Through these He has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. 2 Peter 1:4
“When we come to God, we should renew our repentance, faith, and purposes of better pleasing Him; then remember the Scripture, and search all the promises as part of our best riches; and humbly challenge God with His own promises. This will make us strong and faithful in prayer, when we know we shall not pray in vain.”
Richard Sibbes (1577-1635) in Divine Meditations and Holy Contemplations, 165 (London: Buckland, 1775) 60.
If generosity flows from the wealth we have, what are our best riches? Though Richard Sibbes words are 400 years old, they are a fresh answer for today.
Our best riches are the great and precious promises of God. How do we get them? We start with repentance, daily acknowledging our dependence on God and focus on His purposes.
Then we search the Scriptures daily. To remember the Scripture is to put it to work. Warning: Don’t take OT promises to Israel out of context or you will end up with prosperity gospel.
For an example of praying God’s promises back to Him with humility, consider Nehemiah (see Nehemiah 1:5-11). Do this to get self out of the way and so your prayers will be effective.
The result will be to gain strength and divine support better than any financial riches can muster for living, giving, loving, and serving generously, especially in hard times.