TODAY IS…

a good day to understand that a person’s wealth is not a sign of God’s approval.

“Yet they succeed in everything they do. They do not see Your punishment awaiting them. They sneer at all their enemies.”  Psalm 10:5 NLT

The majority of the entire world’s wealth is possessed by a very small percentage of its inhabitants.

Most of us work hard to make ends meet and do the best we can to support our families. Many others have much less and often have little or nothing to eat and live in conditions which most of us would find difficult to imagine, let alone to actually endure.

There are probably those who are extremely wealthy who will point to their success as a sign of God’s approval but we all know that material success had nothing to do with it. Jesus Himself spoke on the subject.

“And Jesus said to His disciples, ‘Truly I say to you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.’” (Matthew 19:23 NASB).

As if He wasn’t sure that His statement was clear enough, Jesus added emphasis by saying, “Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” (Matthew 19:24 NASB).

Jesus was not implying that wealthy people could not get into heaven when they died or that they were not welcome there. What He was trying to teach His disciples was that their wealth was no guarantee of entrance into the Kingdom of God and could also be a hindrance, for far too often those who are materially well off somehow seem to give all of the credit to themselves and do not feel the need to thank God or include Him in their lives.

This is a mistake in judgment that, uncorrected, will have tragic eternal consequences.

Does God automatically punish the wealthy?

Of course not.

There are many people of substantial means whose lives have been given to God. They have accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior, and they are grateful for all they have. They do their part to share with others and to give back to God for all He has given them.

Most important, they give the glory to God for all they have, and all they do is done in His name.

The same thing applies to those who are poor or of modest means. Again, our financial status is not what determines our worth in God’s eyes. It is what God finds in our hearts, not in our bank accounts that matters and those who are financially barren can be just as barren in their faith. They can also be full of love for the Lord and a willingness to serve Him by serving those around them.

Simple lives lived in service to God and to others are very valuable to the Lord. When we learn to measure our success by how we demonstrate our love for God and for those around us, we will have learned the true secret for the kind of success that will gain us entrance to the Kingdom of God.

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Taken from “TODAY IS….A Gift From God”, (C) 2013 Tony Casson