THE LORD'S DAY – For the next few weeks we are going to study the subjects of wealth, money, possessions, etc. in the light of Scripture. We will cover a wide variety of topics concerning “God’s wealth” and how we are to be good stewards of it. As you know, I am not one who likes to talk a lot about money, but God commands His shepherds to “declare the whole counsel of God.” In our day and age this is a topic that needs to be understood biblically. Read Matthew 6:19-21.
What principles in these verses are applicable to your life today?
Suggestion for prayer: Ask the Lord to teach you this week from His Word on how to be a good steward of His wealth.
MONDAY – We must understand that money itself is neither righteous nor evil, but it is morally neutral. We will see that money (wealth and possessions) and how we use it and spend it is an accurate measure of a persons morality. How you spend and where you spend is a telling characteristic of the moral direction of your life. God has not given everyone the same amount of money and material possessions. But what we do with what we have been given can really tell us where our hearts are at. A passage in the book of Acts is often used by those who advocate a type of “Christian Communism.” Read Acts 2:44-45. In this passage we find believers who God had blessed would take of their wealth and give to help their brothers and sisters in who were in need. The passage does not say they “pooled” their wealth, but we do see a picture here of God’s people helping those among them who had physical needs.
What principles in these verses are applicable to your life today?
Suggestion for prayer: Ask the Lord to help you to develop a heart that is concerned for other brothers and sisters in need.
TUESDAY – We learned yesterday of God’s people helping each other with material resources. The point we must not overlook is the money we possess is NOT really ours anyway, but is God’s. All riches come from God. God is the creator of this earth and He owns EVERYTHING anyway. Not only does He own it all, He graciously gives us the ability to earn money and gain wealth. We must understand that God is the ultimate source of ALL wealth and He has distributed it as a stewardship. We manage God’s wealth—what a thought! We must never develop an attitude that dishonors God by assuming what we possess is ours. Read Haggai 2:8, Psalm 104:24, 1 Corinthians 4:7, and Deuteronomy 8:18.
What principles in these verses are applicable to your life today?
Suggestion for prayer: Thank the Lord that He is the ultimate owner of all things and thank Him for giving us possessions of His to be stewards of.
WEDNESDAY – As we mentioned earlier, God has seen fit to give individuals of His possessions. We understand the Bible teaches that hard work and wisdom help an individual to gain wealth. God has empowered us to work for our money and He blesses diligent effort. Many times financial difficulty results from a mismanagement of God given talent and resources. The Bible also says that if a man is unwilling to work, he should not even eat (2 Thessalonians 3:10). It is a sinful attitude to be upset with God for a lack of means when the situation is a result of our own sinful laziness and mismanagement. Read Job 28:1-11, Proverbs 10:4-5, and Proverbs 6:6-11. You will see in these verses that God’s wealth is given to those who work hard and are wise, while poverty comes from a lazy attitude.
What principles in these verses are applicable to your life today?
Suggestion for prayer: Ask the Lord to help you to be a diligent hard worker and to earn the money God chooses to give you.
THURSDAY – Even though the Bible teaches us to work hard for money, it also gives solemn warnings to those who work so hard to possess wealth that they neglect God and the true riches found in Him. In our time we call this “materialism”. The sinful selfish heart is prone to being greedy and covetous. Jesus taught a parable in Luke 12:13-21 where He spoke directly to the covetous attitude that seeks to have more and more and more. You will notice the rich fool in this passage had a problem—it was an “I” problem. He needed more than an optometrist; he needed a change of heart. We must beware of a greedy, covetous heart in the pursuit of wealth.
What principles in these verses are applicable to my life today?
Suggestion for prayer: Ask the Lord to help you keep your heart and mind on eternal riches above earthly possessions.
FRIDAY – The opposite of the greed and covetousness that we see in the rich fool is the Godly attitude of contentment. This is more than just a feeling of being satisfied. It is the understanding that God owns it all, controls it all, and provides everything. The man who is truly content understands these principles and therefore he trusts in God NOT in his luxuries. When we are content we recognize God’s blessing, are satisfied with it, and are thankful that God meets our needs. We do work hard and follow God’s instruction, but we don’t worry and become filled with anxiety because we don’t have the latest “need” as we see it or as the world dictates. A content man thanks God for His gifts and then invests them in His kingdom. Read Proverbs 30:8-9, 1 Timothy 6:6-8, and Hebrews 13:5.
What principles in these verses are applicable to your life today?
Suggestion for prayer: Ask the Lord to help you be a true contented Christian, thankful and satisfied with God’s provision.
SATURDAY – As you can see God has a lot to say about money and possessions. We will take out time and cover this subject matter to truly see God’s perspective. We will see in future lessons how this understanding relates to all of the areas of our lives including our giving. But, foundational to being a content, wise steward, who gives to the Lord with a “cheerful” heart, lays this understanding that it is God’s wealth. You will either serve God or gold. We must be prudent but beware we are not deceived by the danger of love for money. Read this beautiful passage in Job 31:24-28 and Proverbs 11:28 to see how Job gives us some biblical wisdom about maintaining a Godly perspective on “things.”
What principles in these verses are applicable to your life today?
Suggestion for prayer: Ask God to convict your heart by His Word of anything that you might love more than Him that would cause you to “deny God”.
