September 16, 2019 Open Heaven Daily Devotional : Topic – The Negative Influence of Wealth 

Topic – The Negative Influence of Wealth

Memorise: Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; – 1 Timothy 6:17

Read: Proverbs 30:7-9 (KJV)

7 Two things have I required of thee; deny me them not before I die:

8 Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me:

9 Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.

Bible in One Year: 1 Kings 22, Daniel 3:16-4:3

Having tasted both poverty and wealth, I can categorically say that wealth is the better of the two. Nevertheless, if not handled with the fear of God, wealth can have a negative influence on those who possess it. Agur’s prayer in today’s Bible reading is food for thought in this regard. From his prayer, we understand that wealth can influence a person to question God’s relevance and deny His existence. Frankly speaking, comfort and riches can cause a person to conclude that he or she has no need for God. We see this manifested in rich countries today. Nebuchadnezzar came under this negative influence of wealth, and he did not have a good story to tell. Intoxicated by prosperity, he boasted in Daniel 4:30, saying:

Through this statement, he claimed self-sufficiency and denied God who gave him wealth and power. God had to school him for seven years among animals before he realised his folly (Daniel 4:33). This is why it should not surprise us to see wealthy people in those societies that deny the existence of God manifesting animalistic tendencies in their desires and lifestyle choices.

Usually, those who are rich have a quest to be richer still. While there is nothing wrong with this, it is disheartening that in an attempt to gain more wealth for themselves, many rich people exploit the downtrodden workers who labour to make them wealthy. Sometimes, they may decide not to pay their wages on time, leaving the money in the bank to yield interest for their own pockets. Some don’t even bother to pay at all, while some others choose to pay a token of what their workers are due. People like this should realise that they are committing fraud, and God may choose to fight them Himself (James 5:1-4).

We see from the lives of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob that wealthy people who acknowledge the Almighty God as their source of power to get wealth hardly misbehave (Deuteronomy 8:18). Such people will not use their wealth to have extra-marital affairs or to entice the vulnerable into evil acts. They will see their staff as their own brothers and sisters, and will not toy with their wages. Above all, it will not be difficult for them to honour God with first fruits, tithes and offerings and works of charity. Are you free of the negative influence of wealth?

Father, please give me power to get wealth and help me use it judiciously for Your glory and kingdom, in Jesus’ Name.