I’m travelling for the next week and so this is the last Morning Devotion until Nov. 30. Have a blessed Thanksgiving!
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Some Christian ministries promote wealth as an indirect goal and sign of God’s favor. It pains my soul to see these displays of “golden trinkets” recruitment strategies.
Fortunately, most other Christian ministries promote a more balanced view of material things. Yes, there is still room for improvement among the many believers whose offering levels aren’t what God desires, as in tithing and other offerings above that amount. But at least their congregations aren’t typically preaching and teaching the prosperity gospel with “gimme wealth and health…and I want it now!” messages.
The congregation I serve is a humble fellowship in many ways, including this one.
Others might look at our facilities and our Sunday apparel and perceive “plain.”
We’re clearly not pushing golden trinkets.
That doesn’t mean, though, that we don’t trust God to provide what we need and sometimes what we want. And that doesn’t mean that members aren’t challenged to give more generously to God so that ministry might more generously occur to our community and missions efforts.
It’s just that our focus is to seek what He wants from us, not what we want from Him.
He’s God. He’ll do what is best for us.
That’s our philosophy and that’s why we don’t harbor disappointment when we read verses such as one in the One-Year Bible for today.
“Better the poor whose walk is blameless than the rich whose ways are perverse.” (Proverbs 28:6).
Hmmm….. I wonder how often the golden trinket preachers sermonize about this passage?
Jesus said we’re to store up treasures in heaven where bugs and rust can’t destroy or steal them.
The blameless believer with little stuff has a glorious hope in eternity.
The faithless person with all kinds of stuff has only an eternal death sentence.
Who really IS the rich person?
Don’t live for trinkets, my friend. And don’t make faith decisions based on the promise of stuff that’s just going to burn.
Jesus said it best. “Blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God.”
What promise could be richer than that one?
As always, I love you
Martin
