Accessing the Peace of God

 

We are living in a day and age that is more informed and connected than ever before, and yet it seems like we are amongst the most worrisome days as well.

•   Global conflicts

•   Rapid rise of AI

•   Inflation

•   Political divisions

•   Retirement concerns

•   Personal diagnoses

•   Marriage strains

•   The kind of world our kids are growing up in

•   The fear of uncertainty

Here is the truth, people are looking for peace. The world is desperate for it. And you and I can use a little more of it in our life.

Illustration:

I once heard a story of a man. There was a man named Thomas. Thomas grew up poor. Not only was he poor financially, but also mentally conditioned to survive. He worked two jobs his entire life. Budgeted every dollar. Never expected help from anyone. He had an uncle he wasn’t very close to. He was wealthy, successful, but was quiet about it. When his uncle passed away, Thomas attended the funeral out of respect. A few weeks later, he received a certified letter in the mail from a law office. It said he had been named in the will.

He assumed it was sentimental. Maybe a watch, maybe a small check. But when he went to the attorney’s office, he was told that his uncle had left him a substantial inheritance; millions.

More than enough to eliminate debt.
More than enough to change his family’s future.
More than enough to live differently.

The attorney handed him the paperwork and explained the account information. Everything had already been deposited. It was legally his. However, there was only one problem: Thomas didn’t believe it. He left the office stunned. He put the documents in a drawer at home and he told no one.

He kept working two jobs.
Kept stressing about bills.
Kept arguing with his wife about money.
Kept living as if nothing had changed.

After months went by, one day his wife found the paperwork while cleaning. She couldn’t believe it. She marched into the bank with the documents and met with a financial advisor. She found out that it was real. The money had been sitting there the entire time.

They had been struggling… while they were wealthy.
They had been anxious… while they were secure.
They had been living broke… while provision was already theirs.

You see, the inheritance wasn’t the problem, “access” was.

Similarly, you and I have been given an inheritance of peace. That peace is available to us, but we must access it. Jesus talks about this peace in our the scripture we are going to read today.

In John 14, Jesus is hours away from being arrested and taken to trial. He is speaking with His disciples trying to tell them what was about to happen. Jesus knew that His disciples were about to go through the hardest moment in their life. They were going to witness Jesus be arrested and some see him be beaten, mocked, and crucified. All of them would abandon Him. Jesus knew what was coming. And it was in that vein that Jesus shared these words…

John 14:27 — “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

Jesus said that in the most difficult moment of their life, He was leaving them with peace. So before we go any further we must ask the question, what exactly is this peace that Jesus is referring to?

In the new testament, the word peace is used primarily in two different ways:

Peace with God — Position of Peace

Romans 5:1 — “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ”

If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, then you have peace with God. If you have not yet received the free gift of salvation in your life, then the Bible says that you are at enmity with God.

•    Before I received Christ, I was at enmity with God. Because of sin, there was a massive rift in between us and God.

•    There was nothing you or I could do to close that gap on our own. There is not enough good we could do to earn our way back to God. Before Christ, you and I had no shot at getting right with God.

•    But thanks be to God for Jesus Christ for coming for one reason and one reason only, to take your place by dying on the cross. By doing so He paid the debt that we owed and exchanged our sin for His righteousness.

•    And now every person who calls on the name of Jesus will be saved! That is the truth!

•    Peace with God is the most important peace that you and I could have.

•    If you have not accepted Jesus, my prayer is that today would be your day.

The Peace of God — Condition of Peace

This is the peace that Jesus was referring to.

Peace of God = An inward calm and confidence in knowing who God is; regardless of the surrounding circumstances.

Jesus says that He was leaving peace with His disciples; not just any peace, but His peace. This is the same peace that allowed Him to sleep during a storm, stand silent before His accusers, and walk toward the cross with boldness. That same peace He was leaving with His disciples.

