APRIL – GOD MY PROVIDER
1. Joshua 1:8 “This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall
meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall have good success.”
Joshua was God’s newly appointed leader of His people. From the beginning he received instructions on how to cause the people of God to be successful and prosperous. There had to be a daily commitment to study the Word of God, to become tuned to His will, and to do whatever He spoke to them. Nothing has changed even until this day. We are destined for success. We are to have prosperity in our soul, our body and in everything we do. Our lives should be wholesome, peaceful and full of blessings. God has chosen to provide all things for us in abundance so that we might serve Him without lack, without fear, and with confidence that He will meet all of our needs.
2. Joshua 1:7 “ Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do ac-
cording to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from
it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go.”
It looks like there is a warning given to us in this passage. It may require some effort to
both see and do what is written in the Bible. It is going to take strength and courage to stick with growing in the scriptures. It will take some tough decision making and perse-verance to keep right on track to not be distracted or deceived into sluffing off. But the promise is, if we observe and do what God says, that we will live in His blessings and prosperity wherever we go, wherever the Lord our God sends us in service to Himself.
3. Psalm 92:13-14 “Those who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the
courts of our God. They shall still bear fruit in old age; they shall be fresh and flourishing.”
The word flourish means to bud, to blossom, and to bloom. This creates an interesting and encouraging image that can be ascribed to all people who are planted in the local church. We are talking about being well-rooted, not skipping from place to place being transplanted every few months. The idea is to become permanent enough so that one can bear fruit. Even when they are old, people will bloom with vigor and be a blessing in the church. God’s prosperity is not for floaters, roamers, and transplants. They will be using all their energy just to keep alive and wilted. God will be nourishing His own sons and daughters because they have blessed Him with their faithfulness in His house.
4. Zechariah 8:11-12 “But now I will not treat the remnant of this people as in the former
days, says the Lord of Hosts. For the seed shall be prosperous, the vine shall give it’s fruit, the ground shall give her increase, and the heavens shall give their dew. I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things.”
God is giving a great promise of provision and prosperity to a people that had forsaken Him and had failed in obedience to His Word. If we insist on neglecting the instructions of the Lord, He will surely confront us by giving leanness in our lives until we come to our senses. This is the history of what happened in the past. Sometimes a whole generation suffered because of the stubbornness of their fathers. We want God’s blessings for our lives and for our children. Therefore we will submit to walking in the principles established by Him for the purpose of giving us an abundant and prosperous life.
5. Psalm 35:27 “Let them shout for joy and be glad, who favor My righteous cause; and
let them say continually, Let the Lord be magnified, who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant.”
Now this word “prosperity” literally means health, welfare, peace, prosperity, happiness, and safety. This means that God is satisfied and has pleasure when I am doing well. That really shouldn’t surprise a Christian, since all we have comes from the hand of God. No more of this religious idea that God is really wanting me to suffer and be in poverty. If He wanted that He surely would not have given me the tools to prosper, in writing. I have found the Bible loaded with principles that work for my benefit. I search the scriptures and meditate until it becomes plain to me; then I humble myself and obey it. I give God pleasure by reaping the reward of receiving the blessings and provision prepared for me.
6. Proverbs 11:28 “ He who trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish
like foliage.”
There is nothing wrong with having riches. But there is a great danger in trusting those
riches. Once we love our possessions, they become our god. Then we hear that false god speak to us all the time, and ultimately we will follow those voices. Once this happens we can no longer clearly hear the voice of God our Father. This is the begin-ning of disaster for us, as the Lord will have to resist the pride we have in the confi-dence of having things. So let us rather put our trust in God. Let our thoughts and actions prove that we love Him and value the relationship we have with Him above all things. It is good to enjoy the material blessings He gives, but we will always choose to use them to fulfill the work He has assigned for us while we are present on earth.
