NorthStar Community Daily Devotional

Day 353 – Prosperity in the Biblical Sense

Having a Heart in a Sometimes Heartless World

Scripture focus: And God's plan will deeply prosper through him. Out of that terrible travail of soul, he'll see that it's worth it and be glad he did it. Through what he experienced, my righteous one, my servant, will make many "righteous ones," as he himself carries the burden of their sins. Therefore I'll reward him extravagantly— the best of everything, the highest honors— because he looked death in the face and didn't flinch, because he embraced the company of the lowest. He took on his own shoulders the sin of the many, he took up the cause of all the black sheep. Isaiah 53:11-12, The Message

Are you a black sheep? I’m not. In my family, I’m definitely not that sheep. I’m more the compliant sheep who keeps telling those black sheep they need to get with the program! Do you know any black sheep? Sure you do – there’s one in every family, right? And here’s the most amazing thing about counting sheep and calling attention to color – Jesus came to take up the cause of all the black sheep. Do you remember the old song you learned as a child – “Jesus loves the little children, all the little children of the world. Red, yellow, black, and white, they are precious in his sight. Jesus loves the little children of the world.” But it is those old curmudgeonly black sheep whose cause he takes up! I’ve been telling you – everything in the kingdom of God is bassakwards to the kingdom according to men. Kind of makes you want to rethink the performance trap, doesn’t it?

We, of course, have plenty of wisdom to pass on to you once you get your feet on firm spiritual ground, but it's not popular wisdom, the fashionable wisdom of high-priced experts that will be out-of-date in a year or so. God's wisdom is something mysterious that goes deep into the interior of his purposes. You don't find it lying around on the surface. It's not the latest message, but more like the oldest—what God determined as the way to bring out his best in us, long before we ever arrived on the scene. The experts of our day haven't a clue about what this eternal plan is. If they had, they wouldn't have killed the Master of the God-designed life on a cross. That's why we have this Scripture text: No one's ever seen or heard anything like this, never so much as imagined anything quite like it— what God has arranged for those who love him. But you've seen and heard it because God by his Spirit has brought it all out into the open before you. The Spirit, not content to flit around on the surface, dives into the depths of God, and brings out what God planned all along. Whoever knows what you're thinking and planning except you yourself? The same with God—except that he not only knows what he's thinking, but he lets us in on it. God offers a full report on the gifts of life and salvation that he is giving us. We don't have to rely on the world's guesses and opinions. We didn't learn this by reading books or going to school; we learned it from God, who taught us person-to-person through Jesus, and we're passing it on to you in the same firsthand, personal way. 1 Corinthians 2:6-13 The Message

During the Christmas season, aren’t little children told that Santa brings gift to the good, and coal to the naughty? Whoever heard of a God who throws around grace and mercy all willy nilly – allowing it to spill on the good and the bad, the righteous and the unrighteous, the good compliant sheep or those naughty black sheep. In the kingdom of God – no man or woman has to approach the throne of grace with fear and trembling, hoping they’ve been good enough to get a stick of candy or piece of fruit in their proverbial stocking. In the economy of God, there is plenty of prosperity - because true riches come straight from heaven and are plopped into our heart - eagerly given with the anticipation that we’ll know what to do with all this good fortune. God trusts us to carry this message of hope, so freely given and eagerly received, and pass it on to the next person in line. I pray that during this holiday season, we’ll be the kind of children who show gratitude to all the sheep in our family – hoping for the best that God has to offer, without expectation of the form or content of his amazing grace.

Recommended reading: Zephaniah 1 and 2 in the morning; Zephaniah 3 and Revelation 10 in the evening

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