ICS Daily Devotions
The Deceitfulness of Riches
Matthew 4:8-10 Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.’”
We live in a city that is very driven by the desire to be rich and everything that comes with it. In the mind of many people, riches will bring happiness, acceptance, security, status, recognition, power and love. The saying is when you are rich then you will have it all! Unfortunately, if our security is built on wealth then there will never come a day when we believe we have enough money. There is a price to pay for being affluent. It might have cost your marriage, your children, your friends, or your health. Not every rich person is happy, secured, loved or finds fulfilment in life. In fact, many rich people have had enough of money and luxury, and are seeking spiritual help because they vacuum in their lives can only be filled by God.
There is a certain spirit within this city that is influencing the people. You can identify it if you listen to the people’s conversation. We cannot deny that the prince of the power of the air, the ruler of the air, the principalities and powers have influence over this city. But they do not have influence over the Kingdom of God, in which we are residents. It is God who rules and reigns in our lives.
A few decades ago, there was a great rush to obtain the five “C”s in life: career, car, cash, credit card and a condominium. And preferably, all these things would be obtained before a person turned thirty! Things are not much different today, although the precise prizes may vary somewhat. But the most important C is missing, here: it is Christ who should be the center of our lives, or else everything will be meaningless.
As Christians we recognize the danger of riches and financial bondage. Many people are trying to live the high life, will spend what they don’t have, and eventually crash for their efforts. Be wary of people who are not a positive influence. It is easier to learn about wickedness and bad behavior than to change for good. If the people around you strive to look young even though they are old and spend tons of money to get plastic surgery, this will probably rub off on you. If they are all fearful that their wives will reject them if they don’t make enough money, or that their husband will abandon them for not being young and slim enough, those fears will probably affect you, too.
We need a different voice that will influence us correctly. It should be the voice of God. He speaks through His word and through godly counsel. This is what should guide us so that we will truly experience the life God wants for us.
More than that, if we do not follow the voice of God, then the deceitfulness of riches will lure away the young people, as well. We must show that we love God and are passionate about serving Him with our gifts in our careers. This is the message that we need to teach our children and young adults. This is what we need to remind ourselves of. We are proud when our children are successful in school and in business. But how much prouder we should be when they are passionate about following Jesus!
It is not evil to be rich. It is the love of money and the desire to be rich that draws us away from God. It is evil to be pursuing security in something that is not God. But having money itself is not an evil. In fact, it can be a great blessing. Proverbs 10:22 says, “The blessing of the LORD makes one rich, And He adds no sorrow with it.” So, we are to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and trust that He will provide for all our needs. When God blesses us with a promotion or a windfall, that is his grace. But when we labor on our own, then we will find sorrow, though we may be rich.
God gives, and gives in abundance. When God’s word falls on good soil, the seed will grow, and the believer will be blessed, spiritually, emotionally, and physically. Let us practice what the word of God says. Faith comes by hearing the word and doing what is says. We need to cultivate our hearts to be receptive to God’s word in order for it to bear fruit in our lives. And when the members of a congregation mature together, the body will grow! We will be able to actively live out our faith and share our faith effectively with the people around us, affecting eternity. The seed that was planted will bring a full harvest.
Series: Church Anniversary Celebration