It’s easy to believe that if we just have enough stuff, we can avoid suffering in case of an emergency, but this is absolutely untrue. Everything we have belongs to God, from our material wealth to our bodies and even our souls. Having more things won’t make you more secure, and only a deep, abiding relationship with God will give you the peace of mind that you’re actually craving in this case. No amount of savings accounts, emergency accounts, pensions, houses, CDs, share funds, or other material wealth will fill the hole left by not knowing the Lord on a personal level, and you’ll soon discover that all the money in the world won’t satisfy half so well as being right with God.

Consider 1 Timothy 6:17 (NIV): “Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.”

Note that this Scripture contains a very important promise—God won’t just give us what we need, He also “richly” provides us with what we enjoy. Isn’t He an amazing God? Like a good earthly father, our Heavenly Father likes to see us having fun in this life, so He gives us things for our enjoyment. What does “richly” mean? According to the dictionary, “richly” can be defined as “in an elaborate, generous, or plentiful way.” That sounds wonderful, doesn’t it?

Doing Your Part

God makes some amazing promises in His Word, but you have to do your part as well, especially by remembering that it’s all His. Everything from what we own to what we want is His, and He’ll provide for our needs. Don’t head for a bank or short-term lender every time you get afraid that you’re going to be short on a bill or other need. Trust God and be willing to wait and let Him provide in His timing, and you may discover that He had something incredible planned. It’s always better to rely upon God than to go into further debt, unless He leads you to do something particular that seems like it’s more debt at first. Do your part, trust God, lean not on your own understanding, and follow His directions.  Isaiah 40:31 but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. (KJV)

Furthermore, don’t forget that this includes being obedient to what He wants you to do with your money—especially when it comes to tithing. If you aren’t tithing, you’re money isn’t going to be blessed, and if you want more information about that, visit some of our previous blog posts. You might as well be tossing your money into the trash bin if you aren’t tithing, because that’s how effective your “plans” will be when it comes to finances. That sounds harsh, but if you don’t tithe, your finances aren’t blessed by God, plain and simple. Clearly it’s not because He needs your money!  He desires your heart and your trust.  When you tithe you are showing God in a practical way that you are really trusting Him – it’s not a test… it’s evidence!

Bottom Line

The bottom line for this teaching is simple: God owns it all. It’s all His. However, He is generous beyond belief and will provide not only for your needs, but occasionally for your wants as well. He wants you to enjoy your life, and this is from a material perspective as well. Be richly blessed by trusting God!

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