February 24, 2020 CAC Living Water Devotional :- THE IRONY OF WEALTH
Read previous CAC Living Water Devotionals here
CHRIST APOSTOLIC CHURCH
THE LIVING WATER {Jan ~ June, 2020}
DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE
Monday, February 24, 2020
TOPIC: THE IRONY OF WEALTH
Read Ecclesiastes 5:8-20
[8]If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, marvel not at the matter: for he that is higher than the highest regardeth; and there be higher than they.[9]Moreover the profit of the earth is for all: the king himself is served by the field.[10]He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity.[11]When goods increase, they are increased that eat them: and what good is there to the owners thereof, saving the beholding of them with their eyes?[12]The sleep of a labouring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.[13]There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt.[14]But those riches perish by evil travail: and he begetteth a son, and there is nothing in his hand.[15]As he came forth of his mother’s womb, naked shall he return to go as he came, and shall take nothing of his labour, which he may carry away in his hand.[16]And this also is a sore evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go: and what profit hath he that hath laboured for the wind?[17]All his days also he eateth in darkness, and he hath much sorrow and wrath with his sickness.[18]Behold that which I have seen: it is good and comely for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life, which God giveth him: for it is his portion.[19]Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labour; this is the gift of God.[20]For he shall not much remember the days of his life; because God answereth him in the joy of his heart.
MEMORISE: For all that is in the world – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life – is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it, but he who does the will of God abides forever (1 John 2:16, 17)
EXPOSITION
Often times, when we have opportunities of visiting big cities and see ‘big, big houses’ and high high-rise buildings, we want to feel the owners are some sort of special people, different from the rest. But all men are equal before God though, the measure of one’s blessings is different from the other. Wealth is good and can make one happy, and at times, answers to so many needs and wants. But the irony in wealth acquisition is that, people are never satisfied; the more they seek it, and/or have it, the more wants they want to meet. Ask Solomon who in spite of all his wealth, concluded, ‘All is vanity’. Pursuing wealth is like certain things that never say, ‘enough’ (Prov. 30:15,16).
Three things are very important: when, how and why you make your wealth. Again, when we say “the land belongs to the king,” is that not oppression? Wealth, if care is not taken, connects the owner to worse people and places. As ministers of the gospel, hope God’s blessings upon you have not turned you to another thing; dining with the devil, as your ‘vehicle no more has break’. Today’s youths and preachers want to ‘belong’, with big titles not found, both in Jesus’ days or those of the Apostles. Imagine what a man had sleepless nights to make are being spent by those who sleep well? Do you know that no matter the riches, if it is ill-gotten, can fly away overnight, and the owner may be back to square one?
In this wise, believers must be contented, looking only for how to satisfy needs, and not wants. Jesus taught us to ask for our daily bread (Matt. 6:11). Let us learn to lay up our treasures in heaven, where nothing can destroy it (Matt. 6:19). That is when we are truly wealthy.
PRAYER POINTS
1. Dear Lord, help me not to run ahead of You in my quest to acquire basic necessities of the world.
2. O Lord, withdraw our youths and children who are already enmeshed in cultism and other unwholesome deals, because they want to get rich quickly.
3. Father, expose and punitively deal with our political and Church leaders who grossly enrich themselves at the expense of the masses.
EXTRA READING FOR TODAY: Leviticus 24 – 25 & Luke 12
Author: C.A.C WORLDWIDE
Remain blessed!