Home »
Grace takes you to a place that is higher and closer to God, in your walk with Him. For Grace takes you from where you are, to a place where God wants you to be.
David, in the closing years of his life acknowledges it in his prayer unto the Lord God, our Father “Both riches and honor come from you, and You reign over all. In your hand is power and might. In your hand it is to make great, and to give strength to all”. [1 Chronicles 29:12]
Grace and riches
Riches and honor in life, come to you from God; and in His kingdom it is always linked to His wisdom. For, it is then that you will know how and why God brings riches into your life. You will then employ it in a manner that brings glory to God, and in the process experience His goodness and mercy in your life.
And studying it in the word of the only wise God, in the book of Proverbs, it can be seen that God begins with your character. “I love those who love me. And those who seek me diligently will find me. Riches and honor are with me; enduring riches and righteousness”. [Proverbs 8:17,18]
These are the words of wisdom, declaring clearly that it is wisdom that brings riches and honor in your life, enduring riches. The key word is ‘enduring’.
How does enduring wealth come to you ?
“But to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God”. [1 Corinthians 1:24] Christ is the wisdom of God; therefore what comes from Christ is of enduring value. He is permanent, unchanging, and His word endures forever. Therefore what He gives to you also endures.
His grace endures forever
The whole of the 136 Psalm proclaims the praise of the God whose grace and mercy endures forever. Therefore, the riches that come to you by it, are also are not transient; they are of lasting value. And, it is through the knowledge of the sound wisdom of God, that it comes to pass in your life. The other side to it is also very much there; it is the wealth that does not endure, and is very uncertain. It is what Paul talks about in his letter to Timothy .
“Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, not to trust in uncertain riches, but in the Living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy”. [1 Timothy 6:17]
Where do you put your trust ?
Wherever the Bible talks about money, it is invariably connected to trust in God. And it not about having money, but putting your trust in it instead of trusting in God, that it cautions against. “Instruct the rich” Paul says, “Not to put their trust in money”. For, your trust always needs to be in the Lord, who amply supplies all that you need in life, and for your enjoyment. May your eyes therefore, be fixed upon Jesus, who is the wisdom of God.
“Surely then, there will be a future; and your hope will not be cut off”. [Proverbs 23:18]
You need to work and earn money; but it is connected to a purpose. It is to fulfill the will of God and accomplish His purposes for your life. Your focus therefore needs to be on God, who by sound wisdom richly provides for you. Money in itself can never give you enduring security.
The nature of wealth
“Do not overwork to be rich; because of your understanding, cease !
Will you set your eyes on that which is not ?
“For riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away like an eagle toward heaven”. [Proverbs 23:4,5]
They are the words of Solomon. He was the man who had it all; and had experienced all that money can buy. But his seemingly perplexing counsel is, not to overwork in order to get rich. For when your life revolves around accumulating money, to the exclusion of everything else, you will find that you have to keep on pursuing it, only to find that it never fully satisfies you. It will be like feeding the fire; it will only keep getting bigger and bigger, asking for more and more. It will never have enough. Feed on the word of God, instead; it is what will bring you enduring wealth which will abundantly satisfy you. God can give you all that money can buy you; but money can never give you, what only God can give you.
Money can buy you a house; but only God can give you a home !
The temporal and the eternal
Paul sums it all up with divine clarity, as he says, “For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal”. [2 Corinthians 4:18] People may spend a lot of time on the external, and it may not always be wrong. But your focus needs to shift from the external to the eternal. For, the real you, is what is within you. Your physical body is not designed to live forever; and so, in your youth you are fascinated, then as the years go on you are frustrated, and finally in your old age you become very fearful of it, wondering when it would shut down !
But, your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who fills you on the inside with His glory. Thus, the eternal One is living inside you. You cannot see God; but He is permanent and eternal. And His permanent presence is always with you. So when you are a child of God, you can never be alone. And His wisdom teaches you to make right choices in your life, choices that will bring enduring riches. They will be riches that are not short sighted and limited to the here and now, but are also about the then and there, choices that affect eternity.
The 11th chapter of the book of Hebrews talks about the men and women of faith who made wise choices in life; they were choices in the light of eternity. It brought them enduring riches.
Moses was one of them; he had choices to make in his life, just like you and I have to. And by faith, he made wise choices that connected him to the eternal purposes of God. It is why he is remembered even today, after thousands of years have gone by. And you can today, be enlightened by the Spirit of God, to learn valuable lessons, by studying his life in the word of God, to apply it in your life.
What were the wise choices that Moses made in his life ?
