Chapter Six

The Blessings That Satisfy

Peter Daniels, author of How to be Happy Though Rich, at a meeting I attended, told an anecdote about a young man who had a couple of children and attended the church where he fellowshipped, when not travelling around the world giving inspirational talks. This young man, in his twenties, approached Peter and asked if he could help him out, as he was unemployed and had not worked for over a year.

In Australia, where this young man lived, the unemployed receive generous benefits from the government, which are the envy of many people around the world—especially at the time this event took place, and more particularly, if a married couple had children

After Peter had heard the young man’s story and gotten a few details from him, he arranged to see him at his place the following week.

The young man was excited. From his point of view, the great Peter Daniels was coming around to help him and his family—Peter Daniels, the man who had made millions from real estate and had written the book How To Be Happy Though Rich. From here on, it was the gravy train to the road of fun, frivolity, and freedom, known only by the fortunate. The young man and his wife pulled out all stops to prepare a small banquet for when Peter came around, as people do when they have an important guest coming to visit and want to impress.

When Peter arrived, he was duly welcomed at the door and, though the house was nothing spectacular, everything was ready for the party inside. Much to the young man’s surprise, once the greetings and pleasantries were over, Peter immediately asked to go out to the back.

When out the back, Peter talked about the large backyard and then asked the young man what he thought about gardens. Enthusiastically, the young man attempted to give a good impression about how he thought gardens were good. Then Peter pulled out some packets of seeds from his coat pockets and told the young man that if he were to grow a garden of vegetables, he would be able to cut down on his family’s food expenses and then save some of the money he was spending on food. This way, he could get some capital together to start a business.

The young man’s countenance changed when he realized that Peter Daniels was not going to help him out with mountains of money and an easy job, but only came around to show him how, by planting seeds, crops grow. He was very disappointed that Peter did not even stay to have a drink or taste the extravagant food (especially for someone unemployed with a family) that he and his wife had gone to the trouble to purchase and prepare. Peter simply said that he was a busy man and had matters to which he needed to attend. However, Peter Daniels did not leave them empty-handed for having gone to the trouble of inviting him to their place—he gave them a dozen packets of seeds to plant.

Seed faith is an interesting concept that has been developed for those who want to think and grow rich. However, many people only want to think and be rich without the growing part—probably because growing up is kind of hard to do and, besides that, it takes too long. When Jacob entered into a partnership with the Lord God, some twenty-one years transpired before he got to the place where he began to experience his Heaven on Earth, and enjoy the wealth with which he had been blessed. Every time we sow the first fruits of our tithe into the Kingdom of God to fund the work of ministry, we are preparing for the harvest of that money down the track.

There is a story I once read about a woman who, many years ago, faithfully tithed her meager wage as a church secretary for some forty years. When she had gotten to retirement age, she complained to God about her situation, for she had reached old age and was broke. This old spinster’s attitude had really turned sour, and bitterness was setting in at a pace. Then, out of the blue, a wealthy man approached her and told her that God had impressed upon him to provide sufficient funds for her retirement. If this had not happened, the woman would not have had a testimony to tell—God is no one’s debtor.

Pete is a person I know who tithes diligently to the church he attends. In many respects, he has done quite well for himself. He has gotten married and raised two sons, both of whom he has been able to put through university. He has accumulated some property over the years, and the last time I saw him, he had three houses. This person is not what you would call a financial genius by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, he is a train driver. Nevertheless, many people would envy his financial position. The last time I saw Pete, we were having a discussion about money and what people did with their money. What struck me was how much he was appalled at the idea of not having “just in case money” put aside for any emergency that might arise. This blue-collar wage earner who tithed, because this is what the Bible said to do, had a healthy five-figure sum of money just sitting in his bank account, “just in case” he needed it in the event of unexpected circumstances.

Pete has done well financially in spite of himself. He has made investments that those in the know would not have touched. Yet if you were to talk to Pete, he would tell you that he thanks God for the goodness that has been bestowed upon him.

Now I happened to know two other train drivers who worked for the same line as my acquaintance Pete, who tithes. One of them, whom we will call Martin, has nowhere near the wealth my Christian acquaintance has, and is unlikely ever to own more than the house he lives in by the time he retires. This is because of Martin’s mindset. The other train driver was also battling until he learned some secrets of how to maximize income through utilizing not-so-well-known wealth strategies. We will call him Fred.

