VERY RICH MARCH 1 ! Bible Reading: Genesis 13:1-13 Key Verse: Genesis 13:2- “And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold.” Key Words: And Abram was very rich
Abram wasn’t just rich; he was very rich...with cattle, silver, and gold. The word rich is an interesting word. It means “weighty.” It comes from the
word virtue. It carries the idea of both blessing and burden. When one uses their riches for God, that’s a blessing; but when one uses their riches for self and a worldly life, that becomes a burden. I refer you to the story of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15 who was rich but his riches were not a blessing – they were a burden. He ended up slopping hogs!! The problem with riches without God is that they allow you to live without learning how to live. In 1928 a group of the world’s most successful financiers met at the Edgewater Beach Hotel in Chicago. The following were present: The president of the largest utility company, The greatest wheat speculator, The president of the New York Stock Exchange, A member of the President’s Cabinet, The greatest “bear” in Wall Street, The president of the Bank of International Settlements, The head of the world’s greatest monopoly. Collectively, these tycoons controlled more wealth than there was in the U.S. Treasury, and for years, newspapers and magazines had been printing their success stories and urging the youth of the nation to follow their examples. Twenty-five years later, this is what had happened to these men: The president of the largest independent steel company, Charles Schwab, lived on borrowed money the last five years of his life and died broke. The greatest wheat speculator, Arthur Cutten, died abroad, insolvent.
The president of the New York Stock Exchange, Richard Whitney, served a term in Sing Sing Prison. The member of the President’s Cabinet, Albert Fall, was pardoned from prison so he could die at home. The greatest “bear” in Wall Street, Jesse Livermore, committed suicide. The president of the Bank of International Settlements, Leon Fraser, committed suicide. The head of the world’s greatest monopoly, Ivar Drueger, committed suicide. All of these men had learned how to make money, but not one of them had learned how to live.
If one doesn’t know how to live, then all the riches in this world come to
naught!!
What to do: ! Without God, riches are a burden. !
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BECOMING POOR MARCH 2 ! Bible Reading: Proverbs 10:1-11 Key Verse: Proverbs 10:4- “He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich.”
Key Words: He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand
You can see from our verse that slackness is the opposite of diligence. The word diligent means a painstaking effort; then slackness would be less than a whole-hearted effort or even no effort at all. It would do us all well to remember about the only thing that comes to us without effort is old age. In 1986, a group of researchers published a study of Japanese mothers and mothers in Minneapolis. The mothers were asked to rank the most important things that a child needs to succeed academically. The answers tell a lot about the difference in our two cultures today. The mothers in Minneapolis chose “ability.” The mothers in Japan said “effort.” If you have all the ability on the face of the earth but are slack in your effort, your abilities amount to zero – zilch – nothing. The female steamer duck can fly, but only about ! of the males are able to, and only before they eat! The rest are too heavy to get airborne. They use their wings as paddles and beat furiously across the surface of the water, never quite able to break into flight. Now, the moral is clear: there are some in our society who need to spend more of their life for work than for food. Let me encourage you to not be slack in your effort. What to do: ! Remember, he that will not work, neither shall he eat. !
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MADE RICH MARCH 3 ! Bible Reading: Proverbs 10:12-32 Key Verse: Proverbs 10:22- “The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.”
Key Words: the blessing of the Lord it maketh rich
Oftentimes we interpret our key verse to mean that God is the one Who makes us rich, and that is certainly true. But the meaning of this verse is that when one is filled with the blessings of God, they are rich. (When I am benefited by God, I am rich – rich with family, friends, church, health, and many other blessings.) If I have these and more, I am rich. The British ship Britannia was wrecked off the coast of Brazil. Stored in the hold were many kegs filled with Spanish old coins. The crew, hoping to save them, started to carry the barrels on deck. But the vessel was breaking up so fast that they had to abandon their efforts and race for the lifeboats. Just before the last lifeboat pushed off, a young midshipman was sent back to see if anyone had been left behind accidentally. To his surprise, a man sat on the deck with a hatchet by his side. He had broken open a few kegs of those gold coins and was heaping them up around himself. "What are you doing?" shouted the sailor. "Don't you know this ship is going to pieces?" The man replied, "It may go down, but I've lived in poverty all my life, and I am determined to die rich." This man, along with many others, needs to learn that “the measure of a man’s wealth is how much he’d be worth if he lost all his money” (John Henry Jowett).
What to do: ! Answer this question: If you lost all your money, how rich would you be? !
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HATRED FOR THE POOR MARCH 4 ! Bible Reading: Proverbs 14:1-20 Key Verse: Proverbs 14:20- “The poor is hated even of his own neighbour: but the rich hath many friends.”
Key Words: The poor is hated even of his own neighbour
Proverbs 14 teaches us at least four lessons in regard to the poor. 1. 2. 3. 4.
In verse 21, happiness comes from showing mercy to the poor. Oppressing the poor is a reproach against God, verse 31. You can’t honor God without showing mercy on the poor. But the primary thing that I draw to your attention is in verse 20: the poor are hated.
In this day of fancy homes, designer clothes, kid’s computers, tweeters and tweeties I have found that those who have look down on those who have not. I challenge each of you not to look down on others based upon their material blessings; but I also challenge each of you to work. My grandfather once told me that there are two kinds of people: those who do the work and those who take the credit. He told me to try to be in the first group; there was less competition there.
What to do: ! Remember, God feeds the birds; but He doesn’t throw their food in the nest. !
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LABOR NOT TO BE RICH MARCH 5 ! Bible Reading: Proverbs 23:1-11 Key Verse: Proverbs 23:4- “Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom.” Key Words: Labor not to be rich
This is quite a statement. We are not to labor to be rich...that’s not the purpose
of our labor.
