Genuine Prosperity

Truly God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled, my steps had nearly slipped. For I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. For they have no pangs until death; their bodies are fat and sleek. They are not in trouble as others are; they are not stricken like the rest of mankind. Therefore pride is their necklace; violence covers them as a garment. Their eyes swell out through fatness; their hearts overflow with follies. They scoff and speak with malice; loftily they threaten oppression. They set their mouths against the heavens, and their tongue struts through the earth. Therefore his people turn back to them, and find no fault in them. And they say, “How can God know? Is there knowledge in the Most High?” Behold, these are the wicked; always at ease, they increase in riches. All in vain have I kept my heart clean and washed my hands in innocence. For all the day long I have been stricken and rebuked every morning. If I had said, “I will speak thus,” I would have betrayed the generation of your children. But when I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task, until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I discerned their end. (Psalm 73:1–17)

The news is on. Two ‘experts’ discuss the events of these days and despair at the prosperity of the wicked. Some watch their presentation with great concern on their faces. These have no faith in God, yet even many who profess faith are often troubled by seeing evil people in palaces and good health, rolling in dough and using their wealth to gain more wealth.

This seems related to a person’s value system. God has blessed us with prosperity, but also with the realization that our joy does not come from money or anything it can buy. Jesus grants the sense of His amazing grace and mercy to the degree that I have learned to rejoice in Him. Yes, the answers to prayer and other kindnesses are pleasures, yet joy is ours because of Him, not His gifts.

The psalmist learned this too. Even as he felt envy, he also saw the truth. Sometimes the life of an evil person ends suddenly, such as Saul, Jezebel, Athaliah, Herod Agrippa, likewise Nero, Galerius, Julian and the first and second Napoleonic empires. Can we say that of today’s despots? Not yet, but God was able to bring down quickly the successes of all past Hitlers, Stalins and Maos. Not only that, no one can boast of their evil deeds when they stand before their Maker in judgment.

The psalmist gave his observations more thought and then realized the eternal picture. He wrote:

Nevertheless, I am continually with you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. For behold, those who are far from you shall perish; you put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to you. But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord God my refuge, that I may tell of all your works. (Psalm 73:23–28)

This portion contains a verse I have pasted on my desk and magnetized to my refrigerator. “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” Out of context, it speaks to my thoughts about my literal heart issues (I have a pacemaker) and reminds me where my strength comes from, certainly not from political power, or wealth, or even money and prosperity.

Lord Jesus, You are my hiding place, my song of deliverance when thoughts of any kind of envy or fears and insecurities try to rob me of the wonder of being loved and blessed by You, my Almighty God. The joy of thanking and praising You is far beyond any success that an evil person might have. 

Want to be rich?

 

My father often criticized the lazy people he knew, many of whom were not financially well off. The end of my first marriage left me in a poverty state, so dad’s value system meant that I had to work hard. These experiences of life formed an admiration for the rich and a distain for the poor, thinking it was all due to how hard they worked.

Since then, God has taught me to think differently about both ends of this spectrum. For one thing, arduous work does not always result in a hefty bank account. Not only that, some have money because they inherited it rather than worked for it. The Bible has much to say about money yet the instruction is often about the attitude people have toward it, and the attitude to have toward those who have money and those who are poor.

Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court? Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called? (James 2:5–7)

God challenges my attitude toward people with or without money by challenging my attitude toward money. I know how easily money and wealth can become idols, and that Jesus said:

“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money” (Matthew 6:24) and later added, “Truly, I say to you, only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven. Again, I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” (Matthew 19:23–24)

This is a sad thing. Being rich is a snare to the point that those who are wealthy forget that they cannot take it with them when they die. Some of them tend to ignore the fact that we are all terminal and neglect to think about eternal matters. Those in poverty tend to think more easily of what really matters in life.

Either way, rich or poor, salvation and eternal life are important. If we have that, it will be ours forever. Thus, James says: “Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away” (James 1:9–10) and reminds his readers to pay attention, “Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him?” (James 2:5)

Someone once said, “I’ve been rich and I’ve been poor. And, believe me, rich is better.” I could say that too, but I also know that the size of my bank account has very little to do with the peace and joy I experience. If I let it govern my happiness, it will, but God shows me the reality of, “doing good, being rich in good works, being generous and ready to share” (1 Timothy 6:18) and the wonder of His care when I think His way about money,

PRAY: Jesus, I am so content in Your care. When I was poor, You gave me all I needed. Even now (when I have more than I need), the principle of You being the source and me being the conduit is richer than a wad in the pocket or in the bank. You show me that if I give anything away and wind up needing it, You simply give it back. This is true when in poverty or when money is plentiful. Trusting You is the thing, the truth that every person needs, rich or poor.

PONDER: I’ve heard that “Some people are so poor that all they have is money.” Far better to have a heart full of trust in God and with gratitude for His promises to take care of all my needs. This is key to living in poverty or plenty. Read 1 Timothy 6:6–19 and be blessed by God’s standard of contentment and His description of true riches.