The Test of Abundance
“Beware that you do not forget the Lord your God by not keeping His commandments, His judgments, and His statutes which I command you today, lest—when you have eaten and are full, and have built beautiful houses and dwell in them; and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and your gold are multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied; when your heart is lifted up, and you forget the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage; who led you through that great and terrible wilderness, in which were fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty land where there was no water; who brought water for you out of the flinty rock; who fed you in the wilderness with manna, which your fathers did not know, that He might humble you and that He might test you, to do you good in the end— then you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth.’ “And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day. Deuteronomy 8:11-18 (NKJV)
It has been said that there is no greater test for the Christian than the test of abundance. And I think they may be onto something with that thought. When we have unpaid bills and a bank balance that does not look promising, we have no choice but to trust that God will supply our needs. We must rely on our God’s provision. We’ll stand in faith and believe God for our light bills to be paid, food to be provided for our tables, and clothing and shelter for our families. But, when people obtain wealth and riches, people can tend to pull back from their faith. In their abundance and the ease of having their needs met, the need for God does not seem so great to them. They begin to rely on their wealth to take care of them instead of God.
It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” Mark 10:25 (NKJV)
Although we know God is our Supply, the abundance of riches and material possessions has been known to make many people proud- as if they alone were responsible for their wealth and provision. In the days ahead, there is going to be a great transfer of wealth from the sinner to the righteous. We must prepare our hearts before it takes place, to make sure wealth and abundance do not draw us away from our relationship with and reliance on God.
Having money is not a problem- as long as the money does not have us. Money is just a tool to do the Lord’s will. There is nothing wrong with being wealthy as long as we keep it all in the proper perspective. Money itself is not evil-the love of money is the root of all evil. As we receive the material blessings that are coming our way, let’s draw nearer to God with our hearts than we have ever done before. We can pass the test of abundance as long as we consciously work to keep our hearts right before God and keep Him in first place.