• • •
For the souls of men. We labor so we can buy tracts and spread the gospel and preach the Word. John 6:27 For the love of it. We labor because we love to do a good day’s work, plus do a good job. Because we want to bring glory to God. I Corinthians 10:31
We are teaching our children and our children’s children incorrectly when we
teach them to labor to be rich. What if they succeed? In all likelihood they will say, “Look what I have done.” And what if they fail to become rich? Then they spend their lives feeling like a failure. We labor for God’s glory, ultimately riches will fail. George W. Truett, long-time pastor of First Baptist Church, Dallas, Texas, was invited to dinner in the home of a wealthy man in Texas. After the meal, the host led him to a place where they could get a good view of the surrounding area. Pointing to oil wells punctuating the landscape, he boasted, “Twenty-five years ago I had nothing. Now, as far as you can see, it’s all mine.” Looking in the opposite direction at his sprawling fields of grain, he said, “That’s all mine.” Turning east toward huge herds of cattle, he bragged, “They’re all mine.” Then, pointing to the west and a beautiful forest, he exclaimed, “That too is all mine.” He paused, expecting Truett to compliment him on his great success. Truett, however, placing a hand on the man’s shoulder and pointing heavenward, simply said, “How much do you have in that direction?” Thought provoking, isn’t it?
What to do: ! Labor for God’s glory so you can give to Him, not to be rich. !
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GIVING TO THE POOR MARCH 6 ! Bible Reading: Matthew 26:1-13 Key Verse: Matthew 26:11- “For ye have the poor always with you; but me ye have not always.”
Key Words: For ye have the poor always with you
Ever since man failed in the Garden of Eden and Cain’s slaying of Abel, there have been those who are poor dwelling on the earth. For some reason, we believe that it’s our responsibility to help the poor. Now, the question is: who are the poor?
There is a vast difference between poverty and laziness. You never find in
Scripture where God tells us to reward laziness. There are three steps for helping the poor. 1. Work: “If any would not work, neither should he eat” (II Thessalonians 3:10b). 2. It’s the family’s responsibility to take care of them (I Timothy 5:8). 3. When a person cannot work and they have no family, it then becomes the church’s responsibility to help its members.
Remember, there is a vast difference between being poor and being lazy. Some years ago, a former American astronaut took over as head of a major airline determined to make the airline’s service the best in the industry. One day, as the new president walked through a particular department, he saw an employee resting his feet on a desk while the telephone on the desk rang incessantly. “Aren’t you going to answer that phone?” the boss demanded. “This isn’t my department,” answered the employee nonchalantly, apparently not recognizing his new boss. “I work in maintenance.” “Not anymore you don’t!” snapped the president.
The key word here is laziness. What to do: ! Remember, there is a difference between being poor and being lazy. You help the poor; you rebuke the lazy. !
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TRUE RICHES MARCH 7 ! Bible Reading: Ephesians 3:1-12 Key Verse: Ephesians 3:8- “Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;”
Key Words: riches of Christ
There is an interesting statement found in verse 8, “the unsearchable riches of Christ.” That word unsearchable means “past finding out.” No matter what we know
about the riches we have in Christ, there is much more we don’t know!! But here are some things about the riches of Christ that we do know. • • • • • • •
He is rich in goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering (Romans 2:4). He is rich in glory (Romans 9:23). He is rich in wisdom (Romans 11:33). He is rich in grace (Ephesians 1:7). He is rich in mercy (Ephesians 2:4). His richness is to all men (Romans 10:12). His riches are unsearchable (Ephesians 3:8).
The great patriot Patrick Henry understood the great richness of Christ when he said, “I have now disposed of all my property to my family. There is one thing more I wish I could give them and that is faith in Jesus Christ. If they had that and I had not given them a single shilling, they would have been rich; and if they had not that, and I had given them all the world, they would be poor indeed.” If you do not have Christ, you do not have true riches.
What to do: ! Make Christ the richness of your life. !
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LIVING LIKE POVERTY MARCH 8 ! Bible Reading: Luke 15:11-24 Key Verse: Luke 15:15- “And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.”
Key Words: and he sent him into his fields to feed swine
The prodigal lived in the poverty of sin. He failed in three ways. 1. He failed morally. He lived with harlots (verse 30). 2. He failed socially. He was a Jew slopping hogs (verse 16). 3. He failed financially...”and when he had spent all” (verse 14).
I believe the son here represents the wayward, worldly, carnal child of God, who has forgotten he was the son of the Father. He should have lived like nobility,
but instead, he lived like the poor, because he failed to realize who he was. When we fail to realize who we are, we walk, talk, act, and live as though we are in spiritual poverty. When Queen Victoria was a child, she didn’t know she was in line for the throne of England. Her instructors, trying to prepare her for the future, were frustrated because they couldn’t motivate her. She just didn’t take her studies seriously. Finally, her teachers decided to tell her that one day she would become the queen of England. Upon hearing this, Victoria quietly said, “Then I will be good.” The realization that she had inherited this high calling gave her a sense of responsibility that profoundly affected her conduct from then on. As a believer, you are a child of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Live like it; act like it; walk like it; talk like it...but quit living in poverty.
What to do: ! Live like the bride of Christ, not the harlot of the world. !
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THE NAUGHT OF THE RICH MARCH 9 ! Bible Reading: Luke 12:13-21 Key Verse: Luke 12:15- “And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.”