This was different from the peace the world gives. The world offers to give us peace that provides a moment of distraction or a chance to escape the worries and stresses of life. It is momentary and fragile at best.

However, Jesus said that He was leaving “His” peace. This is the same peace that has been left to you and I. He was leaving it to us like a legacy. There is a peace available to you and I that resided in Jesus. Let’s dive into it some more.

Peace = (Eirēnē) = Tranquility of the soul; to be free from disturbance

Now it would be nice to be free from problems, free from circumstances, and free from the consequences they bring. But that is not what this is referring to. It is an inner peace that is undisturbed from the circumstances surrounding it.

This is good, but to really understand what this is implying we have to go to the Hebrew.

Peace = (Shalom) = Completeness; Wholeness; Total inward peace

This is a heavenly kind of peace, one that the world knows nothing about. This is peace that only comes from God.

So the question is, how do I find this peace? How do I find peace when…

•   Things are stressful at work

•   The doctor gives you a bad diagnosis

•   Trying to make ends meet financially

•   Feeling overwhelmed and anxious everyday

How do we find this peace?

Isaiah 26:3 — “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.”

Perfect peace here is actually written as “peace peace.” That is a double peace, a double portion of peace. It says that you will be kept in perfect and heavenly peace when your mind and your thoughts are stayed (fixed) on God.

In other words, peace in our life is determined by our thoughts. There is a battle for peace in our life, and that battle is fought and won in our mind. In fact, just about any battle we face in life is fought and won in our mind.

The Bible says that we are in a spiritual war. This war is a battle of truth. God wants all people to come to know the truth in Jesus Christ. Satan wants to do everything he can to deceive us from the truth, and pull us away from God. One of the pieces of spiritual armor that Ephesians 6 tells us to put on is the helmet of salvation. Why? Because while our soul is saved our mind is not. The one area the enemy wants to gain ground in is your mind. If he can gain control of your mind, then he can gain control of your life.

What we think about the most, consumes us the most. What consumes us the most will control our life. Therefore, it is important that pay attention to what we fix our minds on.

We find peace in our life when we fix our mind on God. That word “fix” means to “lean fully” or to “rest completely.” In other words, to fix our mind on God means for us to rest our minds on the truth of God’s word and lean fully one Him. It means to rest completely on the promises that He has made available to you and I.

So the question is, what are you fixing your mind on? Is your mind fixed on what’s happening in the world around us? Is your mind fixed on the problems you are currently facing? Is your mind fixed on the worst case scenario? If our mind us fixed on these things then we will never experience peace. We must fix our mind on God!

Philippians 4:8-9 NLT

“8 Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise… Then the God of peace will be with you.”

When you fix your mind and rest your thoughts on the things of God, then the God of peace will be with you!

How do we fix our thoughts on God?

So how do we access this peace in our life? It is found a couple of verses earlier in Philippians chapter 4.

Philippians 4:6-7

“6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

1.     Don’t worry about anything

•   Refuse to allow anxiety to rule your life

•   Refuse to allow yourself to be consumed by the problems around you

•   Don’t allow yourself to be drowned out by all the worries of life

•   Choose to trust in God instead

•   Don’t make worrying your master, trust in God!

2.     Pray about everything

•   Replace your worries with prayer

•   Don’t ignore the problem, but redirect it to God in prayer

•   Don’t rehearse the situation over and over, but release it to God

•   Worrying is meditation on the problem, prayer is meditation with God about the problem

•   If it’s big enough to worry about, its big enough to pray about

3.     Tell God what you need

•   Supplication literally means “earnest, specific, heartfelt requests”

•   In other words, get specific with God

•   Instead of worrying about the problem, tell God exactly what you need

•   Match the level of detail in your prayer to the level of detail in your worry

•   Whatever you are replaying in your mind specifically, pray about it specifically

4.     Thank God for what He has done

•   Give it to God

•   Begin to thank God for who he is and all that He has done

•   Gratitude is not based on the results but on the character of God

•   Thanksgiving recalibrates our mind (what has God brought me through?)

