Tapping into Kingdom Resources

Have you been living paycheck to paycheck? Maybe you get a financial blessing then something breaks down, like your car, and you need to pay that extra expense.

I was working as a legal secretary for a law firm and had reached the highest rate of pay they were willing to pay me. I was complaining to God then I asked God what to do. I heard, “Keep track of all the blessings I send your way.” For a whole year, I kept an account of every time someone brought me lunch, or I got a great deal on an item. It was things like a $25 shirt that I got for $15. I would write down the $10 savings. It was interesting how many little blessings there were in a year.

At the end of the year, I had racked up around $6,000 in savings. I was thanking God for these blessings. I heard in my spirit, “I can increase your income without a tax hike.” God showed me that man cannot limit my income. Complaining, not giving, and being unaware on how God blesses me puts limits on my life. I was looking at my circumstances through my narrow view of life instead of God’s Kingdom view.

Jacob learned this lesson in Genesis 30. Jacob’s background was lying and cheating to get his birthright instead of trusting God. Jacob’s father Isaac sent him to find a wife. Along the way, Jacob had a dream where he saw angels and the Lord, the God of Abraham and Isaac. In this encounter, he was given a word about his future descendants. Jacob made a covenant with God for provision.

Jacob ended up at his uncle Laban’s home. Jacob worked for Laban for seven years to have Rachel as his wife. When the seven years were up, Jacob expected Rachel to be his bride. To his surprise, Rachel’s sister Leah was who he ended up marrying. Jacob was upset but Laban, who also was a liar and thief, said the eldest daughter had to be married first. Jacob ended up working another seven years to marry Rachel.

What does this story have to do with God’s provision? Sometimes God must get the wrong mindsets out of our lives so we can have God’s blessing. Jacob had personality traits that needed to be changed, or the next generation would be liars to get what they thought was theirs for the taking. Just like I limited God’s blessing to my paycheck, we have mindset that limits God’s provision in our lives.

God’s Supernatural Intervention!

Here is the rest of the story, after fourteen years of God blessing Laban because of Jacob’s hard work, Jacob said was willing to work but he wanted some wages for the work to provide for his own household.

Genesis 30: 31-43 NIV Laban said, ““What shall I give you?” he asked.

“‘Don’t give me anything,’ Jacob replied. ‘But if you will do this one thing for me, I will go on tending your flocks and watching over them: Let me go through all your flocks today and remove from them every speckled or spotted sheep, every dark-colored lamb and every spotted or speckled goat. They will be my wages. And my honesty will testify for me in the future, whenever you check on the wages you have paid me. Any goat in my possession that is not speckled or spotted, or any lamb that is not dark-colored, will be considered stolen.’

‘Agreed,” said Laban. “Let it be as you have said.’ That same day he (Laban) removed all the male goats that were streaked or spotted, and all the speckled or spotted female goats (all that had white on them) and all the dark-colored lambs, and he placed them in the care of his sons. Then he put a three-day journey between himself and Jacob, while Jacob continued to tend the rest of Laban’s flocks.

Jacob, however, took fresh-cut branches from poplar, almond and plane trees and made white stripes on them by peeling the bark and exposing the white inner wood of the branches. Then he placed the peeled branches in all the watering troughs, so that they would be directly in front of the flocks when they came to drink. When the flocks were in heat and came to drink, they mated in front of the branches. And they bore young that were streaked or speckled or spotted.  Jacob set apart the young of the flock by themselves, but made the rest face the streaked and dark-colored animals that belonged to Laban. Thus he made separate flocks for himself and did not put them with Laban’s animals. Whenever the stronger females were in heat, Jacob would place the branches in the troughs in front of the animals so they would mate near the branches, but if the animals were weak, he would not place them there. So the weak animals went to Laban and the strong ones to Jacob. In this way the man grew exceedingly prosperous and came to own large flocks, and female and male servants, and camels and donkeys.”

This seems like a strange story but that is why we need to turn to God for our answers. Jacob had a covenant with God and had a promise that he would prosper. God was showing Jacob how to by-pass the world’s system. As an act of faith that God’s word was true, Jacob carved stripes on the branches. This release God’s provision by producing speckled and spotted livestock. The carved branches created a vision for God’s future. Just like God instructed me to track my financial blessing this act created in me faith beyond my paycheck.

Have you resented how people treat you or how they pay you? Go to God as your source. Judging people will not open the doors of God’s blessings for you. Maybe you just didn’t know God has provision. Jesus said he came to give us abundant life. Abundant life is not just finances but wholeness for our spirit, soul, and body. Sometimes we just need an attitude change or a nudge in the right direction.

My Prayer For You!

Father God,

Help! You revealed Your resources to me, and I ask that You do the same for everyone who reads this prayer. Allow their eyes to be open to see Your provision. If there is an attitude adjustment, then help them to be willing to change. Jesus, I ask that they see the abundant life You have for them. Get them out of the boxes of poverty and limited views of what You have for them here on earth. Holy Spirit, I ask that You empower them to make the changes they need to make. Direct their steps and give them wisdom to outwit the enemy’s plans. I ask for the abundant life God has for them, amen!

Scriptures

Genesis – chapter 27 through 30, John 10:10, 1 Thessalonians 5:23