The Bible is amazing and I never cease to be amazed at all the wonderful promises that God has for us. I was recently doing a study on God’s promises to bless the work of your hands.
One of the things that stood out to me, that I think many Christians miss is that most of these verses about blessing are contingent on something.
For example, in Psalm 1 it is says that we need to be doing things God’s way and staying in the Word and then what we put our hand to prospers.
Or like Deut 30:9 says, “Then the LORD your God will make you most prosperous in all the work of your hands and in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your land. The LORD will again delight in you and make you prosperous, just as he delighted in your ancestors,”
It’s easy to say that we want God to prosper what we are doing, but I have noticed that most times in my life when things aren’t prospering like I want, it isn’t because God didn’t hold up His end of the bargain, but that I didn’t hold up mine.
Usually after prayer and re-evaluation, I can quickly figure out what I was or wasn’t doing that was preventing things from prospering like I wanted.
Obeying God is for our benefit, not His
Personally, I think God views the small things as major things. I can’t even count how many times I had a little issue in my life, that I didn’t think was a big deal – but that apparently was to God.
What makes it worse is when you see everyone around you doing it, and just like a 10-year old you think, “well everyone else is doing it – why can’t I?” And just like any good parent, the answer is, “because I told you so.”
What I am finally starting to realize is that it is all for our benefit! God doesn’t give us a bunch of rules just to make our lives challenging, He instructs us, not for His benefit, but for ours!
When He says not to gossip, it is because He knows what it leads to – and how it ultimately makes our lives worse. When He says to give, its because He knows that the most fulfilling and joyful life is one of giving.
Now I am not suggesting that we should just serve God to see what we can get out of the deal, but it is nice to know that He is really is looking out for our benefit!
Here are a few scriptures I found about being blessed in what you do…
Psalm 1:1-3 (NIV) – Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.
Genesis 39:3 (NASB) – Now his master saw that the LORD was with him and how the LORD caused all that he did to prosper in his hand.
1 Kings 2:3 (NIV) – and observe what the LORD your God requires: Walk in his ways, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and requirements, as written in the Law of Moses, so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go.
Deuteronomy 12:7 (NASB) – “There also you and your households shall eat before the LORD your God, and rejoice in all your undertakings in which the LORD your God has blessed you.
Deuteronomy 29:9 (NASB) – So keep the words of this covenant to do them, that you may prosper in all that you do.
Joshua 1:7 (NIV) – Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go.
I think the next verses sum the whole prospering thing up very well…
Deuteronomy 30:8-10 (NASB) “And you shall again obey the LORD, and observe all His commandments which I command you today. “Then the LORD your God will prosper you abundantly in all the work of your hand, in the offspring of your body and in the offspring of your cattle and in the produce of your ground, for the LORD will again rejoice over you for good, just as He rejoiced over your fathers; if you obey the LORD your God to keep His commandments and His statutes which are written in this book of the law, if you turn to the LORD your God with all your heart and soul.
So my question to you is, are you holding up your end of the bargain so God can bless the work of your hands??
A 4-part formula to prospering financially
This book is teaches everything I did to go from stranded with only $7 to paying off $400k of debt and giving 40% of my income. Hint: it was God.
It lays out the 4-part formula we followed (that you can copy) to be great stewards with what He has entrusted us with to be in a position for Him to do miracles.
It’ll help you earn more, save more, and have more fun giving than you dreamed possible
Great Post!
What a “coincidence,” I was just meditating on exactly this same subject. The Lord has really spoken to be through this post.
This promise is a great encouragement to me. I pray for His strength to enable me to hold up my end. Thank God for His Amazing Grace!
my thoughts on this is that God does want us to prosper. i am sorry that those in other countries struggle and suffer more to reach Gods prosperity. we are blessed to be born in the USA. if tough times steal our joy in finances or what ever this is where the test of our faith lies. do we put that much emphesis on that or release it to God, let Him who can, carry that burdon and continue to walk confidently in our faith. yes we all want prosperity and who wants to just make it in this world. so we lend on Gods understanding who is our Rock and God will make a way. i have yet to see anyone in Christ live out in the streets or be homeless. remember we are also responsible for our choices in life. God wants us to choose blessings over the bad. and God never goes back on His word. lets me thankful and grateful no matter what and continue to move forward in HIm.
You are right on so many points but the part about being “blessed to be born in the USA” speaks volumes. What you must understand is that God can cause us to prosper no matter where we live or are born. There are so many countries better off than the USA right now. I live and was born in Bermuda that is a beautiful island surrounded by the crystal Atlantic ocean and that in itself is a blessing not to mention that we are the third richest country in the world. So what we must understand is that God is not in a box but He can show Himself to be strong no matter what our geographical location. Hope you get what I am saying, and by the way I like America and travel there to visit at least once a year.
Thank you for your post. I saw in Proverbs 31:13b that the Virtuous woman delights in the work of her hands. So I asked Siri (LOL) where are scriptures about the work of your hands are blessed and you were one of the websites she brought up. Thank you!!!
Have a great day!
That’s right! God doesn’t need to give out his laws or decrees for his benefit. But, the benefit that he gets out of it is that he gets a bigger family (more children). The reason for his creation of human beings, he yearned to love children and have his children love him. He loves his children and he has to give out his desires for his children.
That was an awesome blog…keep it up!
Regards,
Miles_Boy
I agree with you that God has our best interest in mind, but I’m not quite sure I agree with your post. The term “prosper” has been so misused and abused by the likes of Kenneth Copeland, Kenneth Hagin, the Crouches, Joyce Meyer and the like, that the term itself just makes me shake my head.
