“‘The silver is mine and the gold is mine,’ declares the Lord Almighty. ‘The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,’ says the Lord Almighty. ‘And in this place I will grant peace,’ declares the Lord Almighty.”

Haggai 2:8-9

These words were given to the people of Israel when they were rebuilding the city of Jerusalem, after coming back from their long and painful captivity. God was encouraging them to not look at the circumstances, but to always work hard and lean on the Word that God was giving them through His prophet. The Lord wanted His people to understand that provision and wealth are not administered by the adversary, but by the Spirit of God. It is probable that all the battles that you experienced up until this point were simple steps to help you come closer to Him.

King David said, “I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread” (Psalm 37:25). The Apostle Paul said, “And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19). These principles are fundamental. In the past, the prophet said, “Two things I ask of you, O Lord; do not refuse me before I die: Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God” (Proverbs 30:7-9).

We know that prosperity in the hands of the fool will make him stray. Ruin comes due to a disorganized life. Curse comes because some people abuse their finances. “Our fathers sinned and are no more, and we bear their punishment” (Lamentations 5:7). Today, God makes a distinction between the godly and the ungodly. He says that the Godly man prospers, whereas ungodly men face all sorts of difficulties. Something small in the hands of a Godly person is enough to achieve much, whereas the ungodly man does not know what to do or where to go. A Godly man knows that he can come to his Father who brings prosperity to him in all his ways.

Through the prophet Haggai, God said that wealth has to be the instrument that enlarges the house of the Lord, to make the latter glory of His house greater than the former one.

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT
In the XVI Century, a young man named Anthony lived in the Italian town of Cremona. Since he could neither sing nor play a musical instrument, he was very sad. His friends mocked him, because it was as if carving wood were the only talent that he had.

One day he found out that a famous manufacturer of violins under the name of Amatti was living in Cremona. Anthony went to humbly ask the man to admit him as an apprentice in his workshop. For years, he remained working there. With lots of patience, he built many violins. He was always trying to make the latest one better than the previous one. When Anthony died, there were more than 1,500 violins with the name Anthony Stradivarius woodcut inside. Today, his violins are the most sought after and appreciated on Earth, and are sold at the highest prices. Anthony was not able to sing or to play a musical instrument, but he did his best with the talent that God had given him. And now, more than 300 years later, his violins make the most beautiful music.

There are many who complain about their financial troubles, and think that prosperity depends on how much money they can have in their pockets. However, true prosperity resides in those who know what to do with their talents. A gift from God that dwells in the heart of a devout believer, will no doubt find a way to produce fruit and to prosper.

TODAY’S DECLARATION
“While I occupy myself in serving my God, He occupies Himself in blessing me.”

Today’s post is an excerpt from Pastor Cesar Castellanos’ book, Declarations of Power for 365 Days of the Year: Volume Four.

TODAY’S BIBLE READING

• Old Testament: Jeremiah 47-48; Song of Songs 2
• New Testament: John 5:31-47; 1 Peter 2:9-17