•   Thanksgiving builds faith while you wait on God (if He did it before…)

•   Thanksgiving is an act of surrender (trusting God with the outcome).

5.     Peace of God will guard your heart and mind

•   When we do these things, we experience the peace of God

•   God’s peace surpassing our ability to understand

•   His peace guards and protects our heart and mind from worry and fear

•   This is the peace that Jesus has given us!

Let me encourage you to receive what Jesus has already given you, His peace. We don’t need more control, we don’t need more information, and we don’t need more distraction. What we need is more of the peace of God in our life. Let’s win the battle of peace by fixing out thoughts on God. Let us stop worrying and start handing the problem over to God in prayer. In exchange, we will receive His peace that guards our heart and mind in Christ Jesus.

Life Lessons The Curse of Balaam

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Superbowl Sunday – Superbowl LX – Seahawks verses Patriots  

According to the National Chicken Council (NationalChickenCounsel.org) Americans are projected to eat 1.48 billion chicken wings today. I wonder if those are like the whole wing or like the wing cut into two pieces. Can you believe commercially oriented marketers have convinced Americans to accept that half a wing is a wing? At any rate, it takes a lot of chickens to make up 1.48 billion wings of any sort.  

1.48 billion wings divided by the near 350 million people who live in the USA today equals like 4.22 chicken wings for every man, woman, child, and baby. This means I will need to let you out early today so you and the family can get started early. Some of us are going to have to eat more than our share. 

On a retail note: The National Retail Federation (nrf.com) has forecasted, and even made a neat little chart, that 213.1 million adults plan to watch the Superbowl today. They will spend a total of 20.2 Billion Dollars on food, clothing, new TV’s, decorations, and other furniture. That equals $94.77 per viewer.  

America is a great place to live, if you can afford it … everyone wants to live in America – unless you’re a chicken I suppose. 

Are you ready for the Word? 

Before we get to our text today, I’d like to invite Jeff Phillips, one of the Elders of our Church, to read Psalms 8, which is our Psalm for this week. 

We have been reviewing the story of The Prophet Balaam which began in Numbers 22 when the King of Moab hired him to curse the Israelites. Evidently The King of Moab and all the Elders of Midian believed the Prophet Balaam had the power to bless and the power to curse. They were willing to pay a very large sum of money if Balaam would proclaim a curse on Moses and the Children of God. (The Prophet Balaam represents you; the king of Moab represents the devil; and the Children of Israel represents all the people on earth the Lord is trying to save.)

Numbers 22:6  “Therefore please come at once, curse this people for me, for they are too mighty for me. Perhaps I shall be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land, for I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed.” 

Not only did the Moabites and the Midianites believe what Balaam said had power, but God and His Angel also believed it. 

Numbers 23 NKJV 

11  Then Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I took you to curse my enemies, and look, you have blessed them bountifully!” 

12  So he answered and said, “Must I not take heed to speak what the LORD has put in my mouth?” 

The whole account was made a matter of Biblical record so we would realize how powerful our words are and how important it is to God that we bless people and not curse them. In fact, every Born-Again Believer has the Holy Spirit living in their heart and their words are much more powerful and impacting than any of the Old Testament prophets could imagine.  

Jesus said there was never a greater prophet than John the Baptist but the least in the Kingdom of God is greater than he. (Matthew 11:11; Luke 7:28) 

For this reason, the New Testament continues to admonish us as Believers to watch what we say and to make sure we do not idly or willfully curse people. God is trying to save them! Furthermore the scriptures give us several keys to controlling what we think, what we say, and what we do. 

Romans 12

1  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

2  And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and

acceptable and perfect will of God.

Thoughts produce words – better said – Words come from thoughts. We may not be able to fully harness our words unless we can first control our thoughts. Jesus said it this way: 

Luke 6:45  "A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.”