Fred has learned how to apply some commercial strategies to buying and selling residential property and, as a result, has catapulted his yearly income into a substantial six-figure bracket, and his wealth into the seven-figure bracket. Fred is becoming a high flyer in his own little way; he has even obtained his own pilot’s license. Unfortunately for Fred, the last time I saw him, he did not know Jesus, but he could be a Christian by now, as I have not seen him since 2008.

These three train drivers all earned around the same money for the work they did. None of these people had any idea of how to do much more than drive trains, and basically this is what they were expecting to do until they retired. Each one had a comfortable blue-collar job with the state railways, which for many workers was an enviable, secure job. The only way they would lose their position was if they did something foolish. Pete went to church to drink the water of life. Martin and Fred went to the bar to relieve their worries at home.

As it turns out, the strategies that Fred uses to make money buying and selling property, I have also used to make money. I attempted to encourage Pete to make use of the same principles. Pete was not interested, because he is satisfied with his lot in life.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Satisfaction is something that people hunger and thirst for but cannot find. Many attempt to quench their thirst with the demon drink, but it does not satisfy. Satisfaction only comes when we return to the Lord.

One motivational guru, whom I know, claims that unless we become dissatisfied with what we have, we will never achieve the success we do not know we crave. The worst killer of success is satisfaction.

A satisfied person has no drive and does not seek to achieve anything more with his or her life. My acquaintance, the motivational guru, not being a Christian, teaches biblical principles, but because he is not satisfied, he believes we have to go beyond being satisfied. The idea of hungering and thirsting after righteousness, so that we might be satisfied with life eternal, is not something in which he delights.

When we return to the Lord, we have begun to drink of the well of satisfaction. Without living water, we have nothing of worth. When we drink of the living waters of life, then we only need to feed our hunger for the truth that sets us free from the tyranny of disbelief.

Motivational gurus use many of the principles that are found in the Bible and teach people how to improve their lives. Signing up is a financial transaction that can cost the students of the guru tens of thousands of dollars. Nevertheless, those who pay more do not complain because they are reaping the benefits from what they are being shown. Yet others will look on and wonder why anybody would be fool enough to pay up to one hundred thousand dollars for a self-improvement course.

One person I met had attended a guru’s self-improvement seminar twenty years earlier. When I met him, he said that after reading through the notes that he had written down back then, he now wished he had paid up the money to do the course. Evidently, he had run into someone else who was in the same situation he was in at the time he had first attended the guru’s seminars. The other person had done the course, and their lifestyles were vastly different. The other person was independently wealthy, while he was struggling to make ends meet while still employed in a low-income occupation. Even though he could not raise the money to pay for the course when I met him, he was looking at alternative means of getting coaching, such as volunteering to help the guru for nothing.

One woman I know has over two hundred million dollars’ worth of property now. When she was young, she wanted to become a property developer. She could not gain any employment in the industry, so she decided to work for nothing. After pestering a number of property developers to be their personal secretary, she finally found one who would take her on as a volunteer. The knowledge she gained from her willingness to work for nothing is the reason she is in a financially enviable position today.

However, it is one thing to gain the world, but another to lose our souls in the process. We never know when our time is up on this Earth and we will have to give an account of what we have done with our life on the blue planet. This is the teaching of Jesus, even though He often talked in parables. People today look forward to spending their retirement with a lifetime’s savings, but many do not get to realize their dream, just like the rich man whom Jesus said had stored up wealth to retire, only to find that his soul was required of him that very night. Far better for us to return to the Lord and start learning what He would have us do with our lives, so that we will bring Him glory and discover the ultimate in personal satisfaction.

In terms of making money, so that we use it for good, there are many things we can do, but essentially we will have to be a wage earner, a self-employed tradesman, technician or consultant, or an entrepreneur. Not everybody is cut out to be an entrepreneur. Not everyone can tolerate being a wage earner, so these individuals need to work for themselves. Nevertheless, as a wage earner, giving ten per cent off the top of our income, we can expect to see benefits of a different kind from someone who risks being an entrepreneur. Regardless of what occupation a person has, giving to the Lord has great benefits.

Once I was a taxi driver. During that time, because I love giving to the Lord, after having given to the Lord, I found myself earning just over three times what the average taxi driver earned. When I began driving, I decided how much I wanted to earn and gave the Lord that amount in faith as my ten per cent. Not only did I surpass what I originally anticipated, but I was able to earn the money at an hourly rate five times higher than what the average driver claimed he earned. God blessed me because I honored Him.

