Until at last the Spirit is poured out on us from heaven. Then the wilderness will become a fertile field, and the fertile field will yield bountiful crops (Isa. 32:15).
Most people dream about riches and luxury. They enter competitions with fabulous prizes, they buy lottery tickets, they purchase shares that they hope will rise sky-high, or they bet on the horses. They think their problems will be something of the past if they could only make more money. Some people are stuck with the consequences of these empty dreams for the rest of their lives - even if they possess enough to live comfortably.
In the Bible there is also a dream of wealth and luxury. It is the same as the dream of righteousness, peace and healed bodies. We read that it will happen when God pours out His Spirit over us. God’s dream of prosperity is not that of incredible wealth in the hands of a privileged few, but an abundance of food so that everyone is nourished. God rejoices in human undertakings that flourish, especially if everyone benefits from it.
In the south of Israel, the desert is thriving where the abundant waters of the Galilean hills are canalized to the Negev desert. Farming is flourishing there, and in many parts of the world where relevant engineering is used, the sources of nature are being developed to the advantage of humankind.
Christians will hope, pray and work for a world in which there is enough for everybody. For this reason, they pray that the Spirit of God will act and bring about abundance as well as spiritual enrichment for all.
Lord of creation, let the time come when all people will have enough to eat and there won’t be famine anymore. Amen.
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