What Does God Say About Your Money? Money is an alluring thing. People work for it, they gamble for it and some even steal it. Many idolize it and their obsession with it has brought countless lives to ruin. Yet money itself has been given a bad rap. All it is, is a medium of exchange - whose value is determined only by what a society agrees it should be through general consensus, or by runaway governments who have turned their backs upon the governed in order to benefit themselves. Money is not the root of all evil (an often misquoted scripture). The quantity one has is but a measure of their material wealth, which ultimately is a gift from God Himself: You shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who is giving you the power to make wealth… Dt. 8:18 NASB In fact, all of our abundance comes from our Creator - generated by the unique talents that God gives to each of us: Not that we are fit (qualified and sufficient in ability) of ourselves to form personal judgments or to claim or count anything as coming from us, but our power and ability and sufficiency are from God. 2 Cor. 3:5 AMP Both riches and honor come from You… 1 Chr. 29:12 NKJV In addition, God wants us to enjoy His gifts: …everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil - this is Gods gift to man. Eccl. 3:13 ESV Our part in this gift exchange is to acknowledge God as our source, love Him, seek after Him, and walk in His ways; then our well-being is guaranteed: …Your fruit is found in Me. Hos. 14:8 NKJV And my God will liberally supply (fill to the full) your every need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Phil. 4:19 AMP If they obey and serve Him, they shall spend their days in prosperity… Job. 36:11 NKJV If we acknowledge God as the source of our wealth, we are in essence exercising our faith; and we gain that wealth as a byproduct of our faith, through our efforts to seek after our Creator: Do not worry then, saying, What will we eat? or What will we drink? or What will we wear for clothing? … for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But first seek His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Mt. 6:31 - 33. NASB And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive. Mt. 21:22 NASB There is a caveat however; God does not pour abundance over us by happenstance. He only blesses us with our desires if by receiving them they will increase His purpose in us to forward His kingdom. King Solomons prayer request and Gods response is the best example of this: whereby God asked him what it was that he wanted, telling him he could have anything; but Solomon humbly asked only for wisdom and knowledge, in order to help him effectively rule Gods children. God not only granted him his request, but He also heaped wealth and honor upon him - an additional reward because Solomons prayer focused upon Gods kingdom purpose. (2 Chr. 1:11, 12.) Furthermore, God works with you, not just for you. You have to express that talent He imprinted you with in order to lay claim to your abundance and you must express it with integrity: A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich. Pr. 10:4 ESV Wealth gained by dishonesty will be diminished, but he who gathers by labor will increase. Pr. 13:11 NKJV When God sends His blessings your way, they come to you with a responsibility - which is to be wise in your dispensation of them (i.e. be a good steward): As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life. 1 Tim. 6:17 - 19. ESV But a generous man devises generous things, and by generosity he shall stand. Is. 32:8 NKJV You cant out give God. He gives you more than enough abundance so that you can share with others - thereby serving Him: But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you shall be repaid at the resurrection of the just. Lk. 14:13, 14. NKJV …do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. Lk. 6:35 NKJV God also asks that you do your sharing discretely, rather than publicly for the purpose of pridefully puffing yourself up: Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven…but when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly. Mt. 6:1, 3 & 4. NKJV And dont forget last weeks lesson about tithing back to God a portion of your new found abundance. (See What Does God Say About Your Giving?) All of Gods abundance is good and He wants you to have it. The danger comes when we let our focus shift from our gratitude for His riches to the riches themselves: …if riches increase, do not set your heart on them. Ps. 62:10 NKJV He who leans on, trusts in, and is confident in his riches shall fall… Pr. 11:28 AMP Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions. Lk. 12:15 NASB Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you. Heb. 13:5 NASB The danger of making an idol out of money is that it separates us from God: But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs. 1 Tim. 6:9, 10. ESV (Emphasis mine, so that you see where the priority of the correct scripture lies; i.e. it the love of money, not money itself that is the root of evils.) No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. Lk. 16:13 ESV What is the danger of being separated from God? It is the possible loss of our salvation: …the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. Mk. 4:19 NKJV Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death. Pr. 11:4 NKJV …it is easier of a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. Mt. 19:24 NKJV Every material blessing from God is a wonderful and marvelous thing. All we have to do is remain grateful, share our abundance, and keep our focus on our greatest treasure - God Himself: For the one who sows to his own flesh from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap eternal life. Gal. 6:8 NASB Do not lay up for yourself treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. Mt. 6:19, 20. NKJV Our greatest treasure is expressed in our spiritual journey - the one that begins with our acknowledgment of our redemption: …you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver and gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. 1 Pt. 1:18, 19. ESV Our ultimate abundance is found in God. When we stay with Him, everything is taken care of. God wants you to have the fruits of His earthly abundance (including money) as one of His ways of showing you His love. He just doesnt the fruits to have you… Good night and God bless.
Posted on: Fri, 19 Sep 2014 14:19:48 +0000
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