Key Words: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth
You can find any number of things wrong in the story of the life of the rich man. First, his thinking was wrong (verses 17, 19). Secondly, his actions were wrong (verse 18). Thirdly, his focus was wrong (verses 19, 20). This man’s riches came to naught! Perhaps the most famous gold strike in American history occurred in January 1848 when a man named John Marshall found gold at Sutter’s Mill in northern California. The find set off a gold rush that reached a frenzied pitch and even attracted prospectors from Europe – but it ruined Marshall and John Sutter, the man who owned the land where gold lay for the taking. Sutter’s land was overrun by gold seekers, his cattle were stolen, and he was driven into bankruptcy. Marshall died penniless.
But it really doesn’t matter if you die penniless or with great wealth, without
Christ your life has been for naught.
What to do: ! Honestly ask yourself who am I living for- not what, but who. !
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POOR AND NEEDY MARCH 10 ! Bible Reading: Psalm 40 Key Verse: Psalm 40:17- “But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me: thou art my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God.”
Key Words: But I am poor and needy
The psalmist (probably David) shares with us the words that many of us have
felt during our lives, “I am poor and needy.” If indeed this psalm was written by David, it was written before be became the king of Israel. In all likelihood, it was written during a time David was alone and fleeing for his life. Things to remember when you are poor and needy: 1. First, God knows who you are and what you need. He has not forgotten you. Verse 17a, “The Lord thinketh upon me.” 2. Secondly, deliverance doesn’t come from things. It comes from God. Verse 17b, “Thou art my help and my deliverer.” 3. Thirdly, God always comes at just the right time; but it doesn’t hurt to ask Him to hurry. Verse 17c, “Make no tarrying, O my God.”
The thing about David was that he correctly understood his need. This is where most of us fail. We fail to understand our need. David didn’t need an army to protect him; it wasn’t food to fill him; nor was it clothes to clothe him. His need was God, and so it is in our lives. Our need is not things. Our need is God. There is a story of a tool company that manufactured drill bits. Faced with financial losses, company executives gathered to discuss the problem, a declining demands for drill bits. The CEO challenged his men. “How can we revive the bit market?” After an embarrassing silence, one member of the team dispelled in the fog, “Sir, the market isn’t for bits – it’s for holes!”
The story, though apocryphal, does illustrate a basic but often overlooked truth.
“The customer never buys a product. By definition, the customer buys the satisfaction of a want” (in the words of Peter Drucker). To put it another way, there are not markets for products – only markets for what the product can do. In contemporary industry, the Xerox Corporation shows this principle in action. Xerox successfully pioneered the copy machine industry by leasing copiers at a “per copy” price rather than selling machines outright. They correctly saw the market was for copies, not machines. So I ask you, what is your real need?
What to do: ! Repeat after me: my need is not things – my need is God. !
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LIVING FOR RICHES MARCH 11 ! Bible Reading: Matthew 16:21-28 Key Verse: Matthew 16:26- “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”
Key Words: For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world
How sad that we as believers have gotten caught up in this world’s love for riches! Now, we can deny it, but it’s a reality. Let me prove it. What makes you happy? Is it getting a new house or a new car, a new gun or a ________________, or is it seeing a soul saved or a sinner repent? Now, come on...tell the truth. We have fallen into this world’s trap of loving riches. Christopher Winans, in his book, Malcolm Forbes: The Man Who Had Everything, tells of a motorcycle tour that Forbes took through Egypt in 1984 with his Capitalist Tool motorcycle team. After viewing the staggering burial tomb of King Tut, Forbes seemed to be in a reflective mood. As they were returning to the hotel in a shuttle bus, Forbes turned to one of his associates and asked with all sincerity: “Do you think I’ll be remembered after I die?” Forbes is remembered. He is remembered as the man who coined the phrase, “He who dies with the most toys wins.” That was the wisdom of Malcolm Forbes. In fact, that was his ambition. That’s why he collected scores of motorcycles. That’s why
he would pay over a million dollars for a Faberge egg. That’s why he owned castles, hot air balloons, and countless other toys that he can no longer access. The Lord Jesus Christ gave us words of superior wisdom when he said, “For what is a man profited, if he gain the whole world, but lose his own soul?” The ultimate winner is not the man who dies with the most toys, but the one who dies with Christ as his Savior and having lived and sacrificed for Him.
What to do: ! Remember, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God.” Matthew 6:33 !
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SO HOW POOR ARE YOU? MARCH 12 ! Bible Reading: Psalm 70 Key Verse: Psalm 70:5- “But I am poor and needy: make haste unto me, O God: thou art my help and my deliverer; O LORD, make no tarrying.”
Key Words: But I am poor and needy
David is going through a difficult time in his life being pursued by Absalom who is attempting to overthrow his kingdom; and in this hour of trial David says, “I am poor and needy.” I have found that many of us are like David. During times of trial and adversity, we feel poor and needy, but I ask you to reflect on the following. From the standpoint of material wealth, Americans have difficulty realizing how rich we are. Going through a little mental exercise suggested by Robert Heilbroner can help us to count our blessings, however. Imagine doing the following, and you will see how daily life is for as many as a billion people in the world. 1. Take out all the furniture in your home except for one table and a couple of chairs. Use blanket and pads for beds. 2. Take away all of your clothing except for your oldest dress or suit, shirt or blouse. Leave only one pair of shoes. 3. Empty the pantry and the refrigerator except for a small bag of flour, some sugar and salt, a few potatoes, some onions, and a dish of dried beans. 4. Dismantle the bathroom, shut off the running water, and remove all the electrical wiring in your house. 5. Take away the house itself and move the family into the tool shed. 6. Place your "house' in a shantytown.
7. Cancel all subscriptions to newspapers, magazines, and book clubs. This is no great loss because now none of you can read anyway. 8. Leave only one radio for the whole shantytown. 9. Move the nearest hospital or clinic ten miles away and put a midwife in charge instead of a doctor. 10. Throw away your bankbooks, stock certificates, pension plans, and insurance policies. Leave the family a cash hoard of ten dollars. 11. Give the head of the family a few acres to cultivate on which he can raise a few hundred dollars of cash crops, of which one third will go to the landlord and one tenth to the money lenders. 12. Lop off twenty-five or more years in life expectancy.
