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We live in the hope that our future will be prosperous by God’s grace, though our beginnings seem humble. We are the children of promise. God has given a promise to us, not to other people in the world. This is the word of promise:
“Your beginnings will seem humble, so prosperous will your future be.” Job 8:7
There is a time for everything in the world: a time to begin and a time to end. So, there is a time for the work of the gospel. Though our gospel work started humblingly, it becomes prosperous more and more as it goes on. In the past days it increased, in the present it does, and in the future also it will greatly increase.
Invisible power makes our future prosperous
Everything has a beginning and an end, and there is a process between beginning and end. Then, in the process of the gospel work, what power works to bring a prosperous end from the weak beginning? What is the source of the invisible power? Let’s have a look at the book of Matthew.
“As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, … Then he touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith will it be done to you”; and their sight was restored …” Mt 9:27-30
The two blind men firmly believed that Jesus would give them sight. Their absolute faith brought a wonderful result; they could see resplendent light, getting out of darkness. Likewise, God gives us prosperous future when we have an absolute faith. God repeatedly says to us with an earnest heart, “According to your faith will it be done to you.”
Let’s suppose that we meet a man who has been searching for the truth of God. When we speak the word of truth to him, if we doubt whether he will accept it or not, we will not bear good fruit. However, if we deliver God’s word with the firm conviction that God has already purposed to save him today and led us to him, we will achieve a gracious outcome in accordance with our firm faith.
We can understand this principle through an example of the moon. The moon illuminates no light of its own; it simply reflects the light it receives from the sun. So the moon is seen just as much as it receives sunlight; if half of the moon receives light from the sun, it appears to be a half moon; if it receives very little sunlight, it appears as a crescent; and if it receives a good amount of sunlight because the earth does not block the light from the sun, it appears as a full moon.
The book of 1 John 1:5 says God is light. His light shines on all the universe. We, like the moon, receive His light and give it to the dark world. As the luminosity of the moon depends on the amount of the light received from the sun, so too does the brightness of the light of the gospel depend on the degree of our faith. If the amount of our faith is like a crescent, we will give the light to the world as much as the crescent moon does, and if it is like a half moon, as much as the half moon. With the faith of a crescent or a half moon, we cannot give full light like a full moon.
When we give the light of God’s power and grace to this world, how much brightness should our faith have? God always says to us, “According to your faith will it be done to you.”
“Some men came carrying a paralytic on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus … When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.” Lk 5:18-26
The paralytic and the men who carried him firmly believed that Jesus had power to cure him. Seeing their faith, Jesus blessed them and forgave him his sins.
If we only think of the visible, our faith collapses; but if we have faith, the visible collapses. Common sense and faith are always opposite each other. Those who were forgiven of their sins did not depend on their common sense, but on Jesus; with faith they solved the problems which couldn’t be settled by common sense.
If we look forward to a prosperous future, we must have a sure faith as the paralytic showed. When we have such an absolute faith and faithfully carry out our missions, our future will be prosperous and gracious.
“… Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted …” Mt 5:1-12
Though the people who are poor in spirit begin humbly, later they are blessed with the kingdom of heaven; though they begin with mourning, they are to be comforted. God lets us begin with difficulties, but He will surely make our latter end greatly increase.
Arise and shine for the prosperous future
While proceeding toward the prosperous future, we face many difficulties. The most important thing is our faith. God the Almighty can do everything. Once we begin, God will surely make our future prosperous. We must believe that a historic moment when we become prosperous will surely come.
“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you … Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn …” Isa 60:1-22
Recently, many our heavenly family members are flowing into Zion. Our brothers and sisters in Zion are burning with the fire of their zeal to lead more souls to repentance and salvation. All nations and kings will see God’s light through us and fly to Zion like clouds, like doves to their nests. When we believe in such a prosperous future, God will fulfill all our hope.
“The least of you will become a thousand, the smallest a mighty nation. I am the LORD; in its time I will do this swiftly” (Isa 60:22). Believing this promise, we should overcome all sufferings and difficulties.
“The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, … All who see them will acknowledge that they are a people the LORD has blessed.” Isa 61:1-9
Who are the people God has blessed? Aren’t they the 144,000 who have God’s promise? Without beginning, we cannot have a prosperous future. God has given us this promise, “Your beginnings will seem humble, so prosperous will your future be.” As promised, our future will unfailingly be prosperous. God also said, “According to your faith will it be done to you.” We should have firm faith so that we may have a great future. Though the beginning of God’s work seems small, its end will increase greatly; in its time God will accomplish it swiftly.
Brothers and sisters, let’s believe the promise of God and put our faith into action. Let’s worship God more diligently and preach the good news to save the world according to His will. God bless you all children of God!