Devotion - Prosperity and Success: Part 1

I remember reading a mail from a local church pastor. It said something like this, "Come and attend this special service and you will find out how to become prosperous and successful in your financial life. Many have testified that they have got promotions in their work after following the principles given by this anointed man of God. God has promised us success and prosperity..." The problem with this kind of of theology is that it does not speak about the theology of suffering and carrying the cross.

What really then is the measure of prosperity and success. In Singapore you are deemed successful if you have the 5Cs. i.e career, cash, car, condominium and a country club membership. Unfortunately some churches also measure success and prosperity in this manner.

In the Old testament Issac was the son of promise associated with all the promises of blessings while Ismael was the son of the flesh and a castaway. But towards the end of their lives, Issac was almost blind and bed-ridden while Ismael had many wives and his children became rulers in Arabia. The children of Issac on the other end ended up as slaves in Egypt. If prosperity and success is measured by the wealth and heath gospel, it would have been proved wrong here. What about the new testament. How many of them were wealthy and successful materially. Almost none. Again if prosperity was to be measured by the physical wealth, and health the apostles would have failed. Paul himself was buffeted by an ailment.

Usually when we talk about prosperity or success we are always referred to the verse in Joshua 1:8 - "Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful". The Hebrew word for prosperity is "tsalach". One of the meaning of this word is "coming mighty upon". Judges 14:6 - The Spirit of the Lord "came mightily upon" him. The word used here is tsalach. It is also used in Judges 14:19 and Judges 15:14, denoting the coming of the spirit mighty upon the prophet. Therefore when the Bible speaks about prosperity it also speaks of being "full of the Holy Spirit". Hence according to Joshua 1:8, if we meditate upon the Word day and night and do everything written in it, then we will be full of the Holy Spirit. Tarrying for the Holy Spirit meetings are not wrong but the key to being full of the Holy Spirit is to be full of His Word and being obedient to it.

What about success....(next week)