Welcome back to the concluding part of this blog post. I apologize for the delay in delivering this last part-my PC has been acting up!

In parts 1-4, we learnt that God sends us opportunities to increase us;

1. When we serve selflessly

2. When we receive and act on an unusual instruction.

3. When we give to the poor.

4. When we give an unusual freewill offering.

5. Divine connections and relationships can also be God’s way of increasing us.

We’d also said that usually, success is defined by wealth, power or prestige gotten through hardwork and dedication.

So with ‘divine opportunities’ we are saying God is the one sending these opportunities to us. Does that mean that we have no role to play? Does God send divine opportunities to everyone? Yes, He sends to everyone that serves Him in truth and in Spirit. And that has nothing to do with just building a tent in a church and living there. Has nothing to do with just going to church every day of the week.

The Bible tells us that God knows those that are truly His, does whose hearts are upright towards Him, because He searches not just the actions of men, but their intent.

1 John 2:5 reads;

‘But whoever habitually keeps His word and obeys His precepts [and treasures His message in its entirety], in him the love of God has truly been perfected [it is completed and has reached maturity]. By this we know [for certain] that we are in Him’. Amplified.

There are traits and virtues that people who truly reverence God exhibit. These are the virtues that attracts divine opportunities for increase. All the characters (people) we have mentioned as examples in the course of this blog post series exhibited most of these virtues and if we must receive divine opportunities for increase from God, we too must imbibe and exhibit these attributes.

The virtues for Divine Increase include;

1. Fear of the Lord

2. Excellence

3. Integrity

4. Fairness and Justice

5. Love

6. Dedication and commitment to a divine cause.

7. Hardwork.

8. Humility

At any point in time, mediocrity, greed, pride, gluttony, strife, laziness, insincerity, are killers of growth.

Sometimes colleagues, friends or relations want to discourage us from working in integrity as double standards is fast becoming the norm fearfully even among Christians.

Proverbs 6:16 says;

‘These six things the Lord hates; Indeed, seven are repulsive to Him: A proud look [the attitude that makes one overestimate oneself and discount others], a lying tongue, And hands that shed innocent blood, A heart that creates wicked plans, Feet that run swiftly to evil, A false witness who breathes out lies [even half-truths], And one who spreads discord (rumors) among brothers.”
AMPLIFIED.

So whose words are we going to obey? The world’s or God’s?

Of all the virtues we’ve listed above, probably the most critical and central is the fear of The Lord. Because when we have deep reverence for God, we’ll work in integrity, love, fairness, humility, with excellence and selflessly.

These traits will always attract divine opportunities to us .

Help us dear Lord.

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As a Christian, I don’t believe in coincidences. My steps are ordered by the Lord. I therefore believe that God sends people my way to bless me (in different ramifications) or for me to bless. And every opportunity to express our love and gratitude to God can translate into an opportunity for increase.

A lifestyle and disposition to continuously give to others presents us the givers with divine opportunities for personal increase and growth

Welcome back!
In “Divine opportunities for Increase: blogpost1” I’d said we would look at Christian Virtues that help make divine opportunities come our way. I apologize that we will not be doing that today. Instead, we’ll go through and complete the ways God brings divine increase our way first.

In part 1, we looked at SERVICE, as a springboard to success and increase. The kind of service that is self-less, outstanding and done in the fear of the Lord.

The opportunities for Increase that God sends us can also be through;

2. Receiving and Acting on an Unusual instruction from God.

Unusual instructions here refers to uncommon, remarkable, extraordinary, significant instructions. A different or strange instruction that attracts attention.

When God gives you an instruction to sacrifice your long-awaited precious only son and you summon up the courage to obey, be prepared to receive a ram for sacrifice and also get ready to become the father of many nations (Genesis 17:4-5, Genesis 22).

When God sends His prophet to you, a poor wretched Widow, with no human support system and tells you to release your last piece of bread, meant for you and your son, to this prophet, who is a fully grown able-bodied man, and you look beyond this prophet’s seeming callousness to obey and act as directed, then get ready for the jar of flour that will not be used up and the jug of oil that will not run dry until the famine is over (1 Kings 17).

When God speaks to you to relocate to another land, where you know no one at all, where you have no contacts at all, when you have made no reservations or preparations for a place to sleep or stay even for the first night, and you act in faith, get ready for a bumper harvest.

When God tells you to give a huge offering, amounting to most or all of your annual income and you muster the courage to act as directed, you have just taken advantage of an opportunity for divine increase. Your increase will come! (this is good prosperity gospel).

Unusual instructions that will bring divine increase are often difficult instructions. They don’t usually add up mathematically. They are not logical. They may not make sense. But they test your trust and faith in God and are pregnant with your next level of increase.

Again, do you know how GOD speaks to you? Can you hear Him when He speaks to you?

The unusual instruction that will bring you divine increase should come to you from God directly, through His Word or through His prophet.

Are you looking to make a big leap in your finances, career, ministry etc. God may just send you an unusual instruction.

Seize your opportunity for divine increase. Don’t let it slip ?