“He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.” (Psalm 1:3, ESV)
Our verse of the week this week is Psalm 1:3. The context of this verse is found in verses 1 and 2. Verse 3 is describing one who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked but who meditates on God’s Word day and night.
What is described is the benefit of seeking God’s guidance in life. God will lead and direct us in the best ways possible. We will discover the best things in life. It is things like the Fruit of the Spirit – love, joy, peace, patience, etc (see Galatians 5:22-23).
It’s not the prosperity gospel. The loss of a job, the diagnosis of cancer, or the death of a loved one do not diminish the abundance in God’s promises. The truth of abundance is not more of worldly wealth but more of God. It is not a life full of good health, but a life full of faith. It is not the absence of sorrow, but the abundance of joy.
There are preachers that will tell you God wants you to have the six figure income, the drive a luxury automobile, and to be able to jet set whenever you desire. If you are not experiencing these things, they will tell you that you must be doing something wrong. You are not thinking positively enough, or you lack faith in the promises of God.
Yet, we see the faithful people of God suffering throughout history. Today, many Christian throughout the world live in poverty. They will never experience an abundance of riches. Does that negate the promise of Psalm 1:3?
Realize the definition of Biblical prosperity is very different than the American definition of prosperity. The American ideal often lifts up a version of prosperity that is not prosperity at all. The call of a follower of Jesus is to suffer. It is to deny themselves and to give up their life.
If we understand Psalm 1:3 we will understand that the prosperity of this verse is not about building our own kingdom, it is about building the kingdom of God. When we center our life on the living word, the kingdom of God will be abundant in our experiences. Even in seasons of famine, I will experience the riches of God:
“Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation” (Habakkuk 3:17–18).
Leave a Reply