There are many ways we can make money, if we are so led to do so. God does not want us to be in debt, but to be debt-free. Although borrowing money to make money is acceptable, to borrow money for personal expenses is to become a slave to the lender. Christians are not to be slaves. We are to reign in life and give God the glory for the great things He does for us.

In the parable of the talents in Matthew, chapter twenty-five, Jesus speaks of three people who were each given, respectively, five talents, two talents, and one talent. These are sums of money. In fact, a talent is thought to have been worth up to twenty years’ wages. Each of the persons was expected to trade the money he was given. The same applied to the ten individuals in the parable found in the book of Luke, chapter nineteen, who were given about the equivalent of three months’ wages. Now, how does someone trade money?

We could trade this money on the money markets. We could trade by buying and selling stocks. We could trade by buying and selling businesses and real estate. We could trade by owning a business that buys and sells various sorts of goods and services. The goods could be things like airplanes, yachts, vehicles, bikes, industrial equipment, commercial equipment, sports equipment, furniture, haberdashery, clothing, groceries, fruit and vegetables, etc. As for services, we could trade in the supply of labor and expertise in certain areas. As we can see, there are many ways in which monetary exchanges can be made, and we can work the capital that we have been given, in the event that Jesus were to give us the equivalent of twenty years’ wages up front, or merely three months’ wages.

The promise of the first Psalm is this: if we meditate on the Law of God, we will prosper in all that we do. What Malachi teaches us is that if we are willing to return to the Lord and put our trust in Him by being faithful in the tithe, He will bless us. If we meditate on the Law of the Lord and commit our works to Him, He will establish our steps (Proverbs 16:3). If we delight in the Lord our God, He will give us the desires of our heart (Psalm 37:4). And from the book of Proverbs we read:

Don’t forget my teaching; but let your heart keep my commandments: for length of days, and years of life, and peace, will they add to you. Don’t let kindness and truth forsake you. Bind them around your neck. Write them on the tablet of your heart. So you will find favor and good understanding in the sight of God and man. Trust in Yahweh with all your heart, and don’t lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Don’t be wise in your own eyes. Fear Yahweh, and depart from evil. It will be health to your body, and nourishment to your bones. Honor Yahweh with your substance, with the first fruits of all your increase: so your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine. (Proverbs 3:1-10)

The three people Jesus spoke about being given the talents and then being told to trade them, each had to apply themselves to gaining profit. It is doubtful that the persons who were given five talents and two talents went and put the money on a racehorse, played blackjack, or won a lottery. Instead, what would have happened is they would have had to apply their skills in seeking out product, evaluating the product, finding a market, working out a means by which they could get the goods to market, and ensuring that they made a profit on the transaction. Maybe they bought and sold real estate. Maybe they traded in camels or goats. Whatever the case, in all probability, the two individuals who traded and returned with double the funds they were given would have had to either possess knowledge and skills or acquire them in order to make a profit. What we do know is one was too fearful to do anything, so he hid his talent in the ground and did not even bother to get interest from the bankers.

Supposing the person who was given the one talent (worth twenty years’ wages) did not think that it was worth learning new skills to see whether he could use the capital while the other two did. Whether the other two had skills or did not have skills does not really matter; what is important for us to realize is that they needed to be responsible for their own actions. Therefore, we ask the question: What would have been involved for them to acquire skills to double their money?

One thing we know: the money needed to be kept safe from robbers. If one talent is worth twenty years’ wages, then this is like honey to a hungry bear. Jesus said to the person with one talent that he could have put it in the trust of bankers and gotten interest. This is not something we can do if we are in debt. We need to be debt-free if we are going to start making money and prosper.

Now, when talking about large sums of money that are represented by the talents, we might think that is very well, but we are not given large sums of money. Well, in the parable in Luke, ten individuals were each given the equivalent of one hundred days’ pay, about three months’ wages. Compared to the value of the talents, the ten individuals may have felt cheated if they knew what the other three had been given. Still, of the ten individuals, only two are mentioned as having increased their wealth significantly—one by ten times and the other by five times. Seven individuals receive no mention, but must have increased the value of the original capital, because one person is singled out as not having done anything with what he was given. This person was berated for not having at least gained interest from the bankers if he did not trust himself to trade profitably, or was not prepared to learn the appropriate skills to be an entrepreneur.

