Proverbs 11: 24 – 26; 28 (NLT)
24 Give freely and become more wealthy;
be stingy and lose everything.
25 The generous will prosper;
those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.
26 People curse those who hoard their grain,
but they bless the one who sells in time of need.
28 Trust in your money and down you go!
But the godly flourish like leaves in spring.
That is some interesting advice. Do you really believe that if you give what you have away generously, you will become more wealthy?
First let’s look at why we might hang on tightly to what we have. One reason is that we have been taken in by our culture’s values. Large homes, expensive cars, exotic vacations, designer clothes – you name it, it’s what we hope for, and what the media puts in front of our faces all the time. We strive for better jobs with more pay so we can have some of that luxury that seems so desirable. Another reason that we keep what we have to ourselves is our need for security. If we have money, we can have a good life – provide great opportunities for our kids, lead a comfortable lifestyle, eventually have savings for retirement. We can feel secure; we don’t have to ask for help.
If we take a good look at those motivations, we’ll realize they go completely against what God is telling us. God want us to love Him with all our heart, with all our soul and with all our mind. That’s the first and most important commandment. Acquiring things is not on God’s important list at all. And then there is security. Found in money? God would laugh at that. Solomon laughed at that – ‘Trust in your money and down you go!’.
To close today’s devotions, I want you to listen to the song for today. The words of this song emphasize what is most important.
In Christ Alone sung by Owl City.
(I’ve included the words in case you don’t like listening to music.)
In Christ Alone
by Keith Getty and Stuart Townend
In Christ alone my hope is found,
He is my light, my strength, my son;
this Cornerstone, this solid Ground
firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
when fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My Comforter, my All in All,
here in the love of Christ I stand.
No guilt in life, my fear in death,
This is the power of Christ in me;
From life’s first cry to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny.
No power of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand;
Til He returns and calls me home,
Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand.