Bulletin Article for May 10, 2009

The Uncertainty Of Riches

by Chris Simmons

Solomon was a blessed man in many ways. He was blessed with not only the wisdom he asked God for but with material blessings unseen by man of his day (I Kings 5:13; 10:6-9, 23). With blessings come responsibilities and like most of us, Solomon didn’t always handle his responsibilities with complete faithfulness. It’s difficult to deal with prosperity and God knew that when the Israelites came into the promised land that they’d be challenged and tempted by their prosperity and the blessings He bestowed on them more than anything else (Deuteronomy 6:10-15; 8:7-18) to turn their hearts away from God. Blessed with wisdom and inspiration from God, Solomon had much to say about the temptations of riches and material prosperity and we would be wise to heed his words of wisdom on this subject.

One point Solomon stressed about the material blessings of life is that they are temporal, fleeting and ultimately vanity. He wrote in Proverbs 27:23-24, “Know well the condition of your flocks, and pay attention to your herds; for riches are not forever, nor does a crown endure to all generations.” We need to take care of what God has blessed us with for the moment because nothing of this life lasts forever. He also wrote in Proverbs 23:4-7, “Do not weary yourself to gain wealth, cease from your consideration of it. When you set your eyes on it, it is gone. For wealth certainly makes itself wings, like an eagle that flies toward the heavens.” How much time do we spend in “consideration” of our financial blessings as compared to our consideration of our spiritual blessings? Where is our treasure and where is our heart (Matthew 6:20-21)? Today, everyone seeks riches that are certain and guaranteed to last. Such doesn’t exist and we should “cease from our consideration of it.” How many recently have seen their financial investments “make itself wings like an eagle” and fly away? Such is the nature of material riches and it should remind us to center our hope on He who never changes. This is why Paul exhorted Timothy to, “Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy” (I Timothy 6:17). Neither the FDIC or the SEC can change the fleeting nature of material prosperity or alter the conclusion that its pursuit is “vanity and striving after wind” (Ecclesiastes 2:11).

Solomon addresses the myth about riches; that they solve all your problems and provide all the security you need. Solomon wrote in Proverbs 18:10-11, “The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous runs into it and is safe. A rich man's wealth is his strong city, and like a high wall in his own imagination.” A man’s wealth is his security only in his “imagination,” not in reality. Money doesn’t solve men’s problems but rather often magnifies or compounds them. Therefore, we should always maintain our trust in God and His word and always be cautious of leaning on our material possessions. Solomon wrote in Proverbs 11:28, “He who trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like the green leaf.” Concerning ourselves with our standing before God is much more important than losing sleep over whether we’ll be able to retire comfortably. The balance of our 401(k) account will do nothing for us on the day of judgment. This is Solomon’s point in Proverbs 11:4, “Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.” Most of us would say, “I know that” – but do our lives really reflect that?

Solomon also spoke of the means of obtaining one’s blessings. He wrote in Proverbs 13:11, “Wealth obtained by fraud dwindles, but the one who gathers by labor increases it.” Our blessings are to be obtained by honest labors that God enables us to do (I Thessalonians 4:11; II Thessalonians 3:10; Colossians 3:23; Ecclesiastes 9:10). There are many today who would seek to lure you into a way to obtain wealth by fraud and more than enough who are willing to bite. That’s one of the problems of gambling – it’s a way of obtaining wealth without laboring for it.

Whatever we have been blessed with, Solomon also recognized the need to honor God by returning to Him a portion (the first fruits) of those blessings. We read in Proverbs 3:9-10, “Honor the Lord from your wealth, and from the first of all your produce; so your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine.” The command in I Corinthians 16:1-2 along with the admonitions in II Corinthians chapters 8 & 9 are consistent with what Solomon wrote. With purpose and liberality we need to “honor the Lord from (our) wealth” each first day of the week.

Finally, we read of the need to be aware of the dangers of both having too much and not having enough. Proverbs 30:7-9, “Two things I asked of Thee, do not refuse me before I die: keep deception and lies far from me, give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is my portion, lest I be full and deny Thee and say, ‘Who is the LORD?’ Or lest I be in want and steal, and profane the name of my God.” Paul spoke of learning the “secret” of dealing with both “humble means” as well as “prosperity” (Philippians 4:11-12). May we fervently pray that we might also learn that “secret.”

May God find us to be faithful stewards of all that He has blessed us with and may we never forget to give our all for the “treasures in heaven” (Matthew 6:20)!