What would you do if you suddenly received a million dollars? Would you
invest your fortune in worldly things, or heavenly things? Would you think
there to be any danger in being either very rich or very poor? If so,
why? How can wealth come between God and us? What do you think a person's
checkbook reveals about him or her? Well, I guess you know what topic
we are going to be looking at today, so grab your Bible and your wallet
- oh, and don't forget your heart too!
Jeremiah 9:23-24
Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither
let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his
riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth
and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercise lovingkindness, judgment,
and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith
the Lord.
According to this verse, we find that people tend to admire three qualities
most: human wisdom, might, and riches. Each of these qualities can be
a source of great pride. However, to glory in a thing is to depend on
it as a means of happiness. For example, wealth can easily become the
means of our happiness and take God's place, amen? But ladies, God puts
a higher priority on knowing Him personally and living a life that glorifies
Him. By the way, what is the basis of your happiness?
Matthew 19:16-22
And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing
shall I do, that I may have eternal life? And he said unto him, Why callest
thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt
enter into life, keep the commandments. He saith unto him, Which? Jesus
said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt
not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy
mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. The young man saith
unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?
Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast,
and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come
and follow me. But when the young man heard that saying, he went away
sorrowful: for he had great possessions.
Without any trouble, wealth can even become an idol in our lives as seen
in the above text. In response to the young man's question about how to
have eternal life, Jesus told him to keep the commandments and then listed
six of them - each referring to the young man's outward lifestyle. When
he proudly made the claim that he had kept all those commandments, Jesus
decided to give him one more assignment... He told him of one more requirement
- he must sell everything and give the money to the poor. How did this
young man react to Christ's demands? Jesus' statement exposed a weak spot
and troubled his conscience, amen? It forced him to examine his own heart
and determine his priorities in life. The issue of money forced the young
man to seriously consider his relationship with the Lord! The exam proved
that he had worldly priorities and not heavenly ones. Even with all of
his commendable qualities, this young man still did not know the Lord
nor love Him with his whole heart. Do YOU, dear lady? Perhaps you also
find it hard to believe that you might be lacking in any area…
Luke 10:27
And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart,
and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind;
and thy neighbour as thyself.
We find then the danger of this man's wealth was that his security was
found in himself, found in what the world had to offer him, and not at
all in God! Unfortunately he could not be convinced of this truth. Suspended
between the love of the world and the love of God, the Bible says this
man went away sorrowful. Earthly riches became an obstacle to his salvation!
Oh, he had a house full of treasures - but a heart empty of true peace
and joy. Perhaps the Lord is making certain financial demands upon you
today that are exposing your weak spots as well. Are you able to give
up that which is dearest to you in order to draw closer to the Lord? You
see ladies, in reality, this young mans' wealth had become his god, and
he made the decision that he would not give it up. Unfortunately he suffered
loss rather than gain by choosing sorrow over peace and joy and true contentment!
In his selection, he violated the first and greatest commandment found
in Exodus 20:3 which says:
Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
Earlier in this devotion, I told you to bring along your wallet AND your
heart. Why would I do that? Because I want you to consider which one of
those holds greater wealth today - or perhaps they are both bankrupt!
Is your wallet filled with more treasure than your heart, dear lady? What
will your response be to the demands the Lord is making upon you in the
area of money? Do worldly goods come before God in your life? Could you
live with having less or even being poor if that was His will, or would
you turn away from the Lord at that point? Do you feel better only when
your wallet is filled to overflowing, giving no thought at all to the
fullness of your heart? In verses 23-24 of Mt. 19, Jesus went on to use
this young man as an example when he turned to his disciples and said:
Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich
man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. And again I say unto
you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than
for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
Scripture clearly demonstrates that wealth can tempt us to deny our dependence
upon God. Jesus said it was very difficult for the rich to enter the kingdom
of God. This is true because with most of our basic physical needs met,
people often become very self-reliant and independent of the Lord, don't
they? When we feel empty, we can buy something new to dull the pain that
is meant to drive us toward God. Our abundance and self-sufficiency has
in actuality become our deficiency! Money frequently comes between man
and God, preventing us from learning to trust in Him alone. Let's be honest,
we've nurtured a better relationship with our Visa cards than we have
with the Lord!
Ladies, the person who has everything on earth can still lack what is
most important - eternal life by way of a personal relationship with the
God of this universe through His Son Jesus Christ. You can't pay for your
sins with a credit card; they were put on the Savior's account! This is
wealth beyond compare!! True wealth is far more than material rewards
or a thick wallet, amen? True wealth is what we gain when we give up what
we have to follow Christ. True wealth is eternal. The wealth of this world
can disappear before your very eyes, it can be used up, and end will come
to it - eternal life cannot! Please don't forfeit precious eternal rewards
for temporary benefits. Strive to be willing to make those sacrifices
the Lord might be asking you to make now for greater rewards later. Learn
to become fully dependent upon God. Seek after a rich relationship with
the Lord - spiritual treasures are best and most fulfilling!!
Luke 12:33-34
Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not
old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth,
neither corrupteth. For where your treasure is, there will your heart
be also.
Today, Jesus has challenged you and I to think beyond earthbound goals
and to look at this world from Heaven's point of view - HIS point of view.
If we will, then we'll use what we have been given for God's glory. We
won't worry about losing money, we'll start to think about using it properly!
Faith, service, and obedience are the way to become rich toward God. Christ
commands us not to worry about money. But how can we avoid it? By not
fixing our hearts on transient things! We need to fix our hearts on things
eternal so that God's peace can guard our hearts and minds. Only faith
can free us from the anxiety our greed and covetousness causes us. And
that faith must be in the Lord, not in our wallet! As Lord and Creator,
He promises to provide what you and I need, as well as guide us in how
to use what He provides. The key to using money wisely is to see how much
we can use for God's purposes, not how much we can accumulate for ourselves.
In closing, does God's love touch your wallet? Does your money liberate
you to help others or entangle you so you cannot? If you are giving to
the cause of Christ regardless if you have a lot of money or not, then
you are storing up lasting treasures in Heaven! If your financial goals
and possessions hinder you from giving generously, loving others, trusting
in and serving God, then take Jesus advice - sell what you must to bring
your life into perspective, and make your heart richer toward the Lord!
Allow your financial demands to turn your heart in the right direction.
God Bless,
Pam
Isaiah 60:1&2
Copyright 2000 Pamela A. Iannello
Revised 2003