Are you planted and prosperous?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living

That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers.
(Psalms 1:3 (NIV))

Prosperity does not always mean money!

If a tree is planted by streams of water and yields its fruit in season, that tree is fruitful. It can be considered prosperous. It does exceedingly well exactly what it was created to do!

Do you judge others by financial prosperity? Do you judge yourself by financial prosperity?

Sadly, we have a tendency to judge prosperity by worldly benchmarks where financial gain is the easiest one to measure. We do this regardless of what calling God has placed on the individuals being measured. Please don’t misunderstand me and think that financial prosperity is not from God. It is very possible to be called by God to something where financial prosperity is needed. It is not exactly easy to have the gift of generosity and not have the means to fulfill that gift.

We must realize that not everyone is gifted the same.

So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
(Ephesians 11-13 (NIV))

Each person has been gifted differently in order to equip us for His service. If we are obedient and serve as we are called, we will prosper. We will have an impact utilizing the gifts that we have been given. Just as the tree planted by streams of water yields it fruit, if we are obedient and stay planted in our calling, we will produce a yield. We will prosper in what we have been called to do.

Are you planted and prosperous?

Copyright 1998 – 2018 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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Is there someone in your life who makes you step forward?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ^©

On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.”
“Dear woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My time has not yet come.”
His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”
(John 2:1-5 (NIV))

I think that we can all identify with Jesus in this story. Let’s face the facts. We have all had someone in our lives who made us step up to the plate even though we were not ready for it. They believed in us and pushed us to go that extra step when we weren’t ready to take any steps whatsoever.

Jesus had told His mother that His time had not come, meaning that He was not ready to begin what God the Father had sent Him to do. Did she listen? Did she back off of her request? She simply turned to those who were the servants and told them to do whatever He said! If you stop to think about what Mary did, she is probably the only person in history who literally forced God’s hand. She pushed Him into doing something that He was not ready for and as a result, we learn the significance of the person that God places in our lives to get us to move.

Does God have a call on your life? Are you moving, or are you waiting for that one person who will “force your hand” and make you move? God uses these people to bring about things in your life. He uses them to bring you closer to Him and then He uses them to make you spread His Word. Perhaps you will even grow into one of these people yourself.

The key is to not ignore this encouragement because it is often Godly counsel that serves as a confirmation of God’s calling.

You guide me with your counsel,
and afterward you will take me into glory.
(Psalm 73:24 (NIV))

Copyright 1998 – 2013 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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