ICS Daily Devotions
God Wants All of You
Mark 10:21 (NKJV) Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.”
God is not against money, people being rich or well-provided for in life, but He is against money becoming a god to us.
The rich young ruler, being of Jewish descent, should have been taught where the source of his wealth and blessings originated. Similarly, even though we might know who the source of our provision is, money can still slowly creep into our lives and cause us to idolise it, especially when it is accompanied by power. The problem with this rich young ruler is that he has tasted power and wealth, and it has become a stronghold in his life.
Deuteronomy 8:12-13,17-18 (NKJV) Lest—when you have eaten and are full, and have built beautiful houses and dwell in them; and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and your gold are multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied;…. Then you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth.’ “And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.
Throughout the Bible, God has shown Himself to be a faithful provider and one who blesses. It is an issue when we begin to think that we have gained power and wealth with our own hands. Our hearts will be lifted up when life is good, and we will begin to think that we have no more need for God. We will be able to do whatever we like because we have money at our disposal, and nobody dares to speak into our lives.
It is an issue with God when we are proud and begin to trust in Mammon more than God. God has an issue with us when we idolise and trust in money. As soon as we are well-provided or rich, we will feel very subtly that we no longer need God in our lives.
Therefore, all the rich young ruler could have done was to have simple faith in Jesus and deal with his trust of money in his life. Jesus spoke right into his life by helping him to realise his trust of money was an idol in his life and the hindrance to his faith in God. God is a jealous God, and He doesn’t like us to be lukewarm and half-hearted towards Him. He wants all of us!
Sermon Series: Are You Young and Rich?
