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Stewardship of Wealth: “Restoring Your Fortunes”
Scripture Lesson for the Day: Psalm 126:1-6
Cornerstone Text: “When the Lord brought back the captives to Zion, we were like men who dreamed”
The Hot Issue: Looking ahead, do you expect that this time next year you will be financially better off than now, or worse?
When was the last time you suffered through hard times financially? What was it like and how did you deal with it?
Today’s Focus: God’s desire is to restore the fortunes of His people.
Helpful reminders for your financial future in 2008…
God Has Done Great Things for you:
“Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them” (Psalm 126: 2).
- God has given you a testimony. Colossians 1:13
- Knowing God adds life, vitality, and meaning to your existence. Ephesians 2:1,5
Pray that God will Restore Your Fortunes:
“The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy. Restore our fortunes, O Lord, like streams in the Negev” (Psalm 126:3-4).
What “fortunes” does God want to restore in your life?
When you pray…
1. Pray for restoration of your heart. 2 Chronicles 7:14
2. Pray for restoration of your finances. Malachi 3:8-11
3. Pray for restoration of your home. Ephesians 5:25-33
Believe That God Will Bring a Harvest of Blessings:
“Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him” (Psalm 126:5-6).
1. Confidence/Belief in God involves trust. Proverbs 3:5-6
2. Confidence/Belief in God involves commitment. Luke 12:33-34
3. Confidence/Belief in God excludes selfishness. Luke 6:38
“When all these blessings and curses I have set before you come upon you and you take them to heart wherever the Lord your God disperses you among the nations, and when you and your children return to the Lord your God and obey him with all your heart and with all your soul according to everything I command you today, then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes and have compassion on you and gather you again from all the nations where he scattered you” (Deuteronomy 30:1-3).
Closing Challenge: Everything we have comes from God’s gracious hand. God asks that we be responsible stewards of all He has given us. Let’s rise to the occasion and put our confidence in God. Embracing trust and exercising commitment, let’s reject selfishness and move forward with hope. If we will walk in obedience to Him, He will bring a harvest of blessings. Billy Graham has said, “Our lives must be consistent with the slogan on our coins, ‘In God We Trust.’” Have you trusted God with the wealth he has given you to manage on his behalf?
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