Maybe after reflecting on all of these, we need to change our words from “I am
poor and needy” to “I am rich and blessed.” So I close by asking you, “How poor are you?”
What to do: ! Thank God for the blessings you have rather than bemoaning what you do not have. !
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RICHES WITHOUT CONTENTMENT MARCH 13 ! Bible Reading: I Timothy 6:1-8 Key Verse: I Timothy 6:8- “And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.” Key Words: Let us therewith be content
How many of us can genuinely say that if all we had was food and raiment, would we be content? Now, while we as believers say that we believe the Bible do we put God’s Word into practice? Do we? Do we put I Timothy 6:8 into practice? Now, if you say yes, then beginning today for the next thirty days put your entire paycheck in the offering plate because God has promised to support your food and raiment when you put His kingdom first!! (Matthew 6) Now, let’s face reality – not a one of us are willing to do that because our contentment is not just based upon food and raiment. We want so much more. I read the following article sometime back. It so applies here.
Dream On: Postwar Americans always cherished the expectation that their
standard of living would improve with each generation. In polls at the onset of the Reagan era, two of every three respondents said they expected to be better off than their parents. Now, that figure is being reversed. Almost " of the 1,000 people who answered a Roper poll for Shearson Lehman Brothers say the American Dream is “harder to attain” than a generation ago. And 60% say achieving the dream requires more financial risk than it did for their parents. The poll also finds that some of the values held most dear during the 1980s – like wealth, power, and fame – are those that Americans are now most likely to deem “unimportant.” The most important elements of today’s American Dream center on family and friends. But money remains something to dream about. For Americans with household incomes under $25,000, it would take $54,000 a year to fulfill the American dream. Those who make $100,000 plus crave an average of $192,000. In other words, the American Dream usually lies nearly twice the distance away. Maybe as believers we need to re-evaluate where our contentment lies.
What to do: ! Evaluate the following two questions. 1) Write down everything you want. 2) Write down everything you need. If in both cases, you wrote “nothing” you are on your way to contentment. If not, you have got some spiritual work that needs to be done in your life. !
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THEN WHAT AM I? MARCH 14 ! Bible Reading: Mark 10:13-22 Key Verse: Mark 10:22- “And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.”
Key Words: for he had great possessions
As you read the story of this rich young ruler, a number of things stand out. First of all, he was humble. Verse 17 tells us he kneeled before Jesus. Secondly, he was desirous of eternal life (verse 17). Thirdly, he obeyed the Lord (verses 18-20). Fourthly, he was wealthy. Verse 22 tells us he had great possessions.
I have been re-reading the record of the rich young ruler and his obviously
wrong choice. But it has set me thinking. No matter how much wealth he had, he could not – ride in a car, have any surgery, turn on a light, buy penicillin, hear a pipe organ, watch TV, wash dishes in running water, type a letter, mow a lawn, fly in an airplane, sleep on an innerspring mattress, talk on the phone, use the Internet, or twitter. Now that raises the question, “If he was rich, then what am I?” Think about it the next time you think you are poor.
What to do: ! Thank God for His abundant blessings to you. !
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POOR RICH MAN MARCH 15 ! Bible Reading: Revelation 3:11-22 Key Verse: Revelation 3:17- “Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:”
Key Words: Knoweth not that thou art...poor
Just as there are many who believe they are poor but in truth have great riches,
there are others who think they are rich and are truly poor. We are all consumed with something. Some are consumed with possessions other than money; still others are consumed with religion. But only those who are rich in Christ are truly rich. All other forms of riches will eventually consume you and destroy you. Nathan Castens writes: Four royal brothers decided each to master a special ability. Time went by, and the brothers met to reveal what they had learned. “I have mastered a science,” said the first, “by which I can take but a bone of some creature and create the flesh that goes with it.” “I,” said the second, “know how to grow that creature's skin and hair if there is flesh on its bones.” The third said, “I am able to create its limbs if I have flesh, the skin, and the hair.” “And I,” concluded the fourth, “know how to give life to that creature if its form is complete.”
Thereupon the brothers went into the jungle to find a bone so they could
demonstrate their specialties. As fate would have it, the bone they found was a lion's. One added flesh to the bone, the second grew hide and hair, the third completed it with matching limbs, and the fourth gave the lion life. Shaking its mane, the ferocious beast arose and jumped on his creators. He killed them all and vanished contentedly into the jungle. The moral of the story is that if you are living for that which one day will consume you, you are indeed a poor rich man.
What to do: ! Put into practice the old saying, “Only what’s done for Christ will last.” !
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THE RICH AND THE POOR MARCH 16 ! Bible Reading: Proverbs 22:1-16 Key Verse: Proverbs 22:2- “The rich and poor meet together: the LORD is the maker of them all.”
Key Words: The rich and the poor meet together
The word meet in verse two carries the idea of coming into contact with. Every county, city, and yes, even every church has both their rich and their poor. But there is a second point we must not forget, and that is that the Lord is the Maker of them all. The word make in the broadest sense means to accomplish His will. As hard as it may be to understand, God made the rich, rich not so they can have but so they can do His will. God made the poor, poor for the same reason. There is no one group better than the other one; we are all here to do God’s will, and all are accountable for what we have and how we use it. The problem with the rich is many of them believe they are rich because of their greatness rather than God’s greatness; and the problem with the poor is they believe they are poor because they are oppressed by the rich rather than the poor letting God use them for His glory. The standard by which we measure who is rich and who is poor is flawed. We measure by possessions, money, and various other standards; but the true standard for who is rich and who is poor should be as follows. • We should measure richness, not by the material things we possess, but by the things we possess that money cannot buy – that’s true riches.
