“From the Heart” teaching by Drs. Rodney & Adonica Howard-Browne.
Beware that you do not forget the Lord your God by not keeping His commandments, His precepts, and His statutes which I command you today, 12 Lest when you have eaten and are full, and have built goodly houses and live in them, 13 And when your herds and flocks multiply and your silver and gold is multiplied and all you have is multiplied, 14 Then your [minds and] hearts be lifted up and you forget the Lord your God, Who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 15 Who led you through the great and terrible wilderness, with its fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty ground where there was no water, but Who brought you forth water out of the flinty rock, 16 Who fed you in the wilderness with manna, which your fathers did not know, that He might humble you and test you, to do you good in the end. And beware lest you say in your [mind and] heart, My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth. 18 But you shall [earnestly] 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. Deuteronomy 8:11-18 AMP
Verse 18 does not say that God gives you wealth – it says that He gives you the power to get wealth. There is something that is required of YOU. You are the one who get the wealth – by the power of God! Some people think that they need do nothing while God does everything, but God requires your willingness and your obedience.
The first thing you must do in order to prosper is to work. 2 Thessalonians 3:10 says that, “If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat.” The second thing you must do is to give to the Lord – your first-fruits, your tithe and your offerings. Malachi 3:8-10 says that you are robbing God and under a curse if you do not bring your tithes and your offerings to God’s storehouse.
However, when you bring God your whole tithe, there will be food in His house and blessings on you that you won’t have room for! Tithing and giving are not optional to the child of God, they are required. The moment you accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, you are washed in His blood and His covenant of blessing is established in your life.
You are in covenant with Almighty God – what is His is yours, what is yours is His. One tenth of your income is a very small offering compared to what God gave you – His all and His only! The Lord gives you the power to get wealth in order that His covenant with you would be established or fulfilled. God will never owe anybody anything – He always pays what He owes and gives what He promised to give!
Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy one of Israel: I am the Lord your God, Who teaches you to profit, Who leads you in the way that you should go. 18 Oh, that you had hearkened to My commandments! Then your peace and prosperity would have been like a flowing river, and your righteousness [the holiness and purity of the nation] like the [abundant] waves of the sea. 19 Your offspring would have been like the sand, and your descendants like the offspring of the sea; their name would not be cut off or destroyed from before Me. Isaiah 48 17-19 AMP
The Lord is the One who teaches you to profit – if you will pay attention to Him and His Word. First, do what you know to do – work and give. Then pray. Ask God for wisdom. Use your faith to trust God to open doors for you and give you favor. Trust Him to give you ideas and innovations. Be faithful with everything God gives you – starting with the small things and moving on to bigger and bigger things. If you – the Church – will put the Kingdom of God first, if you will obey God and give, if you will reject covetousness and embrace generosity, then God will teach you to profit and yourpeace and prosperity will be like a flowing river!