Acquiring skills is not something that falls off the back of a camel (or truck), so there is going to be a time factor involved. Like the woman mentioned earlier, who decided to become a property developer, we might have to trade our time and services to gain valuable information, without getting into debt like borrowing money to earn a degree. To be debt-free, we have to believe that we can achieve what we set out to do.

For many of us, being unable to believe we can achieve is a difficulty that we cannot overcome, and we end up being like the person who was given one talent. The reason why we might not do anything is because we are afraid to believe that we can. Maybe we look back at ourselves and do not think that we have anything to believe in. We might hear the guru saying, “Believe in yourself,” but we cannot because we have not accomplished much in life to date that is worth believing in. It is rather difficult being told to believe in yourself to lose weight when you have always failed. It is rather difficult being told to believe in yourself to get fit and stay fit when you find the couch a better option. It is rather difficult to believe that you can be financially well off when all you have ever known is debt. Fortunately, we do not have to believe in ourselves—we can believe in the possibility of achievement rather than having to believe in ourselves. As Jesus said:

“If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” (Mark 9:23). And if we think that we cannot believe in the possibility, then we can still rejoice, because Jesus said: “With men it is impossible, but not with God, for all things are possible with God.” (Mark 10:27)

Now that we are believing in the possibility that God will hear our prayer and help us achieve, by tithing and acknowledging our Lord in all our ways, we will have nothing to fear. Our Lord and Savior says that if we return to Him, He will bless us and rebuke the devourer. Just consider Jacob. His uncle Laban cheated him ten times and Jacob still ended up richer than him. This is God’s promise to us. If we commit ourselves to acknowledging our Lord and Savior in all our ways, the devourer is rebuked, our enemies will leave us alone, and we will live in peace. The reason why many people do not have the fullness of the blessing is because they do not acknowledge Lord Jesus in all their ways. We have to acknowledge Lord Jesus in all of our ways and not just some of our ways.

Once we have become teenagers, we forget what it was like when we were innocent children—when we were willing to learn simple steps and practice something over and over again until we mastered it. Whatever skill we have, such as feeding our mouth and not our face, we had to learn; yet most of us would have forgotten about this. Learning how to drink out of a cup and not spill the contents is another skill. When we think about it, there are quite a number of basic skills that we have learned which are now automatic and we never think about them—until we have an accident and suddenly become aware of how awkward it is to feed our mouth, say, with a broken arm that we would normally use without difficulty.

If we are going to acquire any skill, all we have to do is realize that by observation, application, and repetition, our efforts will succeed. Of course, we might need to forgo other activities. Nevertheless, the only way we are going to achieve anything is by believing that we can do it—not because we can, but because with God all things are possible. This is particularly so if we decide to return to the Lord of blessings and acknowledge Him in all our ways.

One very important point, sometimes overlooked, is that our attitude often needs to change in many of the situations we find ourselves. If we are to be like those two individuals who received praise from the Lord for doubling their money, we need to have a right attitude and think right thoughts. Fortunately, we can call upon the Lord for help. He says:

I will also give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. (Ezekiel 36:26)

For a good number of years I was not doing much at all as far as sharing the gospel was concerned. I felt I was languishing. During this time, I was working and doing numerous courses in different disciplines. I was in a situation where all I could do was wait until the Lord made a way for me to fulfill my heart’s desire. There was a period during this time when I would meet with a pastor of the church I was attending from Monday to Saturday each morning, and we would pray together for an hour. One morning during prayer it dawned on me that I was like the person in the parable about the talents who only received one talent. The difference being, instead of burying the talent, I was gaining interest on it because I was doing things in my life that, over time, would enhance my personal value. I realized, eventually, my one talent would be double in value and become two talents, because of the value that was being added by the little things that I did, for I desire to give God the glory for what He does in my life.

Return to the Lord of blessings and rejoice in the fact the devourer has been rebuked for those who tithe—the curse has been broken. Amen!

Other Works by the Author

Delivered From Darkness And The Power Of Satan By The Power Of God To The Light Of Life

Understanding Jacob's Trouble: A Guide To The End Of The Age

Saved By Grace Though Faith In Lord Jesus Christ

The Only Words Written By The Finger Of God

Understanding Jacob's Trouble (Summarized)

Economic Freedom In The Kingdom Of God

Five Pillars Of Faith: Islam Vs Christianity

How To Have An Effective Bible Study

You Will Know Them By Their Fruits

TULIP vs The Bible: Which Wins?