So many who believe they are rich are really poor, and many who think they are
poor are really rich. Which are you-based upon the things you possess which money cannot buy?
What to do: ! Make sure your standard of judging riches versus being poor is correct.
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HE WHO MAKES HIMSELF POOR MARCH 17 ! Bible Reading: Proverbs 13:1-9 Key Verse: Proverbs 13:7- “There is that maketh himself rich, yet hath nothing: there is that maketh himself poor, yet hath great riches.”
Key Words: there is that maketh himself poor
Have you ever known someone who turns his back on the world’s riches in order to serve the Lord? Many believe that the Old Testament prophet Elijah was such a man; but he understood that without righteousness in the land, no one will have riches. Then he stood against Ahab and Jezebel and literally made himself poor in order to stand for righteousness. How contrary to today’s world! When I was in college, one of the first professors I met was a middle-aged man. He and I became good friends, and over time we found out more and more about each other. To my amazement, I found out that he had left a job in the Northeast where he was a scientist for a large corporation. At the time (1973) he was making just under a six-figure salary. That was a lot of money back then. I then inquired as to why he would leave so much behind him to go into full-time Christian service. I’ll never forget his answer, “What is more valuable than the souls of men?” David Livingstone once said, “I place no value on anything I have or may possess, except in relation to the kingdom of God. If anything will advance the interests of the kingdom, it shall be given away or kept, only as by giving or keeping it I shall most promote the glory of Him to whom I owe all my hopes in time and eternity.”
There are those who make themselves poor in this world’s goods in order that others may have the true riches of Christ.
What to do: ! Remember the words of Martin Luther, “I have held many things in my hands, and I have lost them all; but whatever I have placed in God’s hands, that I still possess.” !
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LIVING FOR RICHES MARCH 18 ! Bible Reading: I Timothy 6:9-16 Key Verse: I Timothy 6:9- “But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.”
Key Words: But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare
It is not that those who fall into a snare are rich; it is that they desire to be rich. As you read this devotion, you could begin to think that I am opposed to riches, but that would not be true at all. We need those who have the blessings of God’s riches on their lives to carry out the work of God financially. The problem is that so many today are living and laboring in order to be rich; and that is the rebuke we find in our text, “But they that will be rich fall... .” An old rabbinic tale records the concern of a man of God for a young friend who was becoming worldly and materialistic. The rabbi invited him into his study and led him to the window. “What do you see?” he asked. There was a playground next door. “I see children playing.” Then the rabbi took a little hand mirror out of his pocket and held it before the visitor’s face. “Tell me what you see now.” “I see myself,” he said, wondering what was going on. “Isn’t it strange,” the rabbi asked, “that when a little silver gets between yourself and others, you see only yourself?” How true!
What to do: ! Remove the material things that stand between you and God. !
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GOD AIN’T DEAD MARCH 19 ! Bible Reading: Philippians 4:13-23 Key Verse: Philippians 4:19- “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”
Key Words: But my God shall supply all your need
God is omniscient. That means He knows all about me. God is omnipresent. That means He is always with me. God is omnipotent. That means God will protect and provide for me. Since God is omniscient, that means He knows everything I am going through. Since God is omnipresent, that means He is with me when I go through the trials of life. Since God is omnipotent, that means that while I’m going through what I’m going through, God could deliver me if He so chose to, but if God chooses not to deliver me from my “poverty” that doesn’t mean God is dead. I am not a connoisseur of great art, but from time to time a painting or picture will really speak a clear, strong message to me. Some time ago I saw a picture of an old burned-out mountain shack. All that remained was the chimney...the charred debris of what had been that family’s sole possession. In front of this destroyed home stood an old grandfather-looking man dressed only in his underclothes with a small boy clutching a pair of patched overalls. It was evident that the child was crying. Beneath the picture were the words which the artist felt the old man was speaking to the boy. They were simple words, yet they presented a profound theology and philosophy of life. Those words were, “Hush child, God ain’t dead!” That vivid picture of that burned-out mountain shack, that old man, the weeping child, and those words “God ain’t dead” keep returning to my mind. Instead of it being a reminder of the despair of life, it has come to be a reminder of hope! I need reminders that there is hope in this world. In the midst of all of life’s troubles and failures, I need mental pictures to remind me that all is not lost as long as God is alive and in control of His world. Today, if you are experiencing financial difficulties and feel as though you are poor, remember God ain’t dead! What to do: ! If God ain’t dead...and He ain’t...then all is well. !
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LOOKING FOR RICHES MARCH 20 ! Bible Reading: II Timothy 4:1-10 Key Verse: II Timothy 4:10- “For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia.”
Key Words: For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world
You find Demas mentioned only three times in the Scripture. 1. In Philemon, verse 24, Paul calls him a fellow-laborer. 2. In Colossians 4:14, Paul just simply says of Demas that he greets you. 3. In II Timothy 4:10, Demas has left Paul and God’s service because of his love for the things of the world.
The story of Demas reminds me of a newspaper article I read recently about a
man who kept his eyes on the earthly. A young man once found a five-dollar bill in the street. From that time on, he never lifted his eyes when walking. In the course of years, he accumulated 29,516 buttons, 54,172 pins, 12 cents, a bent back, and a miserly disposition. He lost the glory of the sunlight, the sheen of the stars, the smiles of friends, tree blossoms in the spring, the blue skies, and the entire joy of living. Many people today look to this earth for satisfaction, pleasure, wealth, and happiness rather than looking to Jesus Christ for happiness. A man walked down a street in Atlanta and came to a furrier shop. He stopped to look at a leopard skin that had been made into a coat. He gazed at the fur and thought about the price. “O cat,” he said, “you were better off before you were worth so much.” So it is with so many today!!
