God Takes Care of His People
God DOES promise prosperity to those who obey Him, but that may not look the way you think it will.
It doesn’t mean a lack of hardships, nor does it mean having all your dreams come true or things always going the way you want. It’s not a get rich quick scheme.
(Genesis 39:3; Deuteronomy 29:9; Psalms 1:1-3; Proverbs 11:25; Proverbs 13:21; Proverbs; 28:25)
And motive matters. If you are obeying Him TO prosper from Him… you’re missing the point. You can’t manipulate God. He knows your thoughts & motives better than you do yourself.
This is a humble type of obedience. An obedience that says, “Your will, NOT my will be done.…” An obedience that says, “even IF things stay hard & don’t go my way….”
And it’s more of having an outlook that says, “I don’t NEED to strive for self, because He will care for me just fine as I seek to obey Him over living for myself.” (Matthew 6:30-33)
Joseph Honored God ABOVE Demanding His Rights in Unfair Circumstances
Think of Joseph, one of my favorite examples of humble obedience. He was sold into slavery as a TEENAGER by his OWN brothers who actually first considered KILLING HIM instead (less than ideal & definitely a painful betrayal) (Genesis 37). He didn’t get to scream his “rights” but instead did his very best living as a slave who honored God & submitted to authority, even though it felt his master had no right to hold that authority over him because of how it came about (Genesis 39).
But God prospered him in all of his work because Joseph was faithful & obedient even when circumstances were beyond unfair. God prospered him so much, in fact, that Potipher (his owner) put him in control of all the affairs of his home because everything Joseph was in charge of ended up prospering. (Genesis 39:2-6)
And then, after all of that prospering, he was STILL falsely accused & wrongly imprisoned. (Genesis 39)
But again, Jospeh humbly submitted & was obedient to God in all he did, despite it being grossly unfair treatment. Even though his reputation was smeared for something he did not do.
And again, God prospered all he did so much so that the prison guards left him in complete charge of the other prisoners. (Genesis 39:20-23)
We Can Rest in Him. We Can Trust in Him. We Can Believe in Him.
There are other examples you notice of God prospering people written about in the Bible that you get to witness as you read through the chapters (Abraham, Job—after much heartache & loss, King Solomon…), but in every case, the prospering is as a result of humble obedience & submission to God’s will & way & is not necessarily a prospering without hardship, but despite it.
What can we draw from this information, if not as a way to manipulate God into “getting what we want”?
We can rest in the fact that despite hardship, unfair treatment, needing to submit to authority even when the authority doesn’t seem to have a right to be your authority… despite any of that, if our focus turns from our unfair or harsh circumstances to a determination to humbly submit to God’s will in it, we can be absolutely assured that God will take care of us—even when no one else will.
We can trust that God has things under control & that God will provide when all odds are against us.
We can believe God has us no matter what our circumstances are.
Keep Your Eyes Fixed on Eternity… Not Right Now
Our job is to be willing to submit. To be willing to honor undeserved authority, trusting that God is big enough to fill in every place where they fail. (1 Peter 2:18; 1 Peter 3:1-2; 2 Peter 2:10b-11; Titus 3:1-2)
Our job is to work unto God & not unto man, so that whether appreciated or noticed or not… to do right anyway because we know that it honors & pleases God. (Colossians 3:23-24)
Our job is to trust God to provide where others won’t, even when you have no one to advocate for you. (Psalm 23; Genesis 12:11-20; Genesis 20; 1 Peter 3)
Our job is to be obedient, humbly to God, despite the circumstances, no matter how undesirable those circumstances may be.
God Prospers Us as We Humbly Obey Him
Life may not go the way you want. Your dreams are not guaranteed to all come true. You are not promised a mansion with horses & a wait staff. Prosperity may not look the way you imagine.
But you can stand firm on the fact that God takes care of & richly blesses those who determine to please & honor Him despite their circumstances, humbly submitting to Him in ALL circumstances… even in the hard & very hard.
You don’t get a great catered-to-you life nor automatically get what you want by obeying Him. You can’t earn your way to heaven by obeying Him (only through believing on Jesus through admitting your sin & turning to Him as Lord of your life). Your dreams won’t come true because you obey Him. But God will provide for you & bless you as you aim to live for Him over yourself.
Shine HOPE by trusting your future to Him, in the good, the bad, & the ugliest. He sees. He knows. He rewards faithfulness.
Coming Next Week
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As God grows me, may it encourage you to seek Him & know Him & love Him more every day.
A Note from Michelle:
(***Check out my FREE Journal Printable Resources: “Accountability Partner Guide + Question Prompts” & “Bible Study Question Prompts ,” as well as “Prayers of Surrender” prayer guides!***)
This blog/website has been running for 6.5 years now! THANK YOU for your continued support & encouragement. <3
If you would like to learn more of my story, check out the “About Me” tab. And if you would like to hear how I found my lasting source of HOPE, read the “Hope Is Found” tab, on this site. I hope they are an encouragement to you! <3
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Fashion as a Force for GOOD:
Each week, I feature an item that is changing lives for women around the world. These hand-crafted pieces are offering job creation opportunities for women artisans in impoverished nations all around the world! Consider these pieces when shopping for friends, family, or yourself. Check out this week’s featured beauty!!
May 2025 Hope Mail
Your purchase of May Hope Mail provides one day of school for a girl in an area of extreme poverty.
The stunning Willow Earrings are crafted in a workshop committed to fighting child marriage and creating dignified jobs for women in India. These drop leaf earrings feature green, teal, and silver seed beads beautifully set in gold-tone frames to complete the look.
Each Hope Mail comes packaged in a handmade Sari Pouch, to create a thoughtfully curated look.
*** Purchase this month’s Hope Mail, using the “SHOP HERE” link below, to create safe jobs with fair wages for women in areas of extreme poverty in India where vulnerable women are often exploited by sweatshops and human traffickers.***
How You Can Help Artisans around the World AND Help Support My Website:
#1 is PRAY. Financial help is great & helps pay my website fees & helps support these women artisans… but God’s help is always needed most… both for encouragement & for spiritual hope, through Jesus, for the women we support through our ethical fashion purchases. Always PRAY first.
SHOP Here, OR, Email me at michellehyde.tradesofhope@gmail.com with any questions, & I will message you personally with more information!! Thank you for inspiring HOPE around the world, Lovely!
Your purchases not only help these women, but my commissions help me in continuing this website/blog, encouraging women all around the world with the HOPE we have in Jesus. Win-win-win!
Have a wonderful week living for His glory in all that you do!
