And the Lord shall make you have a surplus of prosperity, through the fruit of your body, of your livestock, and of your ground, in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers to give you.
Deuteronomy 28:11, AMPC
I have been meditating on Deuteronomy 28 lately and especially verse 11 in the Amplified Classic translation. The phrase, “surplus of prosperity” sticks out, doesn’t it? What does it mean to have a surplus of prosperity? What does it look like for God to give you and I this surplus? And if this is a recorded promise of God to us (which it is), then why doesn’t every Christian walk in prosperity?
If you have been following along with our Faith and Finances blog (read the latest one here) and podcast series (listen here), you are already familiar with the fact that Jesus became a curse for us, thus taking the curse of the Law of Moses upon Himself on the cross. In doing so, Jesus provided an opportunity for God’s children to walk in the blessing of Abraham (see Galatians 3:13-14) and has redeemed us from the curse that comes with not obeying God’s commands. Again, if you need a refresher and Scriptures that go along with this, check out the “Freedom from the Curse and Promises of Prosperity” blog.
Jesus took the curse of the Law on Himself so we are redeemed from the curse. The Precious Gift of Heaven clothed Himself with flesh and made a way for us to walk in the blessing of Abraham. What a God! What a Savior!
These truths are mind-boggling! But that’s the nature of the Gospel–not only did Jesus completely and permanently defeat sin and death, making a restored relationship to our Father God possible (which is the greatest miracle of all), but He provided even more benefits of salvation through the Cross.
After creating in us a brand new spirit, He made a way for eternal, abundant life–which is defined as knowing Him (see John 17:3). He opened up the door to a relationship with the Father! Furthermore, He actually became a curse for us and redeemed us from every nasty thing mentioned in Deuteronomy 28:15-68 (which includes sickness, disease, lack, and poverty). The Gospel of Jesus really is “nearly-too-good-to-be-true news!”
But today, I want to highlight verse 11, which says that “the Lord shall make you have a surplus of prosperity...”
In English, the word prosperity means a successful, flourishing, or thriving condition, especially in financial respects; good fortune, and prosperous circumstances, which are characterized by financial success or good fortune.
According to Deuteronomy 28:11 and many other Scriptures, God desires to bring you and me into a place in life where we are successful, flourishing, and thriving in our finances.
Does this mean that money is everything? That Christianity isn’t really about loving others or following Jesus, but about making money (as some teach)? Of course not! Prosperity is just one of many benefits that Jesus provided to us by His death, burial, and resurrection from the dead. Financial prosperity was never the main point, but rather a byproduct of relationship with God Almighty, El Shaddai–the God of MORE than enough.
Notice that there are streets of gold in Heaven. There are gemstones and pearls in Heaven. One of God’s Names is El Shaddai, the God of More-Than-Enough. Not El Cheapo, the God of Just-Barely-Getting-By. We need to understand God’s heart on prosperity. We need to recognize what God’s Word says about finances, wealth, and abundance–and how we should handle them. These truths will set you free–when you know them in your heart and begin to walk them out in faith!
A Surplus of Prosperity
Notice the phrase “surplus of prosperity.” A surplus is defined as something or some amount that remains above what is used or needed.
A surplus of prosperity, therefore, in God’s eyes, is an abundant, successful, flourishing and thriving condition in finances–not just a little sprinkling, but more prosperity than what is needed for meeting basic needs.
If you consider the Holy Spirit’s words in 2 Corinthians 9:8, God’s heart behind offering prosperity to every believer is made clear:
And God is able to make all grace (every favor and earthly blessing) come to you in abundance, so that you may always and under all circumstances and whatever the need be self-sufficient [possessing enough to require no aid or support and furnished in abundance for every good work and charitable donation].
To be self-sufficient! To possess enough that you don’t need any aid or support! That’s keeping your nose above water. And that’s a great place to be. But there’s more.
Through Jesus, God has given us the opportunity to be furnished in abundance for every good work and charitable donation.
Notice the text I’ve underlined in Psalm 112:
Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!) Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man who fears (reveres and worships) the Lord, who delights greatly in His commandments.
2 His [spiritual] offspring shall be mighty upon earth; the generation of the upright shall be blessed.
3 Prosperity and welfare are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever.
4 Light arises in the darkness for the upright, gracious, compassionate, and just [who are in right standing with God].
5 It is well with the man who deals generously and lends, who conducts his affairs with justice.
6 He will not be moved forever; the [uncompromisingly] righteous (the upright, in right standing with God) shall be in everlasting remembrance.
7 He shall not be afraid of evil tidings; his heart is firmly fixed, trusting (leaning on and being confident) in the Lord.
8 His heart is established and steady, he will not be afraid while he waits to see his desire established upon his adversaries.
9 He has distributed freely [he has given to the poor and needy]; his righteousness (uprightness and right standing with God) endures forever; his horn shall be exalted in honor.
10 The wicked man will see it and be grieved and angered, he will gnash his teeth and disappear [in despair]; the desire of the wicked shall perish and come to nothing.
Notice that this passage of Scripture is descriptive of the man who is righteous–which means anyone who is born-again by the Spirit of God! These blessings don’t come upon you because you are righteous by the works you do, no, but by the activation of faith in what Jesus did and in God’s faithfulness to His Word.
Which leads us to an entire new topic: how to receive God’s promises through faith. Thankfully, we have dealt with this in some detail in our Faith Series, which you can see here.
For now, I wanted to encourage you to think about God’s overwhelming goodness to us, His beloved Children; His glorious Church. Walking in prosperity is not an arrogant, selfish thing–in reality, by yielding to God’s promises regarding prosperity, you and I are humbling ourselves in the sight of God, thanking Him, and giving Him the glory for His provision in our lives.
It certainly is God’s desire to give us a surplus of prosperity. And not just prosperity, but an overabundance of it. A surplus of it! More prosperity than what is necessary!
God promises to lead us by the hand every step of the way in managing our finances, so we need not fear that we will grow too rich or proud that we don’t need God. In the context of intimacy with the Lord, we can learn to walk humbly and wisely with the prosperity that God entrusts to us in every season.
Today’s Prayer
Our response to His Promises should always be a grateful, thankful, and open heart. Why don’t you pray the following prayer with me today?
Father God, I thank you for the Promises You have made in Your Word. Thank you for revealing them to me today, and for brining the light and life of Your Word into my spirit. Holy Spirit, I ask you to root out any religious teaching or foundation in me that keeps me from believing and acting on Your Word.
Thank you for your Promises of prosperity, and I trust You as My ultimate Source and my Provider! I confess that I am no longer living paycheck to paycheck, but I am living in a “surplus of prosperity,” that I may be a blessing to those around me! I thank You, Lord, that as I am able to be a blessing on every occasion, that the Name of Jesus is glorified and the goodness of God is on display to those who don’t yet know You.
I pray these things in the precious Name of Jesus!