What to do: ! You were worth a whole lot more when you served God faithfully. I encourage you today who are living for the riches of this world, come home. !
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THE QUESTION IS? MARCH 21 ! Bible Reading: II Corinthians 5:1-10 Key Verse: II Corinthians 5:10- “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.”
Key Words: For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ
The question is not, “Am I rich or poor?” The question is, “Am I living for God’s glory? Am I using the riches of God to reach others for Christ?” If I’m poor the question is, “Am I so deep into depression and bitterness that others can’t see Christ living in me?” So the question is not, “How much do I have?” but “How have I used all I have?” Like the stewards in Luke 19, one day we will stand and give an account, not of how much we had but of how we spent what we had! None of us as believers can escape the judgment seat of Christ. The following is taken from the Paul Harvey’s “what it’s worth” department. Gary Tindle was in a California courtroom charged with robbery. He asked and got from Judge Armando Rodriquez permission to go to the bathroom. While the bathroom door was guarded – Mr. Tindle climbed up onto the plumbing and opened a panel in the ceiling. Sure enough, a dropped ceiling with space between. He climbed up – and into the crawlspace – and headed south. He’d gone thirty-some feet when the ceiling panels broke from under him and dropped him to the floor... Right back in Judge Rodriquez’s courtroom. Today, let us each determine not to be haughty if we have or disheartened because of what we lack; but let us determine to live for God’s glory!
What to do: ! Use what you have for God. !
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HE DIDN’T UNDERSTAND MARCH 22 ! Bible Reading: Luke 15:25-32 Key Verse: Luke 15:31- “And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine.”
Key Words: all that I have is thine
I would venture to say that just about everyone reading this devotion knows the story of the prodigal son, but we often forget about the elder brother. When the prodigal returns to his father, he recovers five things from his father: 1) a kiss (love); 2) a robe (royalty); 3) a ring (ownership); 4) shoes (protection); and 5) he was given a party. When his older brother heard of all this; he was jealous and refused to attend. His father went and found him, and the elder brother then shows his ignorance when he said, “I have been faithful to you, and you’ve never thrown me a party.” You see, the elder brother failed to understand that while his younger brother had received a kiss, a robe, a ring, some shoes, and even a party that he would one day inherit “everything” (verse 31...”all that I have is thine”). The following conversation was heard between an old farmer in the country and the new pastor. “Do you belong to the Christian family?” asked the minister. “No, they live two farms down,” replied the farmer. “No, no, I mean are you lost?” “Lost? Why, I’ve lived here thirty years.” “I mean are you ready for the Judgment Day?” “When is it?” asked the farmer. “Well, it could be today or tomorrow.” “Well,” said the farmer, “when you find out for sure when it is, you let me know. My wife will probably want to go both days.” Now, the moral of the story is simple. When we fail to see what the father has done for us, we will make a fool of ourselves. Now you don’t want to do that, do you?
What to do: ! Don’t focus on what you don’t have; focus on what you do have. !
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POOR IN SPIRIT MARCH 23 ! Bible Reading: Matthew 5:1-12 Key Verse: Matthew 5:3- “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
Key Words: Blessed are the poor in spirit
In Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount the first beatitude that Jesus gives His followers is in regard to their spirit, not their purse. “Blessed are the poor in spirit.” Now, that raises an interesting question, how poor in spirit are you? The word poor means to be in great need; but the real key to being poor in spirit is that I realize I can’t meet that need...only God can. Most of us reading this devotional have never really genuinely reached the place where we acknowledge just how poor we really are. I recently heard about a man who needed $50. He said, “I’ll work for it” which is admirable; but later the same man needed $500. He said, “I’ll borrow it from momma.” Later he needed $5,000. He said, “I’ll see if the bank will loan it to me.” Later he needed $50,000 and said, “I’ll put a second mortgage on the house.” Then he found out that he needed $500,000. Throwing his hands up in the air, the man cried out, “I’ll never be able to get $500,000. Lord, please help me!” That day he acknowledged he was poor. Now, he was poor when he needed $50 but wouldn’t admit it. It took God bringing him to a place where he had nowhere else to go before he would confess he was poor. The point is simply that no matter who you are, no matter how much you have...all of us need to cry out daily to God. “Lord, I’m poor in spirit. I can’t meet my spiritual needs. Only you can do that. Lord, help me!!” Only then are you genuinely poor in spirit.
What to do: ! Acknowledge that without God you can do nothing; but with God all things are possible. !
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RICHNESS IS A MATTER OF PERSPECTIVE MARCH 24 ! Bible Reading: John 14:1-14 Key Verse: John 14:2- “In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.”
Key Words: In my father’s house are many mansions
Through the annals of time theologians have debated the meaning of the word mansions. Some define the word as “a room;” others define it as a “huge palace.” The word itself simply means a residence. Some years ago I got an education on a proper perspective of richness through the word “mansion.” Years ago I lived in Salt Lake City, Utah. While on visitation I visited a family in the foothills of the Wasatch Mountains. They lived in a private, gated house with a 12-car garage, theatre room, play room, game room, exercise room to say nothing of the bedrooms and living quarters. As I left I said, “Now, that’s a mansion!” Some time later we had a college student from South America in our home. You could see that he wanted to ask me a question but could not find either the words or the courage to ask. Finally, though, he looked at me as we sat in our three-bedroom, two-bath, 2-car garage house and said, “Pastor, how can you afford this mansion?” Now, I never considered our house a mansion. The house, to me, in Salt Lake City was a mansion – but not my house. The story doesn’t end there. Some time later his sister visited him in college, went to his dorm, and saw his room with all of its modern technology, looked at her brother and said, “This is a mansion!” You see, being rich is a matter of perspective. So let me ask you, “How rich are you...not in material possessions but in Christ?” You see, that’s really the only richness that matters.
