Thursday Open Heavens Devotional - Money & The Love Of It

MEMORISE: For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 1 Timothy 6:10.

READ:1 Timothy 6:6-11.
6.But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7.For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. 8.And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. 9.But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. 10.For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 11.But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.

MESSAGE
God knows no lack, and He expects His children to reach a height of financial greatness where lack will be forgotten forever. The one whose name is El-shaddai can provide for all of your needs. Gathering wealth by honest means is the path to increase. Those who get rich quick by bribing their way or engaging in fraudulent means are only digging their own pit. Wealth gotten by vanity will diminish. Many are secretly envying unbelievers because of their wealth. This is foolishness. You have to wait upon the Lord to show you your source of wealth so that you don’t overrun yourself. Wealth from the Almighty God is supposed to be a blessing, but when the search for wealth is taken to the extreme, it becomes a curse. You must never pursue wealth to the detriment of your soul. There are many people looking for wealth for the wrong reasons. Some want to be rich because they feel wealth commands respect. For some others, it is to satisfy the thirst of belonging to a certain social class. Some people want wealth so as to use it as an instrument of oppression or revenge. God will not support such motives. The devil is always out to exploit your insincerity. He will give you options of getting fast wealth outside the will of God. Once you fall for it, you may never come out of his trap except God decides to have mercy on you. Many rich people are never satisfied. There is something in them that pushes them to want to accumulate more wealth for reasons they can’t explain (Ecclesiastes 5:10). Contentment is a virtue that cannot be bought with money (1st Timothy 6:6). If you have contentment, you can never be trapped in the deceitfulness of riches. Do you know that there are many people out in search of wealth, struggling in places where God has not put them? Isaac thought of escaping to Egypt to avoid famine or scarcity, but God asked him to remain in Gerar (Genesis 26:1-2). He obeyed God and sowed his seed right where he was, and there was a great harvest for him. He became so great that the natives of the land envied his wealth. All you need to do is to cultivate the right relationship with God, and He will always direct you to where your blessing will locate you. Another problem for the wealthy is the temptation of using their money to buy what will destroy them. You need to know how much the devil is taking from many through the medium of cigarettes, alcohol and hard drugs. Some people never planned to have extra-martial affairs until they started having money. The kind of wealth that will disconnect you from God will never come into your hands in Jesus’ Name.

PRAYER POINT: Father, keep me from wealth that will lead to my destruction.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: JOSHUA 18:1-19:39 AND MATTHEW 21:33-22:14.