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The heavens also dropped rain at the presence of God – Psalm 68:8

No economy grows or thrives without food. Indeed, food provides the energy that fuels human activity, creativity, mobility, and innovation. For Israel in biblical times, rain was the source of water that enabled cultivation of crops for food, and which invariably drove the agro-based economy. Furthermore, in ancient times, rain equaled survival and wealth for the people of Israel, who did not live in the flood plain of a great river such as the Nile or Euphrates! With this context in mind, when the Psalmist says that rain is dropped in the presence of God, He is saying the key ingredient to prosper is present wherever God is present. So, why decide to spend time in the presence of God and ensure that He is involved in everything in our lives? It is so that we can prosper in all areas of our lives. May the floodgates of blessings inundate the of you who carry His presence in your hearts. Amen.

The difference between poverty and prosperity is the presence of God

God sets the solitary in families; He brings out those who are bound into prosperity – Psalm 68:6

There are people who have been disowned by their families; those who are estranged because they have accepted Christ; those who have been sidelined for one reason or another. For those who know of this pain, there is good news! Though our natural families may shun us, we have a spiritual family of believers. This relationship is not temporary but permanent because it is held together by Christ. This community can be found in different local churches and online. Be sure to connect to see which family God wants to set you in. Furthermore, God does not just desire to set you in a family, He wants you to prosper in that family of believers. Alas, there are some who think prosperity should be excluded from the good news. But we see here that part of the good news for those who are bound is that they can prosper in their lives. The truth is that God’s heart is for us to be loving relationships where we can prosper. It starts with our relationship with Him, and it extends to our relationship with others.

I am not alone; God is with me, He sends people to me, and prospers me

A father of the fatherless, a defender of the widows, is God in His holy habitation – Psalm 68:5

Where does God reside? The bible teaches that the Holy Spirit came to make His home in our heart when we accepted Jesus. This is the point where we became the habitation of the God the Holy Spirit. Since God now resides in us, our heart is meant to reflect the heart of God. God’s heart is for people (as clearly evidenced by the truth that He sent His son to die for the sake of redeeming man). It is for those who are weak, poor, and defenseless. His heart is for those who need help. We shouldn’t turn a blind eye to those who need help and then justify our inaction by finding fault with those who have it worse than us. Our priority is to not to judge while on earth – judgement happens later. Our priority is love! Does your heart yearn for those who are helpless, defenseless? Are you concerned about the poor and fatherless? If the answer is no, then it is time to ask God to create in you a new heart.

I am commanded to love, not to judge

If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear – Psalm 66:18

Why does God hear some people’s prayers and doesn’t seem to respond to other peoples? The Psalmist reveals that one reason may be what is in our hearts. If you are praying for the power to fulfil His purpose, you stand a better chance of your prayers being answered than if you are praying for power for the sake of soothing your ego or to lord it over people. If we really want God’s help, then we must make sure our heart is in the right place. Nature reveals that the ground does not respond to our needs but responds to the seed we give it. Similarly, God doesn’t say yes just because we need something, He says yes to a heart that does not regard iniquity. So, let me ask you this: why do you want the things you want? If it is to carry our nefarious or ungodly things, and if the intentions of your heart are not good, then you should not expect God to pay attention to your request.

I stand a better chance of receiving when my heart reflects His heart

For You, O God, have tested us; You have refined us as silver is refined – Psalm 66:10

We are glad that cars are tested to ensure they work properly before being rolled out into the market. We are glad that medicines are tested rigorously before being rolled out to patients. We are grateful that bridges are load tested prior to being opened up to the public. We know deep within our hearts that what has not been tested cannot be trusted, yet we are seldom happy when we are tested. We don’t want God to test us, but we want Him to trust us with money, influence, and power. Friend, it is important for us to be tested to discover areas where we need to improve. If we take our ego out of the equation, it is good that we are tested for it reveals where we need refinement. We shine brighter when we get refined. And who benefits from us shining brighter in life? It is the people we love and the people we influence. It is our spouse, our children, our extended family, and people we may never meet.

God allows me to be tested so that I can triumph

Come and see the works of God; He is awesome in His doing toward the sons of men – Psalm 66:5

God has given us the foundations of success. He has given us a world that is filled with resources; He has given us the mental fortitude to turn those resources into useful products; and He has given us wisdom through His Holy Spirit. If we fail, it is not because God failed to do His part, it is because we refuse to partner with Him properly in doing our part. When we partner with Him, He helps us get past whatever is holding us back. We are not always awesome in our doing towards ourselves: we make mistakes, we make the wrong decisions, and we act foolishly. Conversely, God is always awesome in His doing toward us because He loves us and knows exactly what to do to get us to have life and have it more abundantly. When we do our part according to His guidance is when we find ourselves empowered to succeed. 

When I partner with God, I partner with success

You crown the year with Your goodness, and Your paths drip with abundance – Psalm 65:11

How is your year going? Is it going bountifully or has it started shakily? Goodness is a hallmark of a year that is impacted by God. Abundance is a result of walking with God. If your year is on shaky ground, it is a sign to slow down, consider, reflect, and seek the Lord. There is a path that leads to poverty and a path that leads to abundance. Since the path that God tells us to take drips with abundance, the lack of signs of abundance may be indicative that you are taking the wrong path! While you may not be able to control what happens on the path you take this year, you can control which path to take. Choose to take the godly path. Ask God what He wants you to do and ask for wisdom with regards to how to do it. If you do this, you will find that your year will be crowned with goodness. 

God is my secret to having a good year

As for our transgressions, You will provide atonement for them – Psalm 65:3

God does not expect us to be perfect. He knows that we will make mistakes. That is why He made Jesus a scapegoat to make atonement for us. Yes, Jesus is our atoning sacrifice who took on Himself our past, present, and future sins so that we can live without guilt and shame. When you feel that you are not measuring up to God’s standard, remind yourself that the only person that could meet God’s standard is Jesus. Thank God for Jesus. Praise Him for what He has achieved for you. He was perfect so you don’t have to be perfect. Recommit yourself anew to Him so that you can grow more and more into the image of the One who is perfect. And give yourself grace for your imperfections. God loves cleaning up the mess that we make. So again, don’t beat yourself up for not doing things perfectly.  

My imperfections are there to help me grow my relationship with the Perfect One

When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches – Psalm 63:6

What is the last thing you do before you go to bed? Do you worry? Do you become preoccupied with what happened during the day? Do you use the time to watch the news? There are many things we can do to bring about sleepless nights. Yet, there is a sure thing we can do to experience a peaceful night. The secret to having a restful night is meditating on the loving nature of God; meditating on His heart and character towards us as a Father; meditating on His great and wonderful promises. When we do, our sleep becomes restful, and our dreams become sweet. So, what is your night routine? If you want to sleep better, then let the heart, nature, and character of God be the focus of your attention right before bed.

I will meditate on God at night so that my sleep can be restful

Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise You – Psalm 63:3

Trials, tribulations, broken relationships, diseases, disasters, and death are all results of living in a fallen world. Though life in this world can be unfair and unrelenting, the things that are happening to us externally do not have to dictate what is happening within us. We can find supernatural peace and joy when we stop reveling in our situation but instead look towards heaven. We can sing in the middle of the storm and can praise amid poverty when we revel in the lovingkindness of God. Yes, life sometimes gets hard, but the lovingkindness of God can soften our lives. Life can throw curve ball, but the lovingkindness of God handles it expertly. Think of the times God has come through for you. Think of how good God has been to you. When you do, you will agree that God is worthy and worthy to be praised.

The storm I am going through is temporary, but God’s love is permanent