BLESSED HANDS (5)

“…Whatever he DOES shall PROSPER” – Psalm 1: 3b

True and Full Prosperity answer to a Life that’s rooted in God’s Word and characterised by diligent, BLESSED HANDS: “He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaves also shall not wither; and whatever he DOES shall prosper” (Psa.1:3b). God blesses and prospers diligent, “doing” hands! God expects us to work. He gives talents, abilities, and skills, and requires that we work and use them. Work was not a curse of the fall. Even Adam worked in the Garden of Eden, tending and keeping the Garden: “Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it” (Gen. 2:15 NKJV).

In the Garden, Adam’s work was fruitful, flourishing, and productive, until the fall: “…Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground…" (Gen. 3:17-19 NIV). After the fall, Adam’s work became fruitless and frustrated toil. It required much sweat and hard effort, and yielded negative results – thorns and thistles.

Now, in Christ, the blood of Jesus has redeemed us. If we will do things God's Way, He will bless the work of our hands and make us exceedingly fruitful and prosperous. Whether ministerial or a secular occupation, supporting the ministry or providing for our families, God wants us to work wisely and well. Then His blessings can be real. Without working, God has nothing to bless! Some people think that being in the ministry and living by faith means sitting idly at home. On the contrary, ministry is work and lots of it, but it sure is a joy and a blessing!

Let’s recall few other scriptures that buttress this truth that Blessed Hands must necessarily be productively engaged and occupied hands:

“The LORD will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to BLESS ALL the WORK of your HANDS. You will lend to MANY NATIONS but will borrow from none” (Dt. 28:12 NIV). Blessed hands produce Global Impact!

“Then the LORD your God will make you MOST PROSPEROUS in ALL the WORK of your HANDS and in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your land…” (Dt. 30:9a NIV). This true prosperity is premised on obeying the Voice of the Lord (Dt.30:10).

“Whatever you DO, WORK AT IT with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving” (Col. 3:23-24 NIV).

The Blessed Hand works to the best of his or her ability. God does not expect me to do what I cannot do, but He does expect me to do what I can do. My very best might not be the same as someone else's best, but that is all that God asks for – My very best! Although our pay checks may come from human sources at the end of the month, we should work as if God is our boss. We should work as if our reward comes from God, not man, because ultimately it does. That’s the kind of hand God blesses, inspective of whether one is a public servant, civil servant, or an entrepreneur. As we obey God’s Word and Ways, He will increasingly bless the work of our hands.

Whoever is trusting God for a job shouldn’t sit idly at home, but engage his or her hands doing something. There could be new skills to learn. Pursuing additional certificates could provide opportunities for better employment. There could be services rendered to family, friends, or neighbours, which may open doors into unexpected prosperity. God’s promises do not fall on us like bags of cookies. We have a part to play, and then watch God do the rest.