Prosper

Prosper, what does it mean?

Merriam Webster says - 'to become very successful usually by making a lot of money; to become very active, healthy, or strong.

Notice it says 'usually' by making a lot of money.  


Now let's look at the original Greek -
Now remember this is just my 'pondering'. I'm praying and seeking God so I can have a better understanding of prosperity because I do not believe it's having more money than you know what do do with.....although that would be nice :-)
So, I see prosper and health in the same sentence --so my soul prospers - my soul has no need for money or material things, it does have a need for health, feeling pleasure, enjoyment in this life, and happiness which to me would be the joy of the Lord.
Merriam Webster says the soul is the spiritual part of a person that is believed to give life to the body and in many religions is believed to live forever:
If I want to prosper in finances, become very successful, it appears that my soul must prosper first.

Strong's Greek #2137 says - Short Definition: I cause to prosper, have a happy journey.
                                              Longer Definition: I cause to prosper, I have a happy (successful)                                                                                journey, hence: I prosper.

With the Greek bringing up 'happy'
Merriam Webster says happy is - feeling pleasure and enjoyment because of your life, situation, etc.: showing or causing feelings of pleasure and enjoyment
: pleased or glad about a particular situation, event, etc.

So in the verse -  3 John 1:2 "Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth."

He mentions prosper and health together and then says 'as they soul prospereth.'



a person's deeply felt moral and emotional nature:
the ability of a person to feel kindness and sympathy for others, to appreciate beauty and art, etc.


This actually makes a lot of sense - if you have a soul that can feel kindness and sympathy for others, you will behave in a way that will bless and encourage them - not try to control or mold them.
You will appreciate beauty and art without being judgmental or full of gossip. Because you know who you are in Christ and just how valuable and what a piece of beauty and art you are, fearfully and wonderfully made, you will prosper! You see this value, beauty and just how wonderfully made all God's children are and you will act accordingly.

When you are enjoying your journey, even in the midst of trials and tests, you become light in a dark world. You are living proof that God is who He says He is and living the way He tells us to, then our soul will prosper. There are doors that will open and bring in the financial prosperity as you live this way.

Also, the 'as your soul prospers' I believe it is living in thankfulness and gratitude, it is trusting God with everything in your life.
You will have trouble prospering if you allow negative, controlling people in your life, allowing their negative thoughts and lack of action to direct you (your soul) - this will dim your light and close doors. It must be God that has control.

I choose to have my soul prosper by being thankful and enjoying my journey in this life. I know God gave me a wonderful husband to help me in this journey and there's lots of joy and laughter - I'm having a happy journey :-) and I have seen God's hand of provision every step of the way. As I have grown in this area I'm seeing how easy it is to give to certain people and causes. God will direct you in this area and I believe it's another area of your soul prospering.

So work on your soul, the way you think, the way you act and if you find you are not enjoying your journey, if you get upset easily, if you keep looking to see what others are doing or saying and it bothers you.......look inside and change what you need to change so you can begin to enjoy this journey and begin to prosper in your soul so the financial prosperity will follow.

I speak from experience, I have had to change my thoughts and actions and through God's help, forgiveness and love I am prospering!

My every need has been met and I thank God for that.

(c)hasbreathpublishingllc

More Pondering on the Word 'Blessings"

I really need to study 'blessing' because I hear people say they have this or that and it's proof they are being blessed by God - living under His blessing BUT I know people that don't believe in God or they aren't living perfectly and they kind of know God that ARE just as blessed in that area - let's use an example.......

"A great crop this year  I canned 41 quarts  She has 14 -16 plus a mess to eat so I am thinking someone else can have some"
This person does not go out and pray over their 'crops' they just work hard and do what the instructions say to do. They have an overabundance to share.

Now others say they pray over their 'crops' and it's proof of God's blessing, they are living under the blessing.


Do you see what I'm saying? I'm beginning to think we are misusing the word 'blessing' and I want to understand it better.

Another example  - a believer has a baby - it's a blessing
a nonbeliever has a baby - it's a blessing
   they are both wonderfully and fearfully made by God in the womb.....

Just pondering.....

