In the passage we cited Saturday, Isaiah shows that the land is the farmer’s asset, and God teaches how to use it to produce. Not many of us are farmers today, but the concept remains profound:
We should have assets that produce for us.
If we seek Him, God will guide us in the ways and means of production from what we have. The law of increase will then apply to our labors.
He promised that if they obey His law, He would bless the land with rain in its season and their life will ever be enriched by it; while if they do not, their land will be not be as fruitful as it should be. (Deut. 28)
God was focusing on the production of the land. In our terms, He looked at the income/cash flow from the asset.
When He spoke of blessing them, He spoke of rains leading to increased production. When He asked them to tithe, He asked them to give of this production. He did not ask them to give of the land (assets), but to give of the crops/livestock (production/income/cash flow).
The focus was always on this annual production, and yet today, most people focus on the assets (hoarded wealth). God asked them to tithe off the top of what He gave them, but He also asked for goodwill offerings. Because their assets were focused on generating cash flow, they felt free to give generously. If they felt so called, they could give all of their produce away to God and feel confident that He would bless their produce again the next year because their land (asset) was still there.
What assets do you have that are producing?
Photo credit: incurable hippie