S)"25 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 (NASB)
O) I don't know how long I've actually known this verse. It's one of the first verses I remember learning with historical context. At this time there was a famous city gate that was quite small and it was referred to as the "eye of a needle" because of it's diminutive opening. The real difficulty with this gate is that it was so short that you couldn't walk a camel through it. You had to take everything off the camel and get it to kneal, and essentially crawl through the gate. Apparently, that's virtually impossible. So, I've known about this verse for a long time. It's important to note that a few verses later, Jesus says that with man it's impossible, but with God all things are possible. So, it's good to remember that Jesus isn't saying that it's a bad thing to have money, or even to be genuinely wealthy, but He says that it makes entering the Kingdom that much harder.
A) So, throughout my life, I've always adopted the attitude that money isn't everything, something I was forced to recognize, since I grew up poor. As I got older and started a family, I had given my feeling a little more definition to say things like, "I want to have enough money to not worry about it, and to be able to bless other people freely." But this is what I thought as I read this verse this morning, "It's so much harder if I'm rich..." Here's the way God's economy differs from the world's economy. It's harder to bless people when I'm rich, than it is when I'm poor. Over and over, we see in the Bible, that there are myriad examples of people giving out of their own need, to help those still less fortunate. Would it be nice to have enough money that I could bless any and every one I came accross in need? Yes. Would I be able to bring myself to do it, if I had done everything needed up until that point to become wealthy in the first place? I don't know; money tends to change people. So, here's what I've determined this morning: God is the one who blesses me and holds my financial security. Regardless of how much money I ever make, whether or not I worry about it is not going to have anything to do with my checking account balance, but everything to do with my trust in Him. Regardless of how much money I ever make, whether or not I am able to bless others freely is going to have nothing to do with my checking account balance, but everything to do with the condition of my own heart.
P) Father, You are my provider, Jehovah Jireh. You hold all of my financial security. You establish the work of my hands, according to Psalm 90:17, so my ability to bless others is not dependant on my ability to make "enough money." Holy Spirit, remind me that I can give to everyone freely, according to Your prompting, not according to my own means. Remind me that if it's the will of the Father for me to give money, or food, or anything to some one else, in Jesus' name, then I will only be bringing blessings upon myself for that obedience. Remind me that, even if I'm never compensated for it, the simple act of obedience brings forth discipline, and righteous character, and a closeness to the Father that are all blessings in and of themselves, worth any amount of payment or materials I could ever give. Let me put my trust and hope and security in You alone, LORD. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
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