7. Genesis 39:2-4 “The Lord greatly blessed Joseph there in the home of his master, so
that everything he did succeeded. Potiphar noticed this and realized that the Lord was with Joseph in a very special way. So Joseph naturally became quite a favorite with him. Soon he was put in charge of all the administration of Potiphar’s household, and all of his business affairs.” LB
Joseph was just a slave who had been treated wickedly and abandoned by his own family. That did not mean that the Lord had forgotten him. In fact the Lord remembered his faithfulness and blessed him abundantly in whatever he set his hand to. Joseph’s circumstances even got worse and he ended up in prison. There his faithfulness flourished as God prepared His servant to eventually have responsibility for the wealth and resources of the known world. We too need to develop this kind of Joseph integrity.
8. 3 John 2 “ Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as
your soul prospers.”
I am so thankful that I am thoroughly saved from my sins and Jesus has provided abun-dant life for me. Secondly, I am grateful to know He is continually giving me health for my body. Finally, I receive the blessing and prayer of the Apostle John that I am pros-pering in material things and there is an overflow of supply into my life so I can be a blessing to others. May my obedience to the Word of God be a teacher to all those who are around me, so that they too will be motivated to walk with Jesus and reap all the benefits of that lifestyle. Think about how powerfully we could impact the world and serve people the Gospel of Christ if every Christian was overflowing with the abundant provision God has intended for His children. I will do my part! Will you join me?
9. Proverbs 10:22 “The blessing of the Lord makes one rich, and He adds no sorrow
with it.”
Sometimes religious people act like having riches is a sin. Yet in this verse the Bible clearly states that God’s blessing makes a person rich. This word rich actually means to accumulate substance, to have riches. What we need to make clear is that there is a way, the Lord’s way, to be increased in goods without having sorrow accompany the provision. The blessings come through our intimate relationship with Jesus, obeying the Word of God in every way, and sowing financial seed into the kingdom of God. We are exhorted in the Bible to help the poor and to give where there is a need. How much better we can do this if we have some substance to give. In fact we cannot obey this Word without receiving these blessings of heaven. I am doing what it takes to receive.
10. Malachi 3:10 “Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My
house, and prove Me now in this, says the lord of hosts, If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it.”
We should meditate on this prophetic commandment. It says to “bring” the tithes. That means we have to be there, not send it. Bring it all – not just a portion. A tithe is one tenth – no more and no less. If a tenth is tampered with in any way or divided it is no longer a tithe. It is all to be brought into the storehouse – the church, where you will be getting spiritual food. Failure to bring all the tithe means messing with the food in the house. The result: either a lack of spiritual food or a failure to actually receive any revelation. It is not God’s fault. The blame lies with those who refuse to obey the bible.
11. Malachi 3:10 “Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so that there will be food
enough in My Temple; if you do, I will open up the windows of heaven for you and pour out a blessing so great you won’t have room enough to take it in. Try it! Let Me prove it to you!” LB
There is only one way to open up the windows of heaven and I am the one responsible to make it happen for me. I have to bring my tithes into the church where God assigns me to serve. Abundance from God is definitely tied to obedience to God. There are no shortcuts. He will not become a partner with a thief that is robbing Him. Verse 8 says that if we do not bring our tithes and offerings to God we are robbing Him. Imagine what God thinks when He observes a church where many people don’t tithe. It’s like a gath-ering of robbers trying to praise Him but destined to live under a curse of poverty (v 9).
12. Malachi 3:8-9 “Will a man rob God? Surely not! And yet you have robbed me. ‘What
do you mean? When did we ever rob You?’ You have robbed Me of the tithes and offerings due to Me. And so the awesome curse of God is cursing you, for your whole nation has been robbing Me.” LB
Maybe we don’t yet realize that the tenth of all our income or our increase already belongs to God. All He is requiring of us is that we respond to His command to bring it into the church for His use. If we fail to do that we are retaining the seed that has to be planted in the Kingdom of God to produce the abundant blessing the Lord has intended for his people. Therefore we are on our own in making provision for our lives. We are limited to our own resources and abilities. Our finances are cursed. Bringing our tithes will bring us into financial partnership with God and walking in His blessings.
13. Malachi 3:11-12 “And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, so that he will not
destroy the fruit of your ground, nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field, says the Lord of Hosts; and all nations will call you blessed.”
