Anyone who has followed the course of the Breakthrough Words over the past several years, would know that one of the most constant themes we "hammer" is how important it is to read the Bible each and every day—to give the "first and best" part of every day to God, by opening our minds and our spirits up to God's Word.

I believe that God will speak to us and guide us through His Word, which in itself is enough to justify the habit. But as if that weren't sufficient, I believe there is another and equally important reason to do so: To allow the Bible to wash and cleanse us through the "washing of water by the Word" (Eph. 5).

As we move around the marketplace, whatever our calling, we pick up dirt—some dirt sticks to us—and the best way to get rid of that is to wash it away with God's Word, on a daily and consistent basis. As God brings the "end time wealth transfer" (which we spoke of in the last Breakthrough Word, He will bring it through us as His "channels" or conduits of transfer and provision.

This was brought home to me very powerfully recently as I was reading the Message Bible (a very colloquial and contemporary version). I was reading in Proverbs 21, and came across this:

"Good leadership is a channel of water controlled by God; He directs it to whatever ends he chooses."

I thought this was an excellent way of putting it. As Christians operate in the marketplace, by modeling integrity and excellence, we generate influence and leadership as the "salt and light" in our culture. And here the Message Bible is actually spelling it out in the same terms I like to use—as leaders, we are "channels of water" which God can use and direct to "whatever end He chooses."

There is no more important issue in God's dealing with His people right now in these end times, than the transfer of wealth from the "world" to His people. Immense amounts of money will be needed to carry out the end-time tasks he sets us, and God never asks us to do anything without providing the necessary resources first.

What Is Your Motive?

In the next verse in Proverb 21, it goes on: "... God examines our motives." With God, it all comes back to our real intentions, motives and our attitude. God wants us to have money, and bucket-loads of it, but only if we are committed to using it for His purposes with integrity and righteousness—holiness!

In Ecclesiastes 6, we read: "God showers everything—money, property and reputation." But then, a little later in Chapter 11, we very quickly see the balance: "Be generous ... be a blessings to others."

As we read back in Genesis 12, as God promised to Abraham (and to us as his heirs through faith), "I'll make you a great nation and bless you. I'll make you famous; you'll BE a blessing ... all the families of the earth will be blessed through you."

So God will bring the money and he'll use us as the channels through which to bring it, as long as our motives are pure, and He knows that He can trust us to use the wealth wisely and not destroy ourselves with it.

So we are tested ... and tested, and tested! If there us one theme that is consistent through both the Old and New Testaments, it is that God tests His people. He wants to see that we have learned the lessons: "God hates cheating in the marketplace ... the integrity of the honest keeps them on track ... moral character makes for smooth traveling ... Good character is the best insurance" (Prov. 11).

In Proverbs 3, God tells us: "Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; He's the one who will keep you on track ... run to God! Run from evil! Honor God with everything you own, give Him your first and best. Your barns will burst, your wine vats will brim over."

The Significance of Tests and Trials

So it is clear that we should expect and even welcome (even if it seems hard at the time) God's trials and testings, because without being tested, we can't break through to the next level, where God will use us as end-time channels for His wealth transfer.

In Psalm 119, which talks a lot about the importance of God's Word, and how it will guide us and lead us, the theme of testing is also very prominent:

"My troubles turned out all for the best—they forced me to learn from Your textbook ... Your testing has taught me what's true and right ... Even though troubles came down on me hard, Your commands always give me delight ... help me understand it, so I can live to the fullest."

So if we want to live "to the fullest"—to do the best for God—we should not baulk at tests when they come, even if they come in the guise of "troubles." Because as David says in this great Psalm, "your testing has taught me what's true and right."

Turning to the New Testament, here is how James talks about testing in his first chapter: "Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work, so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way ... Anyone who meets a testing challenge head-on and manages to stick it out is mighty fortunate. For such persons loyally in love with God, the reward is life and more life."

So, if you are "going through it" right now, praise God! Because you are being given the chance to show God that you can come though tests and challenges with a good attitude and maintaining your integrity and your holiness.

And as you come through the tests, no matter how painful and even unfair they may seem, rejoice with all your heart, because it means God is positioning you as a "channel of water" that He can control and direct "to whatever ends He chooses."

As Oral Roberts is famous for saying, "God is good—expect a miracle!" Expect God to open doors so huge and unexpected that you have trouble even conceiving of something so wonderful! Expect the unexpected. Get into the Word every morning so God can speak to you through it, and at the same time, give you a good washing and scrub-up.

Then you are in the right place at the right time to see these promises fulfilled in your life:

"Ill-gotten wealth ends up with good people" (Prov. 13).

"Sinners are assigned a life of hard labor, and end up turning their wages over to God's favorites" (Eccl. 2).

"I'll shake down all the godless nations—they'll bring bushels of wealth" (Hag. 2).

"You'll feast on the bounty of nations ... because you got a double-dose of trouble, and more than your share of contempt, your inheritance in the land will be doubled, and your joy go on for ever ... you will be recognized at once as the people I have blessed" (Is. 61).