What to do: ! Evaluate what you would have if you lost all your earthly possessions. !
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THINGS BETTER THAN RICHES MARCH 25 ! Bible Reading: Proverbs 17:1-9 Key Verse: Proverbs 17:1- “Better is a dry morsel, and quietness therewith, than an house full of sacrifices with strife.”
Key Words: Better is a dry morsel
Let me give you my interpretation of Proverbs 17:1, “You are better off with a few dry crackers with peace in your home than a freezer full of meat with strife in the home.” In a survey done by the Barna group more people who said they consider themselves rich had strife in their home than those who said they were not rich. E. Stanley Jones, in his book Growing Spiritually, talks about a fictional person who lived out a fantasy life. All he had to do was think of it and (poof!) it happened. So this man, in a moment of time, sticks his hands in his pockets and leans back and imagines a mansion and (poof!) he has a 15-bedroom mansion, three stories with servants instantly available to wait upon his every need. Why, a place like that needs several fine cars. So he again closes his eyes and imagines the driveway full of the finest wheels money can buy. And (poof!) there are several of the best vehicles instantly brought before his mind’s eye. He is free to drive them himself or sit way back in the limousine with that mafia glass wrapped around the rear, and have the chauffeur drive him wherever he wishes. There’s no other place to travel so he comes back home and wishes for a sumptuous meal and (poof!) there’s a meal in front of him with all of its mouthwatering aromas and beauty – which he eats alone. And yet...there was something more he needed to find happiness. Finally, he grows so terribly bored and unchallenged that he whispers to one of the attendants, “I want to get out of this. I want to create some things again. I’d rather be in hell than be here.” To which one of the servants replies quietly, “Where do you think you are?” When you live for things, you are in hell! What a shame! What to do: ! Take the advice of hymn-writer B. B. McKinney and be satisfied with Jesus. !
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REMEMBER THE POOR MARCH 26 ! Bible Reading: Galatians 2:1-10 Key Verse: Galatians 2:10- “Only they would that we should remember the poor; the same which I also was forward to do.”
Key Words: remember the poor
In Galatians, chapter 2, there is a disagreement between Paul and Peter. Peter wanted only to help the poor who were Jews; Paul wanted to help both Jews and Gentiles who were poor. They, like many church and business meetings, had a great discussion which ended in them being in agreement about helping the poor, but nothing was ever done about it. Sounds like a lot of meetings we attend, doesn’t it? Some years ago I had two ladies of our church come by and see me after visitation. They were both in tears. That night they had visited a dear lady who had no money, no food, and was about to be evicted from her apartment. They wanted to collect money from the congregation for this dear lady. I suggested that was not the answer, but that getting her a job was the answer. I simply said, “We can give her a fish and feed her for a day; or we can teach her to fish and feed her for the rest of her days.” Needless to say, they were unhappy with my answer, and thought I was being unkind. This brings us back to the words of the Apostle Paul: remember the poor. The word remember means to take under consideration. Why are they poor? Is it because they refuse to work, or is it because of unbearable hardships that have come their way? As a pastor, I promise to always remember the poor; and by God’s grace, I will strive to do what is best for them and for God’s glory.
What to do: ! Remember the poor. !
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THE JOY OF RICHES MARCH 27 ! Bible Reading: Luke 6:27-45 Key Verse: Luke 6:38- “Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.”
Key Words: give and it shall be given unto you
Stephen Olford relates the following story in his book, The Grace of Giving. “My father served the Lord for thirty years in Angola, West Africa. Throughout that whole period he was never on salary. In fact, he had no guarantee from one month to another that financial support would be forthcoming. But, thank God he never lacked! He not only maintained the overhead costs of a missionary program, but he also brought up his family which included three boys. In later years when he returned home, he discovered people all over who had sacrificed greatly to support his work. In almost every case, these people had been blessed by his ministry but had chosen to remain anonymous. If these people had been weary in well doing, what would have happened to a lonely missionary and his family in the heart of Africa?” I believe prayer is us pouring our heart out to God. Giving is letting God pour out His heart to others through us. Supposing today were your last on earth, The last mile of your journey you’ve trod. After all of your struggles, how much are you worth? How much could you take home to God? Don’t count on possessions, your silver and gold, For tomorrow you leave them behind. And all that is yours to have and to hold, Are the blessings you’ve given – Keep that in mind. Just what have you done on your journey along, That was really and truly worthwhile? Do you feel you’ve done good and returned it for wrong, Could you look o’er your life with a smile?
What to do: ! Memorize the following: What I’ve tried to keep, I’ve lost; but what I have given to God, I still possess.
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POOR IN CHARACTER MARCH 28 ! Bible Reading: Matthew 27:1-10 Key Verse: Matthew 27:3- “Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,”
Key Words: the thirty pieces of silver
There are two things that one gives up when they fall in love with riches. First,
they give up integrity; and secondly, they give up character. What’s the most outrageous thing you would do for $10,000 cash? That’s the question posed recently by Chicago radio station WKOX, which attracted responses from more than 6,000 full-tilt crazies. The eventual winner: Jay Gwaltney of Zionsville, Indiana, who consumed an 11-foot birch sapling – leaves, roots, bark and all. For the event, he donned a tux and dined at a table set elegantly with china, sterling, candles and a rose vase. Armed with pruning shears, the Indiana State University sophomore began chomping from the top of the tree and worked his way, branch by branch, to the roots. His only condiment: French dressing for the massive birch-leaf salad. The culinary feat took eighteen hours over a period of three days. When it was all over, Gwaltney complained of an upset stomach. Evidently the bark was worse than his bite. Some people will do anything for money. Now, if you think what Jay Gwaltney did is outrageous, think about what Judas did. He betrayed the Son of God for thirty pieces of silver. (The silver was probably a shekel or a dram which is equal to a penny – so for thirty cents Judas betrayed Jesus.) Now, Judas is not the only one who was outrageous. Think of those who refuse to give to God’s work in order to enjoy the pleasures of this world; or think of those who put money before worshipping God on the Lord’s Day. Let’s face it, there
are those who do some pretty outrageous things because of their desire for “money.” Surely you’re not one of those, are you?
