Finance Opinion

There is a wonderful story of God's provision for His people in the book of Genesis (41). You know the story--God gives Pharaoh a dream of seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine. After interpreting Pharaoh's dream, Joseph gave an outline of how to provide sustenance for the years of famine. Please note that Joseph did not say, "Don't worry about it Oh Great King, God will provide supernaturally for our needs." God had already begun His supernatural provision by giving the dream to Pharaoh. God expected Joseph to use his gifts, abilities, and hard work to accomplish His sovereign will. Joseph worked diligently for seven years to provide for the coming needs of Egypt in the great famine to follow.

God uses our gifts, abilities, circumstances, and hard work to accomplish His will for our lives.

Joseph wasn't told that his seven years of hard work would also accomplish God's provision for his own family--sustaining the line of Messiah-- when they could not take care of their own needs.

God uses our gifts, abilities, circumstances, and hard work to accomplish His will for others when they are unable to provide for themselves.

Joseph's plan entailed saving up 20% of the grain each year for seven years in order to provide enough for the seven years of famine. Through careful planning and hard work, Joseph accomplished God's will...he saved both Egypt and his own people.

I am certainly not a prophet and have not had a vision/dream from God. However, I do know that God uses our "plenty" to accomplish His will, both for our lives and for those who presently can't provide for their own needs.

We need to use our plenty to provide for ourselves, our families, our churches, our friends, and our brothers and sisters in Christ all over the world, to the glory of God.

We live in a land of plenty, at least I do. I have a desktop computer, a laptop computer, another computer at work; we have four cell phones, two cars, a microwave, books aplenty, CDs, DVDs, an extra freezer, etc. This is a land of plenty. Like Joseph, I am to save from my plenty to provide for my family and for those who currently can't provide for themselves.

Are you saving your plenty or consuming like the world around you? I John 2:15-17