Text: Genesis 26:12-14
Isaac planted crops in that land and the same year reaped a hundredfold, because the Lord blessed him. The man became rich, and his wealth continued to grow until he became very wealthy. He had so many flocks and herds and servants that the Philistines envied him.
When God blessed Isaac with grains, if he started giving them out to people for free, he would have ended up poor with the people.
If the wise virgins gave out their oil they when they were asked, they and the foolish ones would have ended up in darkness together.
God blessed Ishmael with a well in the desert.
How did he become rich?
Do you think he drank only water from the well and became rich?
HARD LESSONS OF LIFE
- Jesus said, love your neighbor as yourself, not necessarily more than yourself.
There are times you need to put people beyond yourself and there are times when you need to put yourself first, else you and the people get to suffer.
- Give and it shall be given unto you is not only talking about offerings.
That was why Elisha asked the woman that was married to the Prophet in 2 Kings 4:2, “What have you of sale value (AMP)?”
When you give services, solutions, skills, intellect, products, etc. people in turn shall give unto your blossom more than you gave. That is profit.
- Interaction with the world should be distinguished between philanthropy and business.
It is better to give from your profit to charity than to give the investment capital and then kill the business.
- Sow seeds not the trees.
It is true that the widow gave her last meal to Elijah, that is the exception; it does not happen every day. You don’t to see ravens feed people every day.
- The miraculous is too periodic and exceptional to be a basis for day-to-day living.
That Jesus multiplied bread and fish did not prevent the sale of fish and bread in the city the next day.
The present oil glut will not affect Norway like Nigeria. They had invested over the years the money from their oil windfall. We squandered our own on luxuries.
There is no record that Isaac reaped a hundred fold again. He managed that exceptional miracle exceptionally well.
These are hard facts of life. We are gradually preaching our people into speculative and hedonistic Christianity based on obscurantism.
Please don’t be angry with me. Many of the preachers you admire have businesses, including me.
Many of us have squandered opportunities and resources.
God will give you fresh opportunities again. I ask that He gives you the wisdom to manage them well.
He will also give you the wisdom not to eat your blessings raw.
You will do profitable transactions with them.
You will bless humanity from the profit from your life in Jesus’ name.
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