Who Does God Bless?

I was talking to God the past few days about those that are not saved (haven't accepted Him as Savior yet) and those that are in His family --- some unsaved seem to have the same blessings as those that are saved, how can that be?

One of the things He told me is 'when you have a passion you will spend your time on that (sewing, gardening, volunteering, music, cooking, exercise, etc)

Since you put a lot of time and work into that one thing, you will have a harvest whether you are saved or unsaved - atheist or Christian. When you work at something you are giving it your best attention and labor.

So now I think I'll study and talk to God about what it means to be blessed as a Christian.

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Matthew 5

Your Life Seems Perfect

Someone said to me the other day, 'on Facebook your life seems to be perfect.' That kind of threw me so my first thought was - 'how can they think that/' and the Lord said, 'because your life is perfect in Me.' Oh!! As I continued talking to the Lord, I began to wonder why it bothered the person that my life was 'perfect', why couldn't they be happy for me?  I'll never forget someone saying to my husband and me - 'I've never met anyone like you.' They were commenting on how we didn't let things pull us down, we remained positive and joy-filled.

So my thoughts continued.......
In this world, in my flesh, I do not have the 'perfect' life. Gosh darn it, God gave us all free will !! So because some make wrong choices, I will not have the 'perfect' family, 'perfect' friendship, 'perfect' marriage....are you shocked??!! Do you realize we do not have 'control' over other people?  Therefore our lives will never be 'perfect' in the worlds eyes or in our fleshly eyes. And those that say they do are lying....in this world and in our flesh there is no 'perfect' anything.

Now let me tell you why, in Christ, I do have the 'perfect' life.
I believe God's Word, I have faith - I trust God!
No matter what isn't right in my life right now I trust God with it. I know what His Word says and I will speak it, pray it and believe it.
If we continue to whine, get angry, try to control other people, control everything.....that's NOT faith. Think about it.

Every now and then I like to post on my facebook page that I do go through test and trials (Bible says we will) because I don't want people to feel I have it all together, I don't want them to get discouraged.  But the reason I don't post - waaaa this happened and waaaa I have this pain or whatever is going on, is because I do not want to speak it (or type it), I want to speak (type) thanksgiving because in that, all the things that aren't going right are getting put where they belong - at the foot of the cross for Jesus to take care of. My focus is on what God has done and what He is doing. I have faith God is true to His Word.

The joy of the Lord is my strength. I can tell you that knowing this has made a huge difference in my life. No matter who attacks me or my family, no matter what happens at my job, home, finances, etc - I rejoice in the Lord and in His goodness and I walk by faith - in that I have joy unspeakable, deep inside, and it brings a peace and a Helper that keeps me from doing or saying things I should not do or say. The Holy Spirit helps me speak His Words to others and to myself. All the while, when the flesh wants to freak out, I have this amazing peace and joy inside me.

So, yes I guess I do have the 'perfect' life, because that life is in Jesus Christ. And I trust Him in all things. I will continue to praise Him and not let man or woman steal my joy, my hope, my faith!!

So what you see on my facebook page is someone who knows what faith and hope can do and chooses to be positive and lean on the Lord instead of leaning on facebook to complain and use my words to bring discouragement or fear which is a lack of faith.

Let Everything That Has Breath

My husband and I were sitting by the campfire along the side of the lake at Starve Hollow State Recreation Area.
We had enjoyed our day immensely and were pleasantly worn out.

In the stillness we began to hear different sounds.
After listening for awhile I commented.........................

'Do you know everything we hear right now was created by God and names by Adam?'

A time of worship and thanksgiving followed in our hearts as we continued to listen to God's sounds.

Psalm 150:
      Praise the Lord.
      Praise God in His sanctuary;
      praise Him in His mighty heavens.
      Praise Him for His acts of power.
      praise Him for His surpassing greatness.
      Praise Him with the wounding of the trumpet,
      praise Him with the harp and lyre,
      praise Him with timbrel and dancing,
      praise Him with the strings and pipe,
      praise Him with the clash of cymbals,
      praise Him with resounding cymbals
      Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
      Praise the Lord.

(c) hasbreathpublishingllc