Isaiah 17: 10 – 11 NIV
You have forgotten God your Savior; you have not remembered the Rock, your fortress. Therefore, though you set out the finest plants . . . yet the harvest will be as nothing.
This is a very good commentary on how to run our business, how to operate in our lives, and indeed how to function in every area of life. The seeds of failure are sown when we ignore the God of the Harvest. Let’s look at how we avoid this ruin.
You may have been taught to dedicate things to the Lord. That is a good first step. What should be dedicated? Everything; your home, car, business, job, recreation, family, relationships, etc. Literally everything should be placed on the altar as you dedicate its function and purpose to the Lord. Putting these things in the Lord’s hands, giving them to Him, gives Him permission to function therein. Let us not stop there.
As you see from today’s verse dedicating your job or your business to the Lord is not the end. Many have done so but promptly forgotten Him. He has a role in your business. He has a function. If you cut Him out, it will be to your detriment. Think about it. What is the incentive in cutting Him out of the operation. Does He require a paycheck? Does He ask for a raise every year? You should be tithing on all business income already. The raise He gets is when He causes your business to prosper and His 10% gets larger.
Christians fail because after they dedicate themselves and their businesses to the Lord, they subsequently forget about Him or they just have not figured out how to incorporate the Lord and His wisdom into every day operations. So, we need practical advice on how to keep God in the middle of your business life.
One of the clearest ways to do that is to communicate with Him about your business. This necessarily means that you will need to have developed the skill of hearing His voice. If you lack confidence in this area, you can search the Word of the Day on our website (www.iveyministries.org) for “voice” or “hearing.” You will find a number of articles which will help you in this regard. Also, check out Four Keys to Hearing God’s Voice by Dr. Mark Virkler (www.cwgministries.org). He teaches a simple way to develop your inner ear such that you can hear God’s voice anytime you choose to.
Then, make it your daily habit to spend some time with the Lord before you begin your day. You don’t have to spend two hours travailing over what to do. Just have a cup of coffee with the Lord as you would any business partner. Discuss ideas, plans and necessary tasks. Check in during the day with Him for any further wisdom He may share. It is that easy. Just don’t forget Him. Don’t forget that He is your partner and is willing to be with you all day long. Keep God in your thoughts and in your business and your harvest will be plentiful; more than you can contain.