What to do: ! Remember, when you desire more, you will always lose character. !
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WORKAHOLISM AND RICHES MARCH 29 ! Bible Reading: Ecclesiastes 2:1-11 Key Verse: Ecclesiastes 2:4- “I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards:”
Key Words: I made me great works
Notice all that Solomon worked for: housing, plants, vineyards, gardens, orchards, trees, pools, servants, maidens, great possessions, silver, gold...then he says in verse 9, “So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem” but he closes out the thought by saying in verse 11, “...and there was no profit under the sun.” Wayne Oates, a long-time professor at Southern Seminary, introduced the world to “workaholism.” It was a word he coined in a 1968 article for Pastoral Psychology. A more recent discussion of the subject helps to further define the different types of workaholics. Identity Workaholic: work defines your life, so your best energy is spent there. The Perfectionist: long hours are required to make every task flawless. Approval Seeker: work piles up because you fear saying “no” to others’ request for your time and energy. Situational Workaholic: long hours are perceived as only a temporary situation that will soon pass – there is always another situation looming, though. The Escapist: work provides an escape from painful relationships or other problems. But it’s the last workaholic that I think sums up best both Solomon’s and the world we live in that includes “most” born-again believers and that is... The Materialist: an insatiable desire for possessions drives you to increase your workload.
Workaholism has many faces, and we may be guilty of hiding behind one or
more of them.
Larry Burkett once said, “Focusing on material things is the greatest danger we
face. What makes it so normal today is that virtually everyone in America is doing it.” I trust today that God will give you victory over materialism.
What to do: ! Honestly evaluate your life to see if you are caught up in this materialistic jungle of loving things. You can tell by asking and honestly answering the following: 1. Do you get more excited about the things of the world or the things of God? 2. Do you give your tithe and offerings faithfully or do you use them for other things? 3. Do you get more excited about getting things or giving to God? ! Now you know. The question is: what are you going to do about it? !
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RICH IN TALENTS MARCH 30 ! Bible Reading: Matthew 25:1-28 Key Verse: Matthew 25:25- “And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.”
Key Words: hid thy talent in the earth
The word talent means gold or metal. It means in our language money. The
unwise servant buried his money rather than investing it for his master’s gain. The principle is clear: we should invest money for God’s gain, not hide money for selfish reasons. Where we spend our money and how we use it tells a lot about our character and relationship with God. Godfrey Davis, who wrote a biography about the Duke of Wellington, said, “I found an old account ledger that showed how the Duke spent his money. It was a far better clue to what he thought was really important than the reading of his letters or speeches.” How we handle money reveals much about the depth of our commitment to Christ. That’s why Jesus often talked about money. One-sixth of the gospels, including one out of every three parables, touches on stewardship. Jesus wasn’t a fundraiser. He dealt with money matters because money matters. For some of us, though, it matters too much.
Remember, it’s the love of money that is the root of all evil. He who doesn’t put God first with his finances is pulling your leg when he sings, “Oh, how I love Jesus.”
What to do: ! Remember, the joy of God is worth more than the joy of gold. !
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THE POOR CAN GIVE MARCH 31 ! Bible Reading: Mark 12:38-44 Key Verse: Mark 12:41- “And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much.”
Key Words: how the people cast money into the treasury
Jesus also saw people’s motives in giving. He beheld how the people gave (12:41). See that little word how. He was not so interested in what they gave as in how they gave. He was seeing some things that nobody else could see. He was looking at the motives of their hearts. He was concerned about why this widow did what she did. Jesus is concerned about why you do what you do. In verses 43 and 44, we see three things Jesus said.
First, he talked about her liberality in verse 43. Jesus called his disciples to him and pointed that widow out. He wanted them to perceive the liberality of her gift. “This poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury.” On human scales that was not true, but God weighs things on another set of scales. Furthermore, millions of dollars have been given because of this woman’s example. Jesus noted the liberality of her gift. Then he talked about her sacrificiality in verse 44a, “They did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in.” They gave out of their plenty; she gave out of her poverty. For her it was a sacrifice to give. When she gave those two mites, she gave everything she had. She didn’t have anything left. She gave sacrificially. What is important in the matter of giving is not how much you give but how much you have left. Then he talked about the totality of her gift in verse 44b. Jesus said, “She has given ‘even all her living.’” She had not one thin penny to buy bread for the next day. Those other people had plenty to fall back on. They had plenty for a rainy day. She
didn’t have one thing. She cast herself totally on the mercy and faithfulness of God. This Jesus, who complimented the widow for giving her all literally, gave His all on Calvary’s cross for us. The question is: What will we give?
What to do: ! We all can give, even the poor. !
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I deeply appreciate the help of Laurie Blankenship Trisha Bookout Kathy Endicott Cathy Fortenberry Sandy Lancaster Cathy Lang Marie Moore Mary Parsons John and Tascha Piatt Reba Pontbriand And my lovely wife, Linda
Without God using these people to help this devotional would not have been possible.
Dr. Mike Rouse !
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