Thoughts for another day

Oct. 11, 2013.

Today's verse: Eccl. 5:19. 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. (KJV)

(Pls. read the above before you read further.  Thanks)

In our short lives, we work and fulfill our earthly requirements, particularly eating and drinking and enjoying life, of course sensibly.  We work so we may be able to enjoy the comforts the world has and partake in all the wonderful things made for us, within the boundaries of our finances.  The caution is never to over indulge in them and never, never to take God out of the picture in whatever we partake, because, it is He, Who allows us a certain standard of living and were it not for Him, we could be like that family living in the shanty across the road, for whom we have scant regard, wishing them to disappear from our neighborhood as they dirty them.

A careful look at our Word above tells us also, that God gives the ability and the strength to eat of the labor of our hands or I might say, to enjoy the fruits our hard work.  If God didn’t allow this, our lives would be but a drag, a miserable existence with no meaning and life in it.  I know so many people who save a large portion of their salaries and eat like paupers.  They literally scrounge for food and eat whatever comes their way.  Ask them to spend their money on good things, they never will.  They say they’re saving for the future, a future they know nothing about and it exposes their dependence on their money for the future and not God Almighty.

There’re some who save for their old age hospitalization expenses or their child’s education and so on, without using their money to live well, now in the present time.  But how much do you need to save; well they don’t know and if they don’t know then why do they save all and then scrounge about.  I’m not saying we shouldn’t save, but savings isn’t to defy God’s provision.  As for me, I’ve gone through tremendous financial turbulence, yet there’s never been a day when I’ve lacked, because my focus isn’t on my bank balance, but on my God who is in control of my finance.  And so I say, seek to enjoy the money you have lest you die and it goes to somebody unworthy as the writer of Ecclesiastes says.  Enjoy and give praise to God for all He does for you and you’ll see your money never ending, even though it was very small to begin with. God adds to it for, when we live content fruitful lives, honoring Him with our resources, He is pleased and He sends more.  And remember it is God alone who allows us to get riches and also, He alone enables us to enjoy them.