Deuteronomy 8:12-13, 17-18 (NKJV) lest—when you have eaten and are full, and have built beautiful houses and dwell in them; and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and your gold are multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied; … then you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth.’ “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.
Do you know that many of us have the same mentality as the Israelites mentioned in this passage? It is a problem when we begin to think that we have gained power and wealth with our own hands. Our hearts are lifted up when life is good and we begin to think that we have no need for God, that we can do whatever we like because we have money at our disposal, and nobody dares to speak into our lives. It is an issue with God when we are proud and begin to trust in Mammon more than God and begin to idolise money. We have elevated ourselves above God. Pride causes us to depart from God.
In order to stay humble, we need to look to God and acknowledge that He is a faithful provider and the one who blesses. We read in the Bible from the time of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden to Abraham, Job, Joseph, Daniel and his friends, King David and King Solomon that it was God who blessed them. God was the source of their blessings and provision. This knowledge kept them humble before God. God is consistent in the Old Testament and the New Testament in ensuring that His people are well-provided for and blessed. When the Israelites entered the promised land, they were well-provided for because it was a land flowing with milk and honey. God had to remind them that the blessings and prosperity they were enjoying were due to their God-given power and ability to get wealth. God gave them the power and ability to prosper because He was fulfilling His covenant obligations promised to Abraham and their forefathers.
The problem is that not many Christians believe that God is able to grant us wisdom and the power to be successful. We don’t believe that it is God who gives us the wisdom, favour and abilities to do well in the marketplace, and we are afraid that we will fall out of favour with our bosses if we do not compromise by working accordingly their values. However, we need to fully acknowledge that God is the source of our provision. He is Jehovah Jireh, our provider, and if we are convinced that God has the ability to prosper us, then we do not need to compromise with the world and its values.
Sermon Series: Seriously?
耶和华以勒,我的供应者
申命记 8:12-13, 17-18 恐怕你吃得饱足，建造美好的房屋居住，你的牛羊加多，你的金银增添，并你所有的全都加增，恐怕你心里说：‘这货财是我力量、我能力得来的。’你要记念耶和华－你的 神，因为得货财的力量是他给你的，为要坚定他向你列祖起誓所立的约，像今日一样。
你知道我们中间的许多人与这段经文中提到的以色列人有同样的心态吗？当我们开始认为是靠自己的双手获得了权力和财富时，这就出了问题。日子好过时，我们的心开始飘飘然，认为自己不需要神，我们可以为所欲为，因为我们有钱可以支配，没有人敢对我们的生活发表意见。当我们傲慢自大，并开始相信玛门甚于信靠上帝并开始崇拜金钱时，我们与神的关系就出了问题。我们已经把自己抬高到神之上。骄傲使我们离开了神。
为了保持谦卑，我们需要仰望神，并承认祂是信实的供应者和赐福者。我们在圣经中看到，自亚当和夏娃在伊甸园中开始，然后是亚伯拉罕、约伯、约瑟、但以理和他的朋友们、大卫王直到所罗门王，祝福他们的从来都是上帝。这样的认识使他们在神面前保持谦卑。在旧约和新约中，神都始终如一地确保祂的子民得到充足的供应和祝福。当以色列人进入应许之地时，他们得到了充分的供应，因为那是一片流奶与蜜的土地。神必须提醒他们，他们所享受的祝福和繁荣是由于神赋予了他们获得财富的权能。神之所以赋予他们繁荣的权能，是因为祂是在履行祂与亚伯拉罕及其先祖所立的约。
问题在于，大部分基督徒都不相信神能够赐予我们功成名就的智慧与能力。我们不相信是神给了我们智慧、恩典和能力，使我们在职场上表现出色。我们害怕如果不向老板们的价值观妥协，我们就会失去他们的青睐。然而，我们需要彻头彻尾地承认神是我们供应的源头。祂是耶和华以勒，我们的供应者，如果我们确信神有能力使我们繁荣，那么我们就不需要向世界及其价值观妥协。
讲章系列：认真的吗？
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