“May the LORD give you increase more and more, You and your children. May you be blessed by the LORD, Who made heaven and earth.” – Psalm 115:14-15

Sometime back, I was looking through my old stuff and I saw one of my very first pay slips.

I was shocked to discover that I used to earn such a meager salary.

However, for the few years I was with that particular employer, I quickly went through the ranks and rose to a management position.

We all love increase whether by addition, multiplication or elevation. 

We all aspire to get that promotion or salary raise as quickly as possible.

The original word for ‘increase’ means to multiply, become numerous, become great or to have more in terms of quantity or quality.

In our meditation today, the psalmist prays that the LORD “give you increase more and more.”

That implies that continuous increase or improvement is a gift from God and eventually manifests as the “blessing.”.

In Psalm 71:21, David said; “You shall increase my greatness, and comfort me on every side.”

 He didn’t feel like he had ‘arrived’; he aspired for more.

I liked how God did it for the Children of Israel when they were in Egypt.

The Bible says in Exodus 1:7: “But the children of Israel were fruitful and increased abundantly, multiplied and grew exceedingly mighty; and the land was filled with them.”

Mark the key words – fruitfulness, increase, multiplication, growth and fullness.

Our God is the God of fruitfulness, multiplication, increase and growth, and not just increase but “abundant increase.”

Our God is the God of fruitfulness, multiplication, increase and growth, and not just increase but “abundant increase.”

Our Lord Jesus witnessed increase in His life. As a young man, the Bible says; “He grew and became strong; He was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on Him” (Luke 2:40)

In Isaiah 9:7, the prophet said of Christ; “Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end.”

What does your growth trajectory look like?

Apart from material or numerical increase, there are a few virtues that the Bible says should increase in our lives.

First, the Bible says; “The meek also shall increase their joy in the Lord …” (Isaiah 29:19).

Unlike happiness, which depends on ‘happenings,’ joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit and comes from the inside to the outside.

Secondly, the Bible says; “A wise man will hear, and will increase learning.”

In every field of endevour, learning (from both experience and teachers) should be a lifelong activity and indeed it is what brings wisdom and progress.

Those who learn the most also tend to progress further than the rest.

Thirdly, the disciples prayed in Luke 17:5, “LORD, increase our faith.”

Our faith in God must keep on increasing more and more.

We are not expected to have the same quantity and quality of faith today as we had when we first became believers.

Mark you, it is “God who gives the increase,” which is why the disciples made that profound prayer.  Don’t beg God for things; ask for faith.

Finally, in 1 Thessalonians 3:12, the apostle Paul prayed for the Church thus: “May the LORD make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all.”

God’s will is that we keep on increasing more and more and abounding in love for one another and indeed for all people, including those who are unloving and unlovely.

I liked what God told the children of Israel: “Little by little I will drive them out from before you, until you have increased, and you inherit the land” (Exodus 23:30).

What I gather from that is that increase is what enables us to go into our inheritance.

May the Lord give us increase more and more, Amen!

Prayer:

Almighty God, may you increase me more and more and the next generation. Help me grow in the knowledge of your Son Jesus and Your ways. Increase my joy and my faith, for the glory of Your Name, Amen!