Monday Memo 1213: The Goshen Principle
Two weeks ago, we discussed abundance and I received good feedback from readers. But I always get positive feedback when I discuss abundance in general. It's when people have to apply the abundance principle in their own life that the problems often start. I hear people say on one hand, "God can do anything," only to then say, "But John, you don't understand. I'm from a poor family" or "I don't make much money at my job" or "I live in Africa and we're poor" or "I live in the United States and the cost of living is so high in my area."
Either abundance applies to everyone in God's kingdom or it doesn't. I'm not talking about fancy cars and big homes. I'm talking about having all the resources you need to fulfill your purpose and be productive. The problem isn't the abundance; the problem is how we think about abundance. Let's revisit God's people in Egypt to see if we can find help with our thinking where abundance is concerned.
MOSES AND PHARAOH
When Moses returned to Egypt, times were tough. The people were oppressed by the Egyptians and forced to work as slaves. It's interesting that they were numerous and potentially powerful, but they had a slave mentality that kept them locked into what they had always been and done.
Along came Moses who announced that it was a new day; God was going to set them free! The only problem was Pharaoh. He refused to cooperate when Moses told him the good news and made the work conditions more severe to keep the Israelites "occupied." This caused the people to grumble against Moses, their liberator. Any time you have a slave mentality, you resent someone who wants to set you free.
So God stepped in and initiated what we know to be the ten plagues in Egypt. Each plague confronted an Egyptian god and proved that Moses' God was more powerful and had the right to set His people free. Things went from bad to worse in Egypt as God sent hail, gnats, frogs, darkness, and boils on the Egyptians.
At this time, the Israelites lived in an area called Goshen. The most amazing thing happened while the Egyptians were going through their plagues. I refer to this amazing phenomenon as the Goshen Principle.
DARKNESS AND SUNLIGHT
To explain the Goshen principle, let's look at three passages:
- "'But on that day I will deal differently with the land of Goshen, where my people live; no swarms of flies will be there, so that you will know that I, the LORD, am in this land. I will make a distinction between my people and your people. This miraculous sign will occur tomorrow'" (Exodus 8:22-23).
- The only place it did not hail was the land of Goshen, where the Israelites were (Exodus 9:26).
- So Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and total darkness covered all Egypt for three days. No one could see anyone else or leave his place for three days. Yet all the Israelites had light in the places where they lived (Exodus 10:21-23)
Do you see the Goshen Principle in action? God blessed and protected His people while He plagued Egypt! Your abundance doesn't depend on external conditions. It depends on God and Him alone. You must position yourself mentally, however, to receive this abundance or you can and will block or limit it in your life while you celebrate it in other people's lives. This week would be a good time to examine your attitude toward abundance, not where other people are concerned, but where you are concerned.
Do you believe that you have access to all you need to be purposeful and productive? If you do, can you prove it? What are doing and planning because you know the resources will be there when you need them? Do you see that your provision isn't dependent upon circumstances but on the God of those circumstances? The Goshen Principle wasn't just for Israel; it's for you and me. Armed with that fact, I hope this week you will act like a resident of Goshen where the sun always shines and the air is free of dust and gnats. Have a great week!