“And the next day the LORD did it: All the livestock of the Egyptians died, but not one animal belonging to the Israelites died. Pharaoh investigated and found that not even one of the animals of the Israelites had died. Yet his heart was unyielding and he would not let the people go.”
Exodus 9:6-7
The livestock represents God’s provision. So, when Pharaoh wanted to negotiate with the three days in the desert with Moses, he agreed under one condition that the livestock would remain in Egyptian territory. Moses refused this petition and told him, “We need the livestock to offer sacrifices to our God.” This decision affected the finances of the whole nation of Egypt, but Pharaoh still didn’t care about it. Later on, Moses wrote, “But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today” (Deuteronomy. 8:18).
God wants to pour out prosperity as an act of grace upon His children, and the only thing the Lord asks is to consider Him in every new financial challenge. Solomon declared, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones. Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine” (Proverbs 3:5-10).
When God gets tired of people’s sin, He allows judgment to come upon them, tearing down finances in a very short space of time. But God’s blessing is always complete and covers every area of our lives: spiritual, physical and material; which includes the economic area.
The Apostle John wrote, “Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well” (3 John 1:2). As God’s children we are sheltered, blessed and covered by His blessing. God’s heart is never stingy or mean. God gives all things in abundance to His children. The Apostle Paul said, “And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written: “They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor; their righteousness endures forever” (2 Corinthians 9:8-9). The Lord gives us all things in abundance. “Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; 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” (Joshua 1:8).
SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT
Josefina’s appearance was quite striking. It is very difficult for her to go unnoticed, since in the city of Bogota there are not a lot of people who remain faithful to their custom and show it through the way they dress. This young lady from Ecuador belongs to the native community of Otavalo and some years ago she decided to settle in Bogota, Colombia.
When she began to tell us how she came to our church her testimony surprised me so much that I thought it shouldn’t go unnoticed. With her happy spirit she said, “When I came to Bogota, life wasn’t easy for me because I had to face discrimination from some people and went through a time of great loneliness. My job has always been related to crafts. I make traditional clothes and I sell them on the streets. As time went by, I fell into a deep depression and I thought the best thing to do was end my life. I had so many debts that I was emotionally devastated and on the edge of the darkness. In the midst of my desperation I started to write a farewell letter giving instructions to one of my sisters regarding what to do with the things I was going to leave on earth. I was planning to commit suicide as soon as I finished the letter. When the letter was ready I decided to have a look at everything surrounding me, as a way to say goodbye. At that precise moment a young man was passing by in a hurry and looking at his watch. Suddenly he dropped something and I shouted after him, ‘Young man, you dropped this!’ Hastily and out of breath, he thanked me. ‘What is it?’ I asked him, and he answered, ‘It’s a Bible!’ I became very curious since I had heard about the Bible. ‘What is it about?’ I don’t really know why I asked that question, perhaps, because in the deepest part of my soul I was looking for a way out.
“The young man tried to catch his breath and politely said, ‘It is about Jesus, do you know Him?’ I answered ‘No!’ It happened to be that that young man was a leader at Pastor Cesar Castellanos’ church. I said, ‘How can I know Jesus?’ Somewhat hesitant he invited me to a leaders’ meeting that was taking place that day. Later, I understood his hesitation was because he didn’t want to be late. I accepted his invitation. I grabbed my stuff and went with him. It was strange that my first experience with Jesus was at a leaders meeting. That day they announced there would be an encounter so I registered there and then. I felt an unexplainable peace after that meeting. I went to the encounter with doubts and fears. During the encounter nothing seemed to happen, however, during the last teaching one of the leaders talked about the Fatherly love of God and explained that He never discriminates against anybody. That broke my heart. That day I met my Father God and I had the assurance that He loved me. Later, I shared this experience with a friend from my community and I told him how God had restored my life. As time went by I became a cell group leader and little by little more native young people wanted to experience their own encounter with Jesus. Today, more than one thousand native young people have had the opportunity to know Jesus as their personal Savior. One of them became the youth pastor in his community of Otavalo, Ecuador, where he pastors five hundred people. Jesus not only saved my life, but also gave the victory over my debts and has richly blessed my business. Above all the financial blessings I enjoy the spiritual wealth that God has given me.”
TODAY’S DECLARATION
“I belong to the people of God and this makes the difference because I can enjoy the complete blessing.”
Today’s post is an excerpt from Pastor Cesar Castellanos’ book, Declarations of Power for 365 Days of the Year: Volume Three.
TODAY’S BIBLE READING
- Old Testament: Isaiah 65-66; Proverbs 31
- New Testament: Luke 24:45-53; Hebrews 13:9-25