James 3: 2  For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body.

We should all strive to be perfect and to exercise a reasonable amount of self-control. Self-control is a greater asset than one might realize. Self-control, it turns out, might just be a byproduct of filling our mind with the right stuff! 

At any rate, people end up saying what they think – maybe not to everyone but certainly to themselves and eventually to someone else. 

Problem is, when we think in terms of curses, we tend to curse. 

Romans 12:14  Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.  

Curses are real! God would not have given us instructions to not curse people unless He believed our cursing actually had power to harm them.  

God gave strict instructions to Balaam to not curse the Israelites. In fact, an angel of the Lord stood ready to kill the prophet because he did not want any curse words coming from the prophet spoken against those God wanted to save. Evidently curse words hurt … even when we speak them about ourselves! 

Proverbs 4

20  A man’s stomach shall be satisfied from the fruit of his mouth, From the produce of his lips he shall be filled.

21  Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.

Numbers 14:28  "Say to them, ’As I live,’ says the LORD, ’just as you have spoken in My hearing, so I will do to you:”

It’s not only what we say about ourselves, but also what others may be saying about us. Verbally denounce and condemn the curses others have spoken over your life, family, finances, and future. 

Isaiah 54:17  No weapon formed against you shall prosper, And every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, And their righteousness is from Me," Says the LORD.

Remember – It will please God if you will quit cursing others!  

How can you do this?  

• · Fill your mind with the good Word of God! (Proverbs 4:23) 
  
• · Think on the best you can imagine God can do. (Philippians 4:8) 
  
• · Speak that which is good. (Ephesians 4:29)  
  
• · Renew your mind and it will renew your life! (Romans 12:1-2) 

Rock Solid Convictions Intro: What are Convictions

Convictions. They’re something we never really talk about. But it is something we all have in some way or another. And while we do have them, how often do we actually think about that our convictions are? The question is, what are the convictions that we are holding on to?  

What convictions do you have that you will not change? 

• • You will not compromise… 
  
• • You will not deny… 
  
• • You will not surrender… 

Convictions are given by God to protect you and to help you love a godly life. So if someone asked you what your convictions were, what would you tell them? Have you thought about what your convictions are? These are all important questions.

 

Why?  

Because convictions define who you are. 

• • They influence how you think. 
  
• • They define choices you make. 
  
• • They set the direction you are going in life. 
  
• • They influence how you spend your money.  
  
• • They impact how you treat others. 
  
• • They shape your character over time. 
  

You convictions are a major part of your life and they make up who you are. 

What are your convictions? What will you not compromise under any circumstance? What convictions are influencing your thoughts, choices, direction, spending, how you treat others, character? 

We have to make sure that we are on the same page when we discuss the term conviction. 

Definitions of Conviction 

• 1. To be formally determined as guilty  
  
• 2. A firmly held belief 
  
• 3. Convictions impressed by the Holy Spirit 
  

Convictions are the beliefs that we hold firmly to. These the things we believe that no one or nothing can change our mind on. 

As believers in Jesus Christ, our convictions must be shaped by God’s Word. If a conviction is not rooted in Scripture then it is just a strong opinion. We must be careful that we are not just holding firmly to strong opinions. 

CONVICTIONS	PREFERENCES
Do not change	Do change
Rooted in God’s Word	Shaped by culture, upbringing, and personality
Faith based	Opinion based
Non-negotiable	Situational
You believe no matter the situation you face	You believe now but can be convinced there is something better.

So what are convictions? How would you define a conviction? 

Conviction — Something you are so thoroughly convinced is absolutely true that you are willing to take a stand for it regardless of the consequences 

Convictions are revealed in the face of adversity and consequences. 

Characteristics of a person with Convictions 

Story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. 

