Read Text: Prov 28:1-28
What does God want His children to be – rich or poor? Given a choice, anyone with a sound mind would choose to be rich. Rev Timothy Tow once asked: Is money the root of all evil? Money is not the root of all evil, but the love of money is (1 Tim 6:10). God wants us to be rich. But this is not the prosperity gospel (or health and wealth gospel) as promoted by the Charismatics. Our God is a God who wants to bless us and give to us out of His abundance (Mal 3). He is more than willing to bless us with wealth. However, we are not to be rich without Him (Matt 6:33). Our life pursuit must not be for wealth only.
Proverbs 28:6 focuses on whether a person is upright or perverse. Are you rich towards God or towards self? We are rich towards God when we seek God first. When we have His spiritual blessings, we have everything.
Luke 12:16 to 21 is a warning against greed and materialism. When we work hard unto God, God can bless us with physical wealth. But are we rich spiritually (i.e. towards God)? Do we seek after God’s will? In verse16, the man is very successful and considered wise by the world’s standard, but God calls him a fool (v 20). He counts his blessings without any thought of God. Are we like this fool, not rich towards God? Verse 19 is the height of his departure from God. If our security rests in physical things, we are headed for destruction. God is in total control (v 20), not us (Eccl 8:8). We can bring nothing with us when we die. The rich fool became poor for eternity.
How can we be rich towards God?
1) Be sure of our salvation: Check our salvation daily. Who is our Saviour and Master? Who do we bow down to daily?
2) Live rightly with God: When we sin, we incur the wrath of God. Are we willing to come clean and ask God (and those we have offended) for forgiveness? Walk rightly with God daily.
3) Testify for the Lord: We are to tell others of God’s faithfulness and goodness.
We have only one life to testify for God. Let us be wise (not foolish) and lay up treasures in heaven (not boasting of our physical wealth). Have we truly put God first in our lives?
Proverbs 28:6 focuses on whether a person is upright or perverse. Are you rich towards God or towards self? We are rich towards God when we seek God first. When we have His spiritual blessings, we have everything.
Luke 12:16 to 21 is a warning against greed and materialism. When we work hard unto God, God can bless us with physical wealth. But are we rich spiritually (i.e. towards God)? Do we seek after God’s will? In verse16, the man is very successful and considered wise by the world’s standard, but God calls him a fool (v 20). He counts his blessings without any thought of God. Are we like this fool, not rich towards God? Verse 19 is the height of his departure from God. If our security rests in physical things, we are headed for destruction. God is in total control (v 20), not us (Eccl 8:8). We can bring nothing with us when we die. The rich fool became poor for eternity.
How can we be rich towards God?
1) Be sure of our salvation: Check our salvation daily. Who is our Saviour and Master? Who do we bow down to daily?
2) Live rightly with God: When we sin, we incur the wrath of God. Are we willing to come clean and ask God (and those we have offended) for forgiveness? Walk rightly with God daily.
3) Testify for the Lord: We are to tell others of God’s faithfulness and goodness.
We have only one life to testify for God. Let us be wise (not foolish) and lay up treasures in heaven (not boasting of our physical wealth). Have we truly put God first in our lives?
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