Rich or Poor?

"Even when I remember I am afraid, and trembling taketh hold on my flesh. Wherefore do the wicked live, become old, yea, are mighty in power? Their seed is established in their sight with them, and their offspring before their eyes. Their houses are safe from fear, neither is the rod of God upon them. Their bull gendereth, and faileth not; their cow calveth, and casteth not her calf. They send forth their little ones like a flock, and their children dance. They take the timbrel and harp, and rejoice at the sound of the organ. They spend their days in wealth, and in a moment go down to the grave. Therefore they say unto God, Depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways. What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? and what profit should we have, if we pray unto him?” (Job 21:6-15). If you listen long to many of the prominent ‘Christian’ ministries of today, you would think that the above passage of scripture is describing the state of the righteous. Much of the prevalent mindset is if your a nice Christian and everything works out real nice in life for you, it can only mean that you are ‘blessed.’ That is the mindset of the popular ‘divine prosperity’ doctrine that permeates much of today’s modern form of Christianity. The apostle Paul described that doctrine and school of thought as “supposing that gain is godliness;” and in regard to it he instructed Timothy, “from such withdraw thyself” (I Tim. 6:5).

Seems a lot of folks have forgotten the passage that says, “A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked” (Psm. 37:16). Jesus dealt with this same issue when he sent messages to the seven pastors of the congregations in Asia in Revelation chapters 2 and 3. To one faithful messenger he said, “I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich)” (Rev. 2:9). And to the messenger that received his harshest rebuke, Jesus said, “Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich” (Rev. 3:17,18). So in the eyes of Jesus, the poor man was rich, and the rich man was poor. So what is the point of these things? Simple, on one hand it is, ” Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom” (Prov. 23:4). And on the other hand, it is, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Mat. 6:33). If we follow these instructions then the result will be, “But godliness with contentment is great gain” (I Tim. 6:6). I don’t know about you friend, but I really enjoy the “great gain” that comes only by “godliness with contentment.” Amen.