Materialism, Moods

The Indirect Way to Wealth

No Comments 02 June 2008


Press the arrow to listen to Michael W. Smith sing “Awesome God” while reading today’s devotion.

Scripture
Do not weary yourself to gain wealth,
Cease from your consideration of it.
When you set your eyes on it, it is gone.
For wealth certainly makes itself wings
Like an eagle that flies toward the heavens. Proverbs 23:4-5

By wisdom a house is built,
And by understanding it is established;
And by knowledge the rooms are filled
With all precious and pleasant riches. Proverbs 24

Observation
Wealth is elusive. When we pursue it we lose it.  It is like the pool of water on the road ahead that we speed towards only to find it to be a mirage on hot pavement.  Wealth is a backache to the body and a headache to the mind.

There is another path toward wealth that is indirect. Instead of pursuing wealth, we are told to deepen our relationship with the Lord. As a result of our relationship with him, our needs will be supplied. That relationship includes the Three Musketeers of the Book of Proverbs: wisdom, understanding, and knowledge.

Wisdom says, seek what pleases God instead of what pleases you.
Understanding advises, there is an economy you cannot see that supplies our needs even more than the economy we can see.
Knowledge counsels us in good choices not driven by fear or greed but God.

Knowledge is one of the most useful when it comes to bringing prosperity to our families. Not just information, knowledge is both the facts as well as a perception of what to do with them.  Like a financial adviser, the Holy Spirit can give to us perception that comes from the deep knowing of the Lord to make good choices with what he gives to us.

Application
Does a person need the Lord to become wealthy? No, but all wealth comes from the Lord.  A man who seeks riches may just get them, but only them. What he has is hallow and shallow because there is no relationship in it.

But if a man turns his back on wealth, and instead seeks first an ever deepening relationship with the Lord, he will find many happy surprises along the way. My call is to seek wisdom, understanding and knowledge and in them I will find many of the things I have desired. All of life must be held loosely as a gift for us to receive yet more. Only open hands can be given more.

Prayer
Father, I ask today for the riches of knowing you. Holy Spirit do life with me today and teach me moment by moment. Amen.


I'm Phil McCallum, a husband, father and most of all one of the people Jesus loves. I'm privileged to serve Evergreen Community Church in Bothell, Washington as Senior Pastor where people love enough to believe "it's all about relationships." In 1982 I made a vow to read God's word daily and apply it to life. Each day I write out my reflections. Some days I post those on my blog. It's a little personal but it's my hope it will stir you to go deeper still. Learn how I do my devotions. These are my thoughts and not necessarily those of the ministry I serve. By the way check out the computer study Bible Glo. I highly recommend it.

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