The Promise of Provision by Derek Prince

The new book, The Promise of Provision by Derek Prince serves to justify financial wealth.  At times, this book appears to be self serving in its defence of financial wealth and proseperity.  The author considers financial poverty to be a curse, rather than a blessing, explaining that the abundance life and wealth refer to financial and material abundance, and not simply spiritual abundance.

It goes without saying that there are numerous occasions that the bible tells us to store treasures in heaven rather than on earth.  Nevertheless, this book goes through great lengths to redefine wealth and richness as literal richness and that poverty refers not to spiritual lack, but physical lack.  This controversal book redefines many biblical terms and expressions to refer to the material sense rather than the spiritual sense.  In the end, it seems this book is a justification for those who have material wealth and resources.

 Regardless, this book does make a good point- and that point is this: with material abundance comes responsability to share and help the less fortunate as well as the church.  In of itself, some readers may see this as a self serving statement in that wealthy Christians should be justified and encouraged so that they may don ate to chruches.  Another interesting segment of this book is its discussion of generalational curses.  Based on observation there is some validity to the fact that poverty, emotional illness, and health issues seem to span over generations.  but the danger of this line of thinking is that it may be taken to the extreme in the belief that all sufferering: physical, financial and emotional is the result of sin.  This is not always the case when one considers Jesus' words in the new testament when he explains that a man had a certain illness for the glory of God.  This books dismisses the divine purpose of pain and suffering.  This book most likely will serve to perpetuate the negative stereotypes of the poor and sick, rather than giving those who suffer the biblical and spiritual strength to persevere.  I'd suggest that any reader who wants a balanced persepective on God's provision, would do better to read the words of scripture than this interpretation whichserves to "tickle the ears" of those advantaged readers who seek to justify their wealth and prosperity.  As a blogger I receieved this book from Chosen publishers, a dividion of Baker publishing group, for the purpose of writing this review.  My opinions are my own.