Riches Don't Matter In The End
"Do not be overawed when a man grows rich, when the splendor of his house increases; for he will take nothing with him when he dies, his splendor will not descend with him."
-- Psalm 49:16:17
Gosh, don't we live in a messed up world?! We place the value of a rich person above the value of a poor person, without regard to his morals or his faith in God. I think we've got things aligned the wrong way. Don't you?
I'm thrilled when people are successful in their professional lives. I want them to get promotions and expand their businesses. It's wonderful to cheer people on as they reach their goals. But it doesn't mean anything if they don't know Jesus.
No amount of money, no amount of power and no amount of possessions will save us from hell. In fact, those things won't bring us love or inner peace during our time on earth. Sure. We've all joked about wanting to try being super rich for a while. But we've also heard the stories about unhappy rich people. They get so focused on things, on power, and never know for sure who likes them for who they are and who only wants their money, How sad.
The thing about God is He doesn't care about what kind of house we live in or whether we're wearing the latest fashion. He cares about what's in our hearts. He wants us to know Him, to accept Jesus' sacrifice, to believe and to seek His Presence. Sure, he wants us to be happy and successful. But God knows that all those things won't be going with us when we leave this earth. They're only on loan from Him.
Sometimes I wonder if those folks so focused on possessions and power realize that. Do they think they're leaving some kind of lasting legacy? Do they believe they can buy themselves a better forever? Have they convinced themselves that it doesn't matter?
I find it interesting that in this passage the rich man descends. That man we think of as so powerful and successful, won't be going upward toward heaven unless he invites Jesus into his heart. I'd much rather be poor and know Jesus than be lost from Him forever. How about you?
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