The Bible has a great deal to say about money. Today’s reading talks about the futility of money without peace, contentment, and someone to share it. And warns us that if we take it for granted or live like there is no tomorrow, we may find we are working only to give it away or wake up and find it all gone.
Also, read about the importance of wise friends and counselors, how God’s Word never changes, and the value of laying down our lives for the cause of Christ.
Welcome to “God’s Word Day by Day,” where I blog through the Bible in a Year. I hope you’ll join me every day. If you’re not already signed up, you can do it here or subscribe and watch on YouTube.
Today’s Readings:
Ecclesiastes 4-6
Psalm 102.18-28
Proverbs 24.5-6
1 Corinthians 9.1-27
Money without Peace, Love & Contentment
Ecclesiastes 4-6:
Money’s Not Enough
In this part of Ecclesiastes, Solomon begins talking about the futility of money for money’s sake.
Better a handful with quietness. Than both hands full, together with toil and grasping for the wind (4.6).
We might say, what good is an abundance of money with no peace or contentment?
Solomon went on:
There is one alone, without companion:
He has neither son nor brother.
Yet there is no end to all his labors,
Nor is his eye satisfied with riches.
But he never asks,
“For whom do I toil and deprive myself of good?”
This also is vanity and a grave misfortune (4.8).
Today we might say, what good is great success when you have no one with which to share it?
Discontent & Greed
Chapter 5 has a warning against discontent and greed. Look at verse 10 in the New Living Translation:
Those who love money will never have enough. How meaningless to think that wealth brings true happiness! (5.10).
Chapter 6 warns against taking the blessings of God for granted.
2 A man to whom God has given riches and wealth and honor, so that he lacks nothing for himself of all he desires; yet God does not give him power to eat of it, but a foreigner consumes it. This is vanity, and it is an evil affliction (6.2).
We might sum up Solomon’s message on money in these chapters this way: It’s better to find peace and contentment with a modest income and someone with which to share it than to be constantly working to pay a huge mortgage and trying to keep our heads above water while appearing to “have it all.”
Blessed to Be a Blessing
God blesses us so we can be a blessing, not so we can hoard it, use it strictly for our own pleasure, lord it over others, or get proud and boastful. 1 Corinthians 4.7 says:
7 For who regards you as superior? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?
The important thing is to learn to find contentment in God’s provision for us. In Philippians 4 Paul said:
11 Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. 12 I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. 13 For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength (NLT).
As God provides for us, let’s pray for the wisdom to use it wisely, for the benefit of the kingdom of God, and for His glory. If we take it for granted, live selfishly, or live like there is no tomorrow, we may wake up and find it all gone. Or we may realize like Solomon that trying to find contentment in the things of this world is all vanity!
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Today’s Other Readings:
Psalm 102.18-28:
God & His Word the Same Yesterday, Today, and Forever
Verse 27, speaking of God, says:
But You are the same, and Your years will have no end.
Many today want to say the Bible is out of date and that Christians who hold to its truths are narrow-minded, intolerant, homophobic, mean-spirited, unloving, and more. But God, His Word, and His standards do not change with the culture, the times, or the whims of people. Hebrews 13.8 says about Jesus, the Living Word:
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
Proverbs 24.5-6:
Do You Have Wise Counselors?
For by wise counsel you will wage your own war, and in a multitude of counselors there is safety (v. 6).
That doesn’t mean we talk to everyone we know about our problems and decisions, but all of us should have trustworthy, godly people from whom we can seek counsel.
1 Corinthians 9.1-27:
Laying Down Our Rights for the Cause of Christ
In chapter 9, Paul continues and expands on the theme of freedom in Christ. He points out that as believers, it’s wrong to focus on our freedoms and rights.
Today, it’s easy to get caught up in those things. People want their “right” to live as they please, to be treated justly, to get paid what they believe they are worth, etc. While it’s not wrong to defend legitimate rights, it is wrong to make that the primary thing. It’s far better to lay down our rights and freedoms for others and for the cause of Christ.
What Do You Think?
Do you have wise counselors in your life, people whose knowledge of God and His Word make them good counselors?
What have you learned about money, its value, and its responsibilities?
Coming Up:
In the coming days, we will talk about God’s promise in trials, the importance of examining our own lives, and look at 21 dating and premarital red flags. We’ll also talk about holiness, biblical love, and how God intended sex within marriage to be “red hot.”
I hope you’ll sign up so you don’t miss any of them. You might also like to check out the latest videos on our YouTube channel.
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Blessings as you grow in Christ,
Donna ♥
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