Prosperity Is Okay With God
Good Morning,
God says it is fine for one nation to be more prosperous, more powerful, and above other nations.
Deuteronomy 26:19 “And to make thee high above all nations which he hath made, in praise, and in name, and in honour; and that thou mayest be an holy people unto the LORD thy God, as he hath spoken."
Deuteronomy 28:1 “And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth:”
Liberals of today are telling us that America has no right to be successful or prosperous. Of course, the ones who make those statements usually have great jobs, good pensions, and live luxurious lives. The fact is, God says, if a nation will honor Him and obey His precepts, He will lift up that nation above other nations.
Some people say our prosperity is the result of countless evils in our founding, but could I point out our military success, our medical research and development, our unprecedented agricultural progress, as well as our spectacular success in the technology world.
Apple did not become a successful company because someone owned a slave two hundred years ago? Why do the people of Mexico and Cuba, with all of their natural resources, struggle to feed their people? Is it because some of our founders were slave owners or because the wealthy mined for coal? Were no other nation’s businessmen greedy? Did no other nation take advantage of their poor? Was there no other nation that ever had slaves? (Check your history and you will see that every nation had slaves. We were the only ones who fought a civil war to grant freedom to all men.) Did not Cambodia and its regime hurt its citizens? How many people were murdered in Red Square or by Hitler and countless other tyrants? Our success is not because someone was a sinner; if it was, there would be prosperous nations everywhere. America is not successful because of bad men, but because many men were God-fearing.
Deuteronomy 15:6 “For the LORD thy God blesseth thee, as he promised thee: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, but thou shalt not borrow; and thou shalt reign over many nations, but they shall not reign over thee.”
Deuteronomy 28:10 “And all people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name of the LORD; and they shall be afraid of thee.”
vs. 11 “And the LORD shall make thee plenteous in goods, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy ground, in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers to give thee.”
vs. 12 “The LORD shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow.”
vs. 13 “And the LORD shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the LORD thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them:”
Americans need to understand that our prosperity is frail and can be lost at any time. When believers understand that our humility, holiness, and prayer life will secure the favor of Heaven, it is only then that we will continue to have divine mercy on our land. If America stops using fossil fuels, it will do nothing to secure peace and provision for anyone, but “Righteousness exalteth a nation.”
God is okay with some nations prospering and with others struggling. Do not ask me the questions of “Why? or How?” Leave those answers to God. The obvious truth of God’s hand working in both prosperity and struggle can be read in history.
May we seek the Lord, honor His Word, enjoy His blessings, and give Him constant thanks and praise for all of His mercy and goodness.
Pastor