In this world where the major value system seems to be ‘bigger, better, more’ I’m happy to report that even if my fabric stash might appear otherwise this is not my number one goal! (Quilters are not hoarders — we buy yardage to use it!) In this land of plenty, we can enjoy a full pantry, a full closet, and a couple cars in the garage, even financial freedom, yet lots of stuff is not necessarily the focus; sometimes our God supplies the INCREASE.
Even as I write this, I know that “use it or lose it” applies to the way we consider His blessings; He wants us to be generous with what He gives us. When we give others what we have and He thinks we need it, He often gives it back and then some.
God has no problem with increase. When He created people in His own image, He told them to “be fruitful and multiply, increase greatly on the earth and multiply in it.” He also gave His people instructions for leaving the ground fallow and not eating all the fruit trees on newly planted trees. He said to let them mature and “in the fifth year you may eat of its fruit, to increase its yield for you: I am the Lord your God.”
An increase corresponded to their obedience. If they followed His commands, He said, “Then I will give you your rains in their season, and the land shall yield its increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit.” But if they lived contrary to God’s will, He said, “Your strength shall be spent in vain, for your land shall not yield its increase, and the trees of the land shall not yield their fruit.”
This is not a universal principle; ungodly people can be exceedingly wealthy. Therefore it is important to apply this to the lives of those who belong to the family of God, particularly in the OT where increase became a promised blessing and lack of increase was a part of a curse, both related to how His people behaved.
Even though the Lord blessed His people by increasing their numbers, power, wealth and well-being, He also warned them: Psalm 62:10. “Put no trust in extortion; set no vain hopes on robbery; if riches increase, set not your heart on them.” He rewarded their good works but never rewarded sin. This is plainly put in Proverbs 22:16. “Whoever oppresses the poor to increase his own wealth, or gives to the rich, will only come to poverty.”
Increase is an important OT word in describing the Messiah as it initiates the hope so badly needed in an increasingly messy world.
Isaiah 9:7. “Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.”
The first mention of this increase concerns evidence of His rule in an individual’s life. John the Baptist said it in John 3:30. “He must increase, but I must decrease.” He referred to Jesus, the Living Word.
Later passages refer to the spoken word: Acts 6:7 says, “The word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.” Acts 19:20 adds: “So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily.” Those early believers knew that this was God’s doing. Even as they preached the good news, He provided the increase.
Their preaching also showed that “the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more.” It also showed how “God who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness.” Again, the principle is that as we do what God asks of us, He increases the results.
GAZE INTO HIS GLORY. 1 Thessalonians 3:12 says, “May the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you” and when combined with the principle of obedience equals increased blessing, the Lord reminds me that loving others is an important part of righteousness and obedience. If I want Jesus to increase in my life, then I need to be generous with His blessings because He increases them only when I’m giving them away.
No comments:
Post a Comment