The Lord is taking the responsibility for protecting us in our provision and also providing safety for our children. Our children are the fruit of our field – our lives. I can relax and quit trying to fight my enemy, Satan. Why? Because God is rebuking him, and what could I ever add to God’s dealing with the devil. I have learned that bringing the tithes to the church where I am planted is one of the most powerful tools I could ever employ for the well-being of myself and my family. Therefore my time can be used in fellowship with God, in worship, and in building up my faith by meditating in the Scriptures. Now that is good planning and making a positive decision towards having success.
14. Malachi 3:8 “Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ‘in what
way have we robbed You?’”
If we fail to bring our tithes into the storehouse, the church, we are keeping that which belongs to God for ourselves. We may even spend it to feed the poor or on some noble act that pacifies our conscience. If you take a payment that you owe to me and spend it on some worthwhile thing, I will not be impressed. In fact you will probably be in trouble with me because you cannot be trusted any more concerning financial arrangements. How could God trust you with any more finances if you will not pay what is due Him – that first ten percent of your wages? You are actually robbing the Lord of giving you the abundance He had planned for your life, because He cannot bless a thief. He really wants to bless you but you have tied His hands. So you suffer, and God suffers too.
15. Malachi 3:10 “Bring your full tithe to the Temple treasury so there will be ample
provisions in My Temple. Test Me in this and see if I don’t open up heaven itself to you and pour out blessings beyond your wildest dreams.” MSG.
God is really looking for partners in His spiritual family that He can trust with great abundance. Here’s the deal He offers – He will supply all the funds for our business we are doing together. We are expected to put His share – ten percent – into the business and keep ninety percent for ourselves. Then when we receive a harvest He still only requires His tenth and we keep our nine tenths share. God is the one who makes the investment grow and we get the larger share. Why should we try to rip Him off by stealing what belongs to Him. How about trying to be a little more fair with our business partner? I am going to use that tithe to keep the windows of heaven open for myself.
16. Genesis 13:2 “Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold.”
How did Abram ever accumulate all this wealth? Well, every place he went he set up an
altar and worshipped God there. He became a friend of the Lord. He was submitted to the Lord. And he had set himself up to be blessed by the Lord by tithing. Genesis 13 gives us the account of Abram rescuing his nephew Lot from captivity as a result of war in the country where they lived. It was a time of intense pressure. In times of pressure most of us resort to doing what we have adopted as a pattern in our lives. It is like a default setting for us. Well we see in verse 20 that Abram gave a tithe to the Lord. It was natural to do this because it had become part of his lifestyle. God had found that He could trust this man of faith so He continued to bless his life with material wealth. It is an act of love and faith for all of us today to bring our tithes to the local church we attend.
17. Genesis 26:12-14 “Then Isaac sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year a
hundredfold; and the Lord blessed him. The man began to prosper, and contin-ued prospering until he became very prosperous; for he had possessions of herds, and a great number of servants. So the Philistines envied him.”
Isaac sowed seed in a land of famine because the Lord told him to do it. I would think that Abraham had taught his son to do the very thing that had caused him to prosper, to tithe. Therefore Isaac had acted to keep heaven’s windows open and even in an econo-mic crises, God blessed what he set his hand to in obedience. In fact Isaac was so blessed the ungodly Philistines noticed it and became jealous. This is a sign that God wants to reveal to people today too. Those who follow Him and obey His Word will be blessed supernaturally even in hard times when famine affects those around us.
18. Mark 4:18 “But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up,
increased and produced: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.”
The harvest on the financial seed we sow into God’s Kingdom is affected by what we do. First of all we need to choose good ground to plant in. The primary field of our sowing is the local church God has assigned us to be planted in. Is that church doing the will of God? How much seed we sow affects our yield also. If I plant little I can expect a small crop. If I plant lots of seeds, I could expect much more. How I am living will also determine the harvest I will reap. Am I living a moral life? Do I serve in the place God has put me? Am I faithful with the talents given to me? Do I respect the authorities appointed over me in my daily living – domestic, spiritual, governmental? Am I submitted in the Kingdom of God so I can become the steward of a significant harvest?
19. Deuteronomy 12:5,8 “But you shall seek the place where the Lord your God
chooses, out of all your tribes, to put His Name for His habitation; and there you shall go. You shall not at all do as we are doing here today – every man doing whatever is right in his own eyes….”