• - Three Jews who were absorbed into the Babylonian kingdom 
  
• - They were commanded to bow down to the golden image, and if they didn’t then they would be thrown into a fiery furnace 
  
• - This went against their convictions as the people of God 
  
• - So when everyone bowed down to the golden image, these three men were resolute in their decision not to bow down to the idol 
  
• - This led to them being brought before King Nebuchadnezzar and were threatened

Daniel 3:12,16-18 

12 There are certain Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego; these men, O king, have not paid due regard to you. They do not serve your gods or worship the gold image which you have set up.” 

“16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. 17 If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. 18 But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.”” 

In the midst of adversity and serious consequences, these three men stood firm in their convictions. I believe that we can learn something from these men. I want to talk about the characteristics of someone who lives by convictions. 

• 1. Convictions are settled before a Crisis
  v12 — “They do not serve your gods or worship the gold image”
  
• • Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego didn’t get together when the music started playing to figure out what they were going to do. 
  
• • They had already decided what they were going to do before anyone was commanded to bow. They were resolute. 
  
• • As Christians, we don’t decide our convictions when we are under pressure. We must decide ahead of time. 
  
• • The golden image didn’t decide their convictions, it revealed them. 
  
• • Similarly, the pressure moments you face in life will not decide your convictions…they reveal them. 
  
  
• 2. Convictions are rooted in a fear of God
  v16 — “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter.”
  
• • These three men knew that they ultimately did not answer to the king. They knew that they had to answer God. 
  
• • They were unshakeable in their response because they feared God. 
  
• • They feared God more than they feared man or feared consequences. 

• • As believers, our convictions come from a fear of God, not from a fear of consequences 
  Matthew 10:28 — “Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”
  
  
• 3. Convictions refuse to bow, even when others do
  v18 — “nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.”
  
• • Everyone had bowed down; an entire nation had complied. 
  
• • However, these three men refused to bow even when everyone else did 
  
• • As Christians, we live for obedience to God, not acceptance of others 
  
• • When people around you are cursing, drinking, gossiping, don’t worry about offending them; worry about offending God.  
  
• • Choose obedience over acceptance 
  
  
• 4. Convictions are lived out publicly
  
• • They simply stood when everyone else bowed— everyone saw it 
  
• • When you stand for Jesus, people will notice 
  
• • Conviction isn’t about being seen, but real convictions will be seen. 
  
• • Don’t be afraid to speak up when someone says something negative about Jesus. Don’t be afraid to stand up against what is wrong when everyone else says that its okay. Don’t be ashamed to talk about Jesus at your workplace or with your friends. 
  
  
• 5. Convictions trust in God
  v17 — “If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king.  
  18 But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods”
  
• • Their obedience was not tethered to how things might’ve turned out. They were going to trust God regardless of what happened. 
  
• • They chose to obey God, and then left the results to Him. 
  
• • As christians, we obey God without guarantees of what might happen. 
  
• • We must trust God for the outcome rather than ourselves. 
  
  

• 6. Convictions produce courage when challenged
  v18 — “But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.” 
  
• • Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego had the courage to stand up and obey God in the face of serious consequences. 
  
• • That courage came when they chose to make a stand in faith. 
  
• • We too receive courage and boldness when we choose to obey God. 
  
• • That courage comes after we have made the decision. 

In this series we will be going over 5 Rock-Solid Convictions that you as a Christian should hold firmly to: 

Rock-Solid Conviction Topics 

• 1. God — God Alone Is Supreme 
  
  
• 2. The Bible — God’s Word Is the Authority 
  
  
• 3. Money — God’s Blueprint: Stewardship 
  
  
• 4. Prayer — Our Dependence on God 
  
  
• 5. Eternity — Living With the End in Mind

Life Lessons The Donkey Knows

 

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Isaiah 1:3  “The ox knows its owner And the donkey its master’s crib; But Israel does not know, My people do not consider.” 

After a person gives their life to Jesus Christ and becomes a child of God, one of the most important things they can do is to remember what He did for them. All throughout the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, we are admonished to not forget what God has done for us.  

