When God created man in His image, He declared the blessing over His creation. God gave man authority over the earth, commanding him to be fruitful and multiply, or increase. From the very beginning, God’s mandate for man was to produce and increase. This is the very nature of God. Even God’s creation was designed for increase. Every apple contains seeds for hundreds of trees, which have the potential to produce thousands of apples. God put increase into our very DNA.
Even after man sinned and brought the curse upon mankind and the earth, God sent Jesus to come and redeem man and bring back the blessing. God’s plan for man was always increase. Just as Jesus increased as a boy on earth, we too are made to increase. Luke 2:52 tells us that Jesus continued to increase in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.
The prayer of Jabez is an example of how God will increase us, even as we ask Him. In 1 Chronicles 4:10, Jabez cried out to God saying, “Oh that you will indeed bless me and enlarge my border, and that your hand would be with me, and You would keep me from evil so that it does not hurt me.” And God did grant his request.” Jabez was bold in his prayer to God.
God promises to increase us as we are obedient to him. In Deuteronomy 1, the God tells Moses that as the Israelites keep His commandments, He will multiply them a thousand times. “The Lord Your God has multiplied you, and look, today you are as numerous as the stars of heaven. May the Lord, the God of your fathers, add to you a thousand times as many as you are and bless you, just as He has promised you.” Again, we see God’s intention to multiply and increase His people.
In Malachi 3 we can read about financial increase. Malachi 3:10 says, “Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test me now in this, if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you so great a blessing until there is no more room to receive it.” What an amazing promise the God gives us. If we will give our first fruits back to God, He will bless and increase us until we are overflowing.
God’s very nature is blessing and increase. He is a good father and provider. He has given us many promises that He longs to fulfill for us as we align ourselves with His kingdom. We can trust Him to do what He has promised.