Merciful Monday: Trust in God, Not In Things

We esteem people like Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, and the richest man in the world Mexican business owner Carlos Slim because of the wealth and possessions that they have been able to amass. I am sure that we can all relate to feeling important, worthy or even rich because of the things that we have acquired. I know that when I got my first job and was able to buy my first pair of Air Forces (which were super cool once upon a time), I felt on top of the world! But from God’s perspective, money and worldly possessions mean very little.

Jesus said, “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own…These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers all over the world, but your Father already knows your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need” (Luke 21:15, 30-31 NIV). I don’t think that this means that we shouldn’t want to own homes or be successful in our careers, because like a father, God does want his children to succeed and to be able to provide for themselves. But it does mean that we shouldn’t become obsessed with getting rich! Above all, we should focus on cultivating our relationship with God and helping others then everything will fall into place.

Once we place our trust firmly in God, not in things, we will see that he will provide all that we need and many of the things that we want!

Sarah and Abraham learned this the hard way. Last week, we read about them longing for a child. I’m sure that they spent countless hours dreaming of what it would be like to hold a child (that they had created together) in their arms. But they jumped the gun when they decided that Hagar, one of their slaves, would have Abraham’s child. They did not trust that God would give them the desires of their heart! But in due time God blessed them with a son. They realized that the cattle, slaves, and land they possessed could not fulfill their wish for a child. They tried it on their own with unsatisfactory results so they had no choice but to place their trust in God. At the age of 100 (WHOA!) Abraham and Sarah had Isaac, whose name means “he laughs.”

When we surrender our trust to God and he gives us all we need, we often look back and laugh, don’t we? Not long ago, I had a desire to finish college. The only problem was that almost every semester, I had NO IDEA how I was going to pay for it. I couldn’t place my trust in my possessions. No matter how much I love my clothes and jewelry, even selling them wouldn’t have gotten me the thousands I needed! And as much as I love my parents, I couldn’t even place my trust in them, because they simply didn’t have the money. I realized that I had no choice but to trust that God would see me through. Now, when I think about how stressed I was, I laugh about it! He TRULY gave me all that I needed and then some!

Today’s Prayer: Dear God, I want to thank you for all of the things that you have entrusted to me here on earth such as my possessions, family and even friends. But despite these things, help me to remember that the greatest thing that I can ever have is relationship with you. From this day forth I declare that I will not trust in money or the things I own, but I will trust in YOU to meet my needs. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen!

Merciful Mondays: Jael