Remembering and reminding ourselves and others about what God has done gives Him the credit for our blessings. Another word for credit is glory. We give God glory when we remember His blessings. 

The one thing Jesus asks of us concerning communion is that we receive the bread and the cup in remembrance of Him and the way He gave His life for us. He said: “This do in remembrance of Me.” (1 Corinthians 11:24)

Just after the Balaam incident and the plague that came upon the Israelites because of their sin, God had Moses write the Book of Deuteronomy to give instructions to His children concerning what God expected of them. 

Seven times in the book of Deuteronomy God told the Children of Israel that when they arrived and were settled in the Promise Land and were comfortable in their new houses, safe from their enemies, and prosperous in their fields, to not forget what He had done for them and where their blessings came from. 

Deuteronomy 8 NKJV 

11  “Beware that you do not forget the LORD your God by not keeping His commandments, His judgments, and His statutes which I command you today, 

12  “lest — when you have eaten and are full, and have built beautiful houses and dwell in them; 

13  “and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and your gold are multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied;

14  “when your heart is lifted up, and you forget the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage; 

15  “who led you through that great and terrible wilderness, in which were fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty land where there was no water; who brought water for you out of the flinty rock; 

16  “who fed you in the wilderness with manna, which your fathers did not know, that He might humble you and that He might test you, to do you good in the end —  

17  “then you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth.’ 

18  “And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.” 

God has a reason for blessing us … and God will not forget His covenant. 

Deuteronomy 4:31  For the LORD your God is a merciful God, He will not forsake you nor destroy you, nor forget the covenant of your fathers which He swore to them. 

God made a covenant with Abraham concerning Isaac, Jacob, and their children. God changed Jacob’s name to Israel, and the Children of Israel are the descendants of Abraham. God’s covenant was with Abraham and sealed by the blood of a bull, goat, ram, turtledove, and pigeon (Genesis 12:1-4; 15:8-18). The Children of Israel were the beneficiaries of that covenant. And, God promised that He would not forget that covenant. 

Psalm 89:34 My covenant will I not break nor alter the thing which has gone out of my lips. 

The Abrahamic covenant promised: 

• 1. God would multiply his descendants. 
  
• 2. He would bless their bread and water. 
  
• 3. He would bring them into a land flowing with milk and honey. 
  
• 4. He would be their God and be a friend to their friends and an enemy to their enemies. 

Today, God’s covenant is with Jesus. It is a covenant built on better promises and sealed by the blood of Jesus. The Covenant of Christ promises:

• 1. All who call upon the name of Jesus will be saved. 
  
• 2. Sin, sickness, poverty, and fear will have no dominion over the Born-Again Christian. 
  
• 3. Every Believer will be an heir of God and a joint-heir with Jesus. 
  
• 4. God will hear and answer their prayers. 
  
• 5. The Holy Spirit will be their personal teacher and guide. 
  
• 6. The saved will never taste death. 
  
• 7. They will reign as Kings and Priests with Jesus throughout eternity. 
  

If you believe God sent His Son to personally pay the price for your sin and if you have subsequently invited Jesus into your heart, you are saved and have entered into the covenant God promised us through His Son. This covenant is sure and secure and is based on the blood of Jesus.  

If you have not yet asked Jesus into your heart, you can do that right now. It is free and simple yet the most important and powerful thing you will ever do. Call on the name of the Lord with me right now. Turn your life over to Jesus. He loves you and has a plan for your life.  

Once you are saved … remember what God has done for you and give Him the glory. He is the One who has saved you, healed you, and prospered you. He hears your prayers and will teach and guide you in every decision. Honor Him.  

Like the prophet Isaiah said: 

Isaiah 1:3  “The ox knows its owner And the donkey its master’s crib; …” 

Acknowledge your God … you didn’t do it by yourself. 

Deuteronomy 8:18  “And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.” 

There is a reason why you have been and will be blessed!