GOD’S PROVIDENCE RARELY entails the Christian’s material prosperity but rather ensures making one rich towards Him in faith, trust and righteousness – knowing Him. God’s benevolence prospers our soul more than our bodies; it prepares for us the eternal banquet feast with God. Even now, in this life, we have foretastes of that glory to come – a table prepared before us in the midst of conflict (Psalm 23:5).

Financial success is not the hallmark of God’s approval and blessing and yet so many churches build their doctrine around this falsehood. We are never to interpret the measure of our wealth as a sign of God’s favour or the reward of our obedience. God causes His goodness to fall on the unrighteous as well as the righteous.

Many who strut around stating they are highly favoured and greatly blessed of God (a very arrogant annoyance) are generally the most pitiable, poor, blind and naked ‘Christians’. This is the epitome of today’s lukewarm evangelicalism (Revelation 3:15-17). How the many are deceived into laying up treasures for themselves. Christ said that our life does not consist in the abundance of our possessions, but why is it that the hearts of many professing believers strive to secure their wealth instead of being rich and secure in God?

It is grieving to watch Christians, whom you have greatly respected, change for the worse; the love of money may have laid dormant for many years in their heart until an opportune time arose to manifest itself, proving their true colours where the most spiteful conduct arises to the exclusion of others who have rightful ties to an inheritance. Their aspirations in ‘using their money for God’ are no better than the Pharisees and scribes who neglected their father and mother by giving their gain to God (Matthew 15:3-9). The cherishing of money certainly corrupts.

To see and hear of families, having been so close-knit, destroyed over an inheritance can be so disheartening. Jesus’ response to the one who demanded of Him to ask his brother to divide the inheritance (Luke 12:13-15) seems to be callous at face value, but there is the merciful warning of guarding against “all” covetousness. The “all” comes in many forms and sometimes the most seemingly ‘justifiable’, but God sees the heart that refuses to be content with the lot He has chosen to portion each one of us. At the heart of all covetousness lies jealousy and the absence of love (1 Corinthians 13:4). The one who is content in God can say with David, “The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; You hold my lot. The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance” (Psalm 16:5-6).

Have you been cheated out of an inheritance? Don’t be swallowed by bitterness; yield to God’s providence; place it into the hands of God to bring order out of chaos. Do you succumb to self-pity in your financial straits? Do you question God’s parental care because others live extravagantly while you barely make it from week to week or from one day to the next?

Unless God is your Rock, your heart will be filled with all unnecessary care. Unless God is your Strength, you will endlessly search for joy in other things. Unless God is your Hope, your spirit will weigh heavy with despondency. Unless Christ Himself is your Inheritance you will never share in His immeasurable riches.

The child of God who tastes lesser earthly riches will encounter more of God Himself. This is an undeniable fact, for the heart becomes so easily entangled in earthly comforts if one is not rich in faith. What may feel like your greatest adversity may prove to be your richest mercy and blessing.

The child of God lacking in material wealth is to constantly guard against covetousness, while the one who meets abundant fortune is to guard the heart from all possessiveness.

Is God dearer to you in your extremities? Is your communion richer with Him; are you living nearer to Him? Are you reliant on Him and not on others?

Disadvantaged Christian, are you exploring the inexhaustible treasures in Christ? Are you mourning because you live without many things, or do you see the door open before you to embrace the promises that are “yes” in God? Bless God for this mercy and grace, for had He permitted all your hearts desires they may well have been to your eternal destruction.

I knew and heard one godly minister who was honest enough to state that had God not kept him from large amounts of money, he would not have walked so close to God; indeed he would have wandered away from Him. He knew his own heart would not have been able to control such excessive amounts. That pastors and preachers were more honest these days, for then it would give such comfort to those whom they minister unto! When you read some of the confessions of Robert Murray M’Cheyne, it humbles you. One doesn’t look upon such honesty with contempt but awe as the aroma of Christ permeates through such brokenness. Some tend to think that those who appear most pious are the godliest. The hypocritical Pharisees were great in wearing such a façade. The Christian deeply acquainted with the depravity of their own heart, yet embraces the perfect Sacrifice and Righteousness of God’s Son is the most Christlike; they are the most broken, the most healed, the most whole – the most holy.

Take this promise unto yourself, “He Who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:32). Exclaim it a thousand times a day if you have to; stand upon it and see the promise with your very own name written upon it. The “all things” is what God, in His omniscience, has already laid up for us. They are not pertaining to everything our eye falls upon; they do not cater unto our selfishness; they are conjunctive to God strengthening us, keeping us and bringing us safe to glory. God’s “No’s” mean that He only wants us to have nothing but the best – and what is that best when it is the very expression of His perfection?