Oh that you had obeyed my commandments; then your peace and prosperity would have flowed like a river…
– Isaiah 48: 18
Read: Genesis 12:1-4; Malachi 3: 8-12
In order to enjoy a life of fruitfulness, we must learn to walk in the covenant; and there are keys that help us unlock the blessings of the covenant. When Jesus shared parables with His disciples, He told them that there were keys to the kingdom which only a few people are privileged to discover. And once you discover those keys and begin to operate them, you become an impossible case for the enemy because the blessings of the covenant are continually unleashed upon your life. The first key is obedience. When God called Abram to leave his father’s house in Genesis 12, he needed to obey the ‘unreasonable’ instruction in order to enjoy the blessings of greatness and prosperity which God promised him. Many of God’s instructions do not make sense. But obedience to every instruction he gives is what qualifies us to receive what he holds in His hands for us. Think for example of the instruction of tithing 10% of your income to the kingdom of God through the local church. That hardly makes sense. How can God ask us to take a tenth of our insufficient income and give it away? In fact, it almost sounds inconsiderate. I’m sure many believers who have heard the tithing teaching feel it is ridiculous! Yet God says that very principle of tithing is at the root of His covenant with His people. God says any of His children who would not tithe are thieves. I don’t mean to insult you, but if you are one of those who don’t practice tithing, you are stealing God’s money; and what are you going to buy with God’s money?! On the other hand, however, when you obey that instruction in spite of how challenging your financial situation is, you honor God, and He promises to open to you the windows of heaven. When Abraham obeyed God, and tithed to God’s priest, he stepped into another realm of covenant prosperity. You will do the same as you obey God in every area of your life, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.