Make Wealth Happen – Esau and Jacob 1

Written by Uyoyou Christiana Charles-Iyoha

Born the same day by the same mother, they are the only children of Isaac and Rebecca. Though twins, nothing in their history except their birth and the fact that they both lived in the womb of Rebecca before making their dramatic entry into the world suggest so. From the Biblical accounts about the twin brothers, the usual closeness associated with twins is significantly noticeably absent. Secondly, Jacob’s treatment of his older and only sibling does not in any way speak of a loving brotherly relationship. Why, you may ask?

Jacob refused to share his pottage with his hungry brother Esau despite the fact that Esau pleaded with him to have some pottage to assuage his hunger. Jacob surprisingly took advantage of the fact that Esau was very hungry and negotiated Esau’s birthright in exchange for a plate of pottage. A rather famished Esau who had lost all sense of reason acceded to Jacob’s request and traded in his birthright for the plate of pottage.

Unfortunately, this was not a one off incident of Jacob trying to rob Esau of his firstborn blessings. He also went ahead of Esau to their aged father, Isaac to receive the blessings of the father. It is quite significant and instructive to know that Jacob was acting in tandem with his mother, Rebecca to deceive Isaac into believing that Jacob was Esau. Needless to say, they succeeded in deceiving Isaac as Jacob successfully masked his baby smooth skin with animal skins so that his skin would feel hairy to the touch like Esau’s.

Jacob’s supposedly success at stealing the blessings was somewhat short lived. The moment Esau discovered that he had been robbed of the father’s blessings; he took a decision to kill Jacob. But somehow, Jacob succeeded in fleeing to Padan Aram, his mother’s birthplace to live with his maternal uncle, Laban.

Always Plan for Abundance

Written by Uyoyou Christiana Charles-Iyoha

One of the secrets of abundance is to always plant seeds. This is because planted seeds are the seeds which multiply and compound to abundance. Please read John Chapter 12 verse 24, Luke Chapter 6 verse 38, Malachi Chapter 3 verses 6 to 12 and Genesis Chapter 8 verse 22.

That is why every wise farmer keeps the best of seeds for planting so that progressively, s/he experiences bountiful harvests, increase and abundance. The patriarch Isaac is a classic example. He planted seed in Gerar at a time of drought because God instructed him to do so. The result was progressive bountiful harvests which made him about the riches person in Gerar. Please read Genesis Chapter 26 for details.

One of the ways to always plan for abundance is to always plant seeds, quality seeds (Jeremiah Chapter 2 verse 21) so that the seeds would grow, multiply and compound to abundant harvests. Please read Zechariah Chapter 8 verses 9 to 13, Psalm 126 verses 5 to 6. Significantly, seed time is the season for planting seeds while harvest time is the season for reaping the abundant fruits from the planted harvest. It then implies that the farmer who plants at planting season is the one who will have abundant fruits to reap at harvest time. Beloved, the farmer who plants at planting time is a wise farmer because he will reap bountiful harvests. But the farmer who does not plant at planting time will have no harvest; that is zero seed on the ground and zero harvest. That explains why the Bible talks about seeds fruiting and multiplying only when they are planted.

Sometimes, it is not convenient, pleasant to plant as the ground may be hard and dry (probably because of drought as in Genesis Chapter 26); it may be in contention; the circumstances may just not be right as in Haggai Chapters 1 and 2; the opposition may be stiff as experienced by the Apostle Paul in 1^st Corinthians Chapter 16 verse 9 and Acts Chapter 19: yet God’s will clearly spells PLANT. Also, resources might be insufficient yet God says to plant. What to do is plan God’s abundance because it will always come regardless of the situation, circumstances or availability of resources.

You Can Work for God

Written by Uyoyou Christiana Charles-Iyoha

Son of man, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon caused his army to labor strenuously against Tyre; every head was made bald, and every shoulder rubbed raw; yet neither he nor his army received wages from Tyre, for the labor which they expended on it. Therefore thus says the Lord God: ‘Surely I will give the land of Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; he shall take away her wealth, carry off her spoil, and remove her pillage; and that will be the wages for his army.  I have given him the land of Egypt for his labor, because they worked for Me,’ says the Lord God. Ezekiel Chapter 29 verses 18 to 20.

For God [is] not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister. Hebrews Chapter 6 verse 10.

Does God pay salaries and are his salaries living wages? Also, how often do the salaries come? How does a person work for God and how does a person receive the salaries from God? Does God come down to pay the salaries?

Working for divine purpose is distinct from working for money. In working for divine purpose, your primary task is to implement and execute the divine plans and purposes of God for your life. But working for money means that your primary aim and sole reason for working is money. So money is your driving force. That is what makes you work. It is not love for what you do or personal development or a reason to contribute to development as in the cases of people working their passions. Everything about work for you boils down to money.

But in the case of people working divine purposes, what energizes and motivates them to work is the fulfillment of divine purpose. The basic reason for engaging in any task is always, ‘will the task or responsibility contribute to the achievement of divine purpose? And considering that divine purpose is always about God using people to add value to the lives of other people and bless humanity, divine purpose requires that you give of God’s highest good and divine deposits for the blessing of humanity.

Hone Problem Solving Skills 2

Written by Uyoyou Christiana Charles-Iyoha

Beloved, pause a moment and reflect on the designing and sewing skills of this woman which the Bible describes in verses 13, 18 to 24 of Proverbs Chapter 31. Apparently, she had honed the skills of designing and sewing beyond what she learnt as a young woman at home; beyond what was in her immediate environment to global standards and quality. That possibly explains why she supplied sashes to the merchants and she was handsomely remunerated. She had also learnt to use quality fabrics and knew how to source them. The bible records that she sought wool and flax meaning that she went in search of quality fabrics. Coupled with creative designing and excellent sewing skills, she was the designer to beat as the merchants consistently bought clothes from her. Money had taken up permanent residence in the home and life of the unnamed virtuous woman. She was standing before kings and great people in the business community of her day; people who could reward her handsomely and uplift her financial and social status in life. Please read Proverbs Chapters 18 verse 16; 22 verse 29, Genesis Chapter 41, Daniel Chapters 2; 4, 5 and 6 as well as Esther Chapters 3; 10 verse 3. The unnamed virtuous woman did not have to spend an entire life time in quest of money which always appeared to grow wings and disappear to some people. Rather, money sought her and was living with her.

This was the sudden realization that came to the widow of the indebted prophet. She always had oil but apparently had no regard for the oil which explains she referred to the oil as only a jar of oil. It meant nothing other than a little jar of oil, an insignificant item in the house which had no monetary value. But unknown to her, that insignificant jar of oil held the keys to financial freedom for the family, the financial freedom which eluded them for years.