My Daily Devotional

God’s View of Money

“Dishonest money dwindles away, but he who gathers money little by little makes it grow.”
Proverbs 13:11

I grew up in the country on a farm, and my family had very little money or material wealth. We depended on what we grew on our farm for our food. We worked hard for everything we had and lived a very simple life. I can remember my grandmother loading as much fruits, vegetables, eggs, butter and milk as she could carry on our horse and go throughout the community selling these to the neighbors. This was the way they provided for our family. They earned their money little by little, as there were never any windfall schemes that produced huge sums of money. Even though they gathered their money little by little, they always seemed to have money to give to someone in the community that needed help, and always put their tithes in the offering at church every Sunday. I have had a successful business career during my life, and God has been good to me and my family, and has provided for our needs very well. My family’s lifestyle has been vastly improved from the one I grew up with. However with all the things God has given me and my family, am I any better off than my grandparents were? They had a family filled with the presence of God. All their needs were provided for; they were happy and contented with what they had; they always helped others; and they always gave their tithes joyfully. What more could anyone want out of life? Their life was not complicated as life in today’s world is. It is true that we make more money, but we spend it on bigger homes, bigger automobiles, more comforts and more material possessions. It is harder today to be contented and happy than it was then, as we keep trying to work harder, enjoying it less to accumulate more money and more possessions. I believe the key to happiness in life is simplicity, as life was like for my grandparents. They knew that God would provide for their needs; they knew that He would protect them and they were happy and contented with their lives. Today people are not happy and contented, as they are always reaching for the brass ring and trying to find the end of the rainbow. They are waiting for their ship to come in and bring them instant wealth and possessions. I believe the scripture above which says little by little will we make our money and grow wealth is good advice, as it prepares us to grow spiritually as well. We will learn to appreciate what God gives us and will enjoy our lives more. My grandparents knew the secret for a happy and contented life. God wants us to value people and relationships more than our possessions, but the social image of having money, and making sure everyone else knows it, puts so much pressure on most people that they succumb to these worldly desires. When we earn and save money little by little, I believe this captures the essence of the biblical view of money. God teaches us that our love of money is probably the greatest thing that will keep us from the kingdom of heaven. When we get our minds focused on our money, and it becomes our God as He warns us, our Christian walk with God will begin to deteriorate. I believe that the way God would want us to value our money can be stated as follows: Earn little by little, save ten percent, give ten percent or more, and do not owe anyone. This will determine your lifestyle, and your life will be happy and contented as financial stress will be lifted. This is a simple strategy, but one that will work in everyone’s life. I would encourage each of you to think about how you value money in your life, and see if your money and material possessions are becoming your God. These things are good to have, but when our time and energy is spent on obtaining them above all other things, we need to know that our priorities are not correct, and changes need to be made.

(Many of my readers have asked if my Daily Devotionals have been published and if they could purchase them. The Devotionals I am posting are from My Daily Devotional Volume III which was published in 2009 and can be purchased at amazon.com or from me at robbrock@comcast.net)