As far as God is concerned, no-one is rich, and no-one is poor as far as money is concerned….one is no more important than the other. In fact, the one who is poor in money, is often rich in other ways….in love and concern for others, a happy family life, rich friendships, and in depending on God. Those who are rich financially, are often poor in these things, relying on their money to buy everything they want…..
They tend to leave God out of their lives and ride roughshod over the feelings of others in their desire for more and more. When they get to the end of their lives, they end up with no more land than the poor man…just a plot of ground in a cemetery! If they don’t know the Lord, they end up being the poor man in eternity while the other ends up being rich with the Lord like the story of the rich man and the beggar which we read about in Luke chapter 16, verses 19-31.
When we have more than we need, then the temptations creep into our lives to want more and more…..we have to resist these if we want to receive the commendation that the Lord gives those who stand firm for Him. People tend to always shift the blame for their own shortcomings onto others….it is always someone else’s fault. Right from a young age it is built into the human psyche to say “Not my fault, I didn’t do it!”
We have to be very careful to not blame God for the circumstances of life that we don’t like….we often bring these on our own selves. Then again, God can use our adverse circumstances and our attitude to them, to speak to those who don’t know Him like He did with Job….what a great example and encouragement that man has been down through the ages!
God never brings bad things into our lives, but He allows them for our greater good….otherwise how could we see His great hand of provision for us? Something good can come out of every circumstance we endure, even when we have brought our trials on ourselves by our own self will and foolishness. When we feel that life is dealing us a hard hand, stop and take stock of everything that we have that is good, and give thanks to God for them, instead of moaning about what we don’t have !