, success & richness.

The opposite of prosperity is referred to as:
Poverty.

Looking this word up in the Hebrew we find the following:
tsaleach {tsaw-lay'-akh};
to push forward, to break out, to come mightily,
to go over, to be good, to be profitable.

So when we study the Bible we probably shouldn’t use a dictionary to find the meanings of words.

Sounds like a better definition for the word prosperity
would be ‘strength to do the work of the Lord.’

Could you help clarify my definition?





Everyone is happy,
in whatsoever circumstances,
whose heart is unreservedly dedicated to their Maker.
In the book of Job, Elihu speaks some wisdom to us.

Job 36:11, ‘If they obey and serve him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures.’

How can we obey and serve Him?





Then how are we to live our days in prosperity and our years in pleasure?





Do we put too much confidence in our quiet state?
Peace and prosperity seduced David,
Does it do the same to us?
As David at times forgot his dependence on God.

Do we need affliction to teach us that all our blessings come from above?

Psalm 30:6, ‘And in my prosperity I said, I shall never be moved.’

Have you ever been overconfident in your state of prosperity?





If we can learn from David’s progression.
He had false security in his flesh.
He became spiritually negligent.
His fervent prayers.
His speedy recovery.
His grateful acknowledgments.

If we are earthly minded we prove that our treasure is below,
If we are heavenly minded it shows that our treasure is above.
Is our treasure on earth?
My wife and children are here on earth.

Matthew 6:21, ‘For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.’

Where is your heart?
How do we truly keep it there?





3 John 1:2, ‘Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.’

That thou mayest PROSPER and be in HEALTH, as thy SOUL PROSPERETH.
These three things, so necessary to the comfort of life,
every Christian may in a certain measure expect,
and for them every Christian is authorized to pray;
and we should have more of all three if we devoutly prayed for them.

So I ask, do you pray enough for health,
And a prosperous soul?





Once again, true prosperity,
What does the Lord want for us?
I think we need to first pray for Him to reveal it for us.
Then we will specifically know what to pray for.

And when we read His word we can read it to find our purpose.
Jesus knew what His purpose was.
Jesus knew that He would not prosper on this world in manly form.

John 4:34, ‘Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.’

Is the Lord’s plan clear for your life or is He still revealing it?





Colossians 2:23, ‘Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh.’

Sounds like the opposite of what we hear in the world,
They say if it feels good do it.





As the world is telling our children premarital sex is ok.
Everyone is doing it.
They also tell us skin is in.
And we beat our head against a wall to teach them the truth,
That those things are hollow,
That those things are temporary,
And that those things carry a consequence,
Leave scars,
And lead to death.

1 John 2:17, ‘And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.’

How can we better live that way ourselves?
And certainly instill that in our children?




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