There are two points in this passage of scripture that may hold the key to our receiving the abundant provision God intends for us. We are responsible to find out from the Lord which church we are to commit to so we can spiritually grow there, serve there, and bring our tithes there. The second point is that we have to stop being so self centered. Our society has become a company of people who, for the most part, just do whatever they want to do. It is time we seek the Lord’s will for our journey. Since we claim to be subjects of our King, Jesus, why not let Him govern us. Then He also will provide for us.
20. Acts 20:33-35 “I have never been hungry for money or fine clothing – you know
these hands of mine worked to pay my own way and even to supply the needs of those who were with me. And I was a constant example to you in helping the poor; for I remembered the words of the Lord Jesus, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
I think the Apostle Paul was far more concerned about setting his hand to some task so he could be a blessing to his partners in ministry and to give to those in need, than he was about getting money and fine clothes. Paul understood a spiritual principle here. He knew that to give was a powerful thing. Giving puts us in a unique place with God. When we give as God directs us we have locked into being the recipient of the abun-dant harvest of heaven. That is even better than having seed in our hand and our home.
21. Galatians 6:7-8 “Don’t be misled: no one makes a fool of God. What a person plants,
he will harvest. The person who plants selfishness, ignoring the needs of others – ignoring God! – harvests a crop of weeds! But the one who plants in response to God, letting God’s Spirit do the growth work in him, harvests a crop of real life, eternal life.” MSG
I really want my life to please God, therefore I choose to let Him guide my hands in planting seeds. I will plant the good seeds He has given me into other lives. I will plant the resources He has entrusted to my stewardship into blessing people. This includes the Word of Truth, this includes my godly attitudes, and it also includes my money. It all has eternal consequences. I can be assured that what I sow I will reap. It is a promise in the Bible. I am going to submit to God, and never try to fool Him!
22. Galatians 6:9-10 “ So let’s not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good. At the
right time we will harvest a good crop if we don’t give up, or quit. Right now, therefore, every time we get the chance, let us work for the benefit of all, starting with the people closest to us in the community of faith.” MSG
Here we have a promise of getting a good harvest on the seeds we sow. But we need to be aware of the pitfalls that the devil would lure us into. Even our own flesh can affect the crop we may or may not receive. Sometimes we get weary or discouraged as we continue to give and give and give, and it seems that there is no result. Hold on there! God is saying that we will reap rewards if we don’t give up. We will see the fruit of our giving if we refuse to quit. Keep on working for the Kingdom of God, especially in your loving and serving the people in your church. There is power in doing what God says!
23. Deuteronomy 8:18 “And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who
gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.”
Let us be clear in our minds about the source of all provision that comes into our lives. It is the Lord. But note also that it is He who gives you the power to get wealth. The power to get finances is in our giving. So if we exercise our power by tithing into the church and giving wherever God directs us, we will ultimately reap the benefits of having an abundance of resources to use. When we steward these finances properly the Gospel will be going out to others. That is what “establishing the covenant” means. We are not to hoard but to spend. My goal is to be a big spender! A big spender must have ample wealth to spend. Therefore I will exercise my power properly to gather finances to use.
24. Proverbs 3:9-10 “ Honor the Lord with your possessions, and with the firstfruits of
all your increase; so your barns will be filled with plenty, And your vats will over-flow with new wine.”
Here is the wisdom of the great Solomon. It is surprising how many Christians feel that they have more wisdom than Solomon. Instead of honoring the Lord with their firstfruits, or the first ten percent of their income, they have all kinds of ideas on what they will give to God. They are actually dishonoring what the Lord has recorded in writing for us to obey. We are expected to bring our possessions, and no substitute determined by our self will or opinions will suffice. In fact, if we think we can bring a tithe of our time, we may well get back a harvest of much time when we are out of a job, and our barns will be emptied of substance. That sure will never honor God, so let us respond to Solomon.
