KFLCC Kingdom Economics

F INANCIAL S ECURITY IN THE L AST D AYS

E CCL . 11:1-3 After Adam’s spiritual fall in the garden, God informed him that, “In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread....” (Gen. 3:19). This refers to Adam working among the thorns and the ground to produce a harvest of food. Bread is also a metaphor used to identify the type of work a person does to “bring in the bread,” or the income for the family. A husband is often called the “bread winner,” meaning that he is generally responsible for bringing in the income and provision. Casting your bread upon the water seems odd, because when a loaf of bread is thrown on water, it eventually becomes soggy and bloated with water. It will either sink or gradually separate into pieces. In ancient days, bread was an important food supply when traveling by ship. Because of the water and moisture, loaves were often covered with a wax-like coating that prevented water or moisture from allowing the bread to become wet and deteriorate. If a ship wrecked at sea, these loaves could float on the waves and eventually a current could carry the bread to shore. Thus by casting your bread upon the water, it would return on the current and the flow of the waves. Solomon’s instruction to give a portion to seven or to eight can be understood in modern terminology as “do not put all your eggs in one basket.” In other words, spread out your investment by diversification. Instead of purchasing stock in one company, invest in several solid corporations. Notice the phrase “for you know not what evil shall be upon the earth.” Global troubles cause markets to rise and fall overnight, and any sudden disruption—such as a national uprising, a natural disaster, a terrorist attack, a tsunami in Japan, or a Gulf disaster in Louisiana—suddenly alters the economic stability of national and global corporations. It is always the unexpected evil that lurks in the shadows and appears like a crouching lion waiting for its prey that disrupts your own economic stability. This is one reason that being released from excessive debts and having your bills paid in advance can be a life saving

strategy in event of a major crisis or downturn. 3. Fertilizing for Fruitful Increase

Over a period of time, natural soil can lose important nutrients. A plant needs elements from the air—such as carbon, hydrogen and oxygen—to grow. However, fertilizer contains other mineral nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium that plants need for growth. If these nutrients are missing in soil, a

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