Controlling Wealth

Controlling Wealth “You may say to yourself, my power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me. But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth.” Deuteronomy 8:18 Since time began the importance and value of money has been such a controlling influence in the lives of man, that God has over 2,350 references to money and material things in the Bible. Money is intoxicating; it is like a drug, as it can be addictive and can change people’s lives forever. We can be consumed by money. It can enslave us. It can consume our thoughts. It can dictate our lives, and it can control our behavior. Money can become our gods, and the Bible tells us to worship no other God, but I believe many people worship their money, and it becomes their gods. They become totally dependent upon it. Money does not bring happiness, but many times can destroy happiness in people’s lives. I can remember growing up in my small town in southeastern Kentucky. We had very little money as I grew up, as my family were farmers and coal miners, but we were content with what we had, and lived a very happy life. We were not dependent upon money and material things for our happiness, but rather enjoyed and depended first upon God, and then on our own abilities to provide our needs. The Bible gives us so much good advice about the power and use of money, but the scripture shown above is one of my favorite verses. So often in life we think we are the ones that produces our wealth, it is us with our brilliant mind, our great wisdom, and our superior work ethic that has produced our wealth, but we so seldom give the one who made all this possible, as without God we would have nothing. Give God credit for your success. Robert W. Brock My Daily Devotional Volume Six October 29