The entire “prosperity gospel” only works in America where most of us are affluent. What about our persecuted brothers and sisters in Sudan or China or Korea? They love God as much as we do yet most of their possessions and “prosperity” has been stripped of them precisely because they obey God!
All of those Scripture passages you quote refer to the nation of Israel in the Old Testament and were specifically meant for that body of people. Sure, they can generally apply to us today in 2009, but I think we are putting too much weight on them and taking them out of context.
Jesus did not promise us an easy and prosperous life here this side of heaven. I’m convinced this line of thinking only leads to disappointment. “If I am obeying God, then He will bless me with more and more.” What if you are following Him and your pension gets taken away or your 401k takes a dump? Are you under wrath and discipline?
Again, no ill will aimed at the writer. Just wanted to share my thoughts!
Metalman,
thanks for commenting – I will say I am frustrated that some people have focused more about what they can get out of God, rather than worshiping Him for who He is. But thhttp://www.seedtime.com/wp-admin/edit-comments.php#comments-format doesn’t take away the fact that He is a good father who really does care about blessing us more than we want to bless ourselves. Whether or not people have abused the word “prosperity” doesn’t take away the fact that it is mentioned in scripture quite a bit (as well as many other related terms). I don’t believe that prosperity is limited to money, cause anyone with a little bit of intellect knows that there is more to life than money.
I also agree with you that the Christian walk is not one of ease – Jesus told us to take up our cross and often times obeying God can be painful and hard, but I have repeatedly seen God bless and “prosper” me in the midst of them.
And what is wrong with a redeemed Child of God claiming the blessing in the Bible?
If the ten commandment that Moses gave the Children of Israel is also binding on us then we are also entitled to His blessing.
Galatians 3:13-14, Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
I love what Peter said in Acts 10:34-36 Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him. The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of all:)
I am blessed with your message.Do send me more of your material.
Regards
Lewis
Hey Bob,
Another great article.
Thanks guy.
Send me the article on whatever you put your hand to will proper. May God Bless You Very Much.
Confirmation from my Lord, as my Pastor has preached these very scriptures this past Wednesday night. You are AWESOME, Father. Thank you.
I was trying to find a few scriptures and or quotes for a gift I am making for my daughter who has her candle burning brightly thank you.
I really enjoy reading these scriptures on your website,they were so amazing.
You know I was praying this morning,and the word spoke to me saying,Anything you put your hands on will be bless.so,I decided to check the internet,because I could not remember the scripture.
God is so good to me.
Thanks for all those explainations.
Enjoyed reading your article this morning. I am very much convince that God desires to prosper the work of our hand. Everything that I do with his help always prosper. What good earthly father is there that does not desire that his children prosper. God is greater he desires that his children prosper in every area of their lives. There is a price to pay of OBEDIENCE.
When I originally commented I seem to have clicked on the -Notify me when new comments are added- checkbox and now each time a comment is added I receive 4 emails with the exact same comment. Is there an easy method you can remove me from that service? Thanks!
Bryan, I searched for your email address you provided in the previous comment and it didn’t show up, but you should be able to click “manage subscriptions” in the comment section and remove yourself. Let us know if you can’t and we will get it sorted out…
Hi Bob,
I am preparing a short lecture to my synagogue on Psalm 1. I was reading Milton’s transformation of the psalm into verse and marveling at his artistry. One verse intrigued me. He finishes the simile of verses 3-4 with the line “and what he takes in hand shall prosper all”. He nicely maintains the ambiguity of whether it is referring to the tree or back to the righteous man but I was curious about the strange phrasing “takes in hand” which is not present in the original hebrew (which only contains the verb “does” – i.e. everything he does prospers). I would have dismissed it as a poetic flourish but did a quick google and came across your blog which discusses the psalm of course but also contains a reference to Gen 39:3 which is pretty close to Milton even in the original hebrew, containing the words “does” (which is present in psalms 1:4 in hebrew), “hand” (not in the psalm) and prosper (present in psalm) and of course carries the same connotation. Of course Genesis also uses the complete phrase “prospers at his hand”. Given Milton’s scholarship I would not be surprised if he intended the reference. Thank you for bringing this insight to light!
How interesting that years after you wrote this and years after we went to church together your message found itself on my phone. God is so good to us! Great message by the way!
Am blessed by this section. Few days back i have been dreaming about someone trying to steal my blessings from my hands. I have reached out to this, i read the scripture and am still reading them for more knowledge and wisdom about what God’s blessings over my hands is. Thank you children of God. Be blessed always
Just wanted to say this is still being read in 2020. Thank you. 🤍
And want to also say that this is the year of 2021 and this message and response to the message given is living and blessing still, why because the word of God never changed and nothing can change the word of God, nothing, so you either get on board or continue to share shake your head ever.
EPH 1 – We are blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ Jesus.
MATT 6 – Jesus said to seek first the kingdom of God & all these things the world seeks after…
DEUT 28 & 30 and JOSH 1… the blessings of God are available to all, but it takes obedience to see them here & now.
ROM 7:6 Our relationship with God puts us in a unique position, but it is our obedience to the Holy Spirit that opens the door/ the pathway to a life lived in His will & purpose.
Your piece is very inspiring. I have visited this page (I actually bookmarked it) several time over ten years and still find comfort and understanding in it by year 2022. Thank you and stay blessed