25. 2 Corinthians 9:6-7 “ Remember, a stingy planter gets a stingy crop; a lavish planter
gets a lavish crop. I want each of you to take plenty of time to think it over, and make up your own mind what you will give. That will protect you against sob stories and arm twisting. God loves it when the giver delights in the giving.” MSG
I have taken plenty of time to think over what I will be giving. First of all I will be bringing all of my tithes into the church in obedience to the words of the prophet Malachi and the wisdom of Solomon. There is no need for me to ever think about that issue again. I have become like Father Abraham, where this is the plan for my life, whatever the circum-stance. My mind is also made up about giving money wherever God tells me to sow. That is settled. Finally, I have committed to do all this giving with a cheerful heart. Why not delight in doing the very thing that would make my Lord happy? He loves it!
26. 2 Corinthians 9:8 “ And God is able to make all grace abound towards you, that
you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.”
WOW! I like this “God talk.” There is no need to solicit my employer to “up” my wages. All I need to do is to become a cheerful and obedient giver. Now Jehovah Provider is exercising His great power and grace towards supplying my needs. There is a blessing on it’s way to me, because God has committed Himself to a sufficiency in all things for my life. Now I am praying that He will assign me to doing many, many good works. As these are revealed to me and I respond to His will, He can release those abundant provisions to accomplish the works. If I am without plans to serve the Lord, He is not obligated to pay for “doing nothing.” I am going to draw on what is offered from heaven.
27. 2 Corinthians 9:10-11 “This most generous God who gives seed to the farmer that
becomes bread for your meals is more than extravagant with you. He gives you something you can then give away, which grows into full-formed lives, robust in God, wealthy in every way, so that you can be generous in every way, producing with us great praise to God.” MSG
God gives us seed to sow. He then multiplies that seed if we will sow it. Seed that re-mains in our possession cannot be multiplied. The harvest coming through God’s gen-erosity provides a greater abundance of seed for us to manage. The principle of sowing and reaping put into practice guarantees an ever increasing abundance for the people of God. Then we can do the works appointed to us. Our obedience to obey the principle is called an act of righteousness and causes our Lord to receive the glory He deserves.
28. 2 Corinthians 9:8 “God can pour on the blessings in astonishing ways so that
you’re ready for anything and everything, more than just ready to do what needs to be done. As one Psalmist puts it, ‘He throws caution to the winds, giving to the needy in reckless abandon. His right-living, right-giving ways never run out, never wear out.’” Msg
Limiting myself to my own abilities and my own earning power can lead to quite a boring life. That’s one of the reasons I am excited to have been shown a better way. The Lord wants us all to partner with Him in all our financial affairs so we can step up into super-natural living and supernatural giving. I am always excited to see how God will provide and what abundance He will release for me and my family to get more involved in doing His work. Now He even provides that blessing for my children and their children.
29. Genesis 28:20-22 “ And Jacob vowed this vow to God: ‘If God will help and protect
me on this journey and give me food and clothes, and will bring me back safely to my father, then I will choose Jehovah as my God!’ And this memorial pillar shall become a place of worship; and I will give back a tenth of everything you give me.” LB
Jacob was fleeing for his life with a few scanty provisions. He fell into an exhausted sleep and had an encounter with God in his dreams. God revealed to him the secret of his future success, that it lay in tithing. The angels in his dream were ascending to heaven to worship the Lord with what Jacob would give, and then descending from heaven to Jacob with what the Lord would provide. The amazing story of God’s pro-vision for a man who began with nothing but obedience, is recorded there in the Bible.
30. Leviticus 27:30-33 “A tenth of the land’s produce, whether grain from the ground or
fruit from the trees, is God’s. It is holy to God. If a man buys back any of the tenth he has given, he must add twenty percent to it. A tenth of the entire herd and flock, every tenth animal that passes under the shepherd’s rod, is holy to God. He is not permitted to pick out the good from the bad or make a substitution, If he dishonestly makes a substitution, both animals, the original and the substitute, become the possession of the Sanctuary and cannot be redeemed.” MSG.
When God set his people free from the slavery of Egypt, He immediately gave them the plan to prosper under His hand. This plan was to bring the tithe to the Lord. Of course today we bring it to the church, the Body of Christ. This is our privilege, and our pro-tection against never again coming under the dominion and slavery of the world’s ways.