Day 3 - True Wealth and Riches
SCRIPTURE:
Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who finds great delight in his commands. His children will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed. Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever. Even in darkness light dawns for the upright, for the gracious and compassionate and righteous man. Good will come to him who is generous... (Psalm 112:1-5)
A person who fears the Lord is someone who honors and esteems God and His Word over all else - over any other word; He or she is someone who knows God’s Word is greater than the news of the day and greater than the stock market and its losses and gains. When a person has a greater reverence for God and understands that things, people, and situations will come and go, but that the Word of God will outlast the current circumstances, he or she will triumph even when darkness is prevalent. Light dawns for this person. Or, you could say, “God’s manifested glory” comes into this person’s dark situation and, being a much stronger force, overpowers darkness.
God’s Kingdom is the highest foundation we can build our life upon, and it is a sure, unshakable Kingdom. Many other priorities can try to fill our time, competing for our honor and esteem - for first place in our hearts - but these things are temporary and can never outlast God’s eternal priority for our lives or our children’s lives.
Not only will the man or woman who fears the Lord live a blessed life with wealth and riches, but their children will be established in greatness. Many want great accomplishment for their children, which leaves them sometimes compromising spiritually to gain it, but what does it profit if that child loses his soul? A righteous (or upright) man always exalts God’s Word and plans for life over the temporal demands and accomplishments of this world, and he can be assured that he has taught his sons and daughters in righteousness, which will establish them forever. Forever is a long time, so we must be sure we are teaching our children to honor the Lord first and foremost.
We have seen the laws of God’s Kingdom bring good to us in every area - including wealth, riches, AND blessed, established children-as we have learned to be generous on every occasion and participate in God’s Kingdom ways with a fear (or reverential honor) of the Lord. It doesn’t matter what negative message the world brings for you and me because, in the overall picture, if we bless the Lord with our life and live a generous life for Him we will be blessed with wealth and riches, and so will our children.
When we were praying about the move to pastor a church, I was weighing the cost of the change and how that would affect our children. We gathered our children and began to discuss this. I will never forget after I shared what I assumed would be sacrifices for the children, my tenderhearted, ten-year-old son Tim said to me, “Mom, we are going to obey God.” I thank God that when we raise our children to understand that obeying God and honoring His Word is the single most important priority we can possess, they are able to make right decisions that will bring a life of honor and riches.
ACTION: Evaluate your priorities as a family. Have cares of life or the lust for other things started to choke out God’s Word in your life and, consequently, your children’s? Do your children want to be with peers and entertain themselves more than they desire to be in church or serving the Lord with their time and talents? Has your entertainment taken a turn toward carnality? These answers will give you a gauge to determine your focus, help you to readjust your priorities, and move you back on track for God’s success for true wealth and riches.
Celebrating Freedom Together,
Pastor Drenda Keesee