By faith, Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of the Pharaoh’s daughter. [Hebrews 11:24] The identity or status that the world gives you is never permanent. Even a person as powerful as the prime minister of a nation will become a ‘former’ prime minister when his term expires, and his party is no longer in power. The same can be said of people’s opinion of you too. They may praise you one day, and then turn around to talk negatively about you the next day, and walk away. But in the sight of God, you are of eternal value. And so, when someone says something that is untrue and hurtful about you, it need not really matter to you. What the world gives is never permanent.
Moses made the ‘wise choice’ not ‘smart choice’
He grew up as the prince of Egypt; his home was the palace. He enjoyed all the privileges that the world can give in education, wealth and all influence. But, by faith that comes by hearing from God, he refused it all, knowing that it was not true and not permanent. The world may think though, that he did not make a ‘smart choice’. Even in your life, to know who you really are, you need to go to God. He is your Creator; He knows you more completely than you know yourself even. And He is mindful of you; therefore, to know what His thoughts are concerning you, you need to go to His word. When circumstances are against you in your life, you have a friend who sticks closer than a brother – He is Jesus, your Lord and Savior.
And let Lord Jesus be the cornerstone, the capstone of your life, leading you to your destiny. ‘I am what I am by the grace of God’, says the apostle Paul. Let this define you too, as you walk in His ways.
Relationships:
In life, your real relationship is what you enjoy with God. And your relationship with people therefore, will be reflected in your relationship with Him, what you are to Him. Moses began as the prince of Egypt; he later became a nobody, tending sheep in the desert for forty years. But God called him; and to Him he was, ‘Moses, my servant’. And his relationship with God was his permanent status, his true identity. The world will see it all very differently though; and this is where in your life, you need to make the choice that is wise.
You are the child of God
Behold what manner of love the Father has showered upon us, that we should be called children of God ! Therefore, the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. [1 John 3:1]
You are the child of the Almighty God; and if this does not satisfy you, no other title or relationship will. And, Even if a nursing mother forgets her child, I will not forget you, is His promise to you, when you are His child. Moses was called, the son of the pharaoh’s daughter. It was a prestigious title, but not permanent. But you are called the ‘child of God’ for eternity.
You are called, named and counted as a child of God; it is your permanent status. And your Father knows all that you will ever need in your life. You are loved by Him, even as He loves Christ, His only Begotten Son. It seems so amazing. But it is the wondrous truth. And nothing can separate you from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus.
You are God’s beloved. Therefore, be loved. Let God love you. He loves you totally and completely. Be secure in His love.
Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin. [Hebrews 11:25]
Regarding the sensual pleasures of the world that are so transient, Moses made a choice that was wise; one that needs to be made by every child of God. Growing up in the royal palace, Moses could have indulged in worldly gratifications, and continued to live as the prince of Egypt. But, he made the wise choice. He chose what was enduring. This again, may not be a smart choice in the eyes of the world, to a person who is focused on what is seen, and is temporary. He may long for immediate gratification and get it too. But the sad truth is, once he gets it in his hand, he will not be satisfied with it. The world will constantly try to push you into making a choice that you will end up regretting; for the temporary pleasures of sin can never lead you to a life of fruitful fulfillment.
But God gives you eternal enjoyment
In your presence is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. [Psalms 16:11]
This is the joyous truth. The world may see the Christian as a party killer or kill joy. But indulging in habits that are ultimately harmful to your health, or that are a bad example to your children, is not making a wise choice at all. God gives you what is truly and permanently enjoyable; it will see you made whole, and filled with overflowing joy. He richly provides all things for you to enjoy; and you will also be purposeful and prosperous.
Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt, for he looked to the reward. [Hebrews 11:26] Moses gave up temporary riches, to make the wise choice; he chose the riches of the glorious grace of God in Christ, that endures forever. When you choose to make it too, you are rich. For, Christ in you is the hope of your glory, and therefore, you are a reflection of God’s riches in Christ.
Christ your inheritance:
To an inheritance incorruptible, undefiled and does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you. [1 Peter 1:4]
Your inheritance is Christ Jesus, reserved and kept safe for you eternally. To the Levites, as they entered the promised land God Himself promised to be their inheritance. When He is your inheritance, it can never be taken away from you. It lasts forever. Christ endures forever. So what comes from Him and through Him also endures forever.
In every dimension of your life, it is the abiding presence of the Everlasting God that you need. Therefore, let your permanent status be that of being called a ‘child of God’. And your Father knows all that you need. Let your eyes be fixed upon Him. What He gives you will endure. It will be productive and purposeful.
His word to you comes in season, to give you foresight. Ask God for wisdom to make wise choices in your life, as you focus not merely on the external, but on the eternal. He is the Eternal God, and you are His beloved child forever. In the Name of Christ Jesus Amen.
