Consider these New Testament passages:
"Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” - Matthew 5:5
“So let no one boast in men. For all things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future- all are yours, and you are Christ's, and Christ is God's.” - 1 Corinthians 3:21-23
How are the righteous to inherit the earth? All things belong to those who are righteous—because of our union with Christ! Because we are connected with the King who rules over everything, we inherit all things!
How can these verses encourage us today? What if we are struggling financially and our car gets repossessed? What if we are forced to move to a smaller house because we can no longer pay rent? People all over the world spend their lives collecting treasures here below, but are blind to the greatest treasure--Christ Himself! Therefore do not be jealous of others, including the rich and those deemed “successful” in this world. Let us rather pity them, and pray that God would cause them to see their true poverty correctly! The wealthiest of men is indeed actually poor if he is without Christ and the poorest of men, who is in Christ, is indeed wealthy!
Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:
"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” - Matthew 6:19-21
And further down...
"Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”
- Matthew 6:25-34
Jesus calls us to have faith in Him. We can trust our Father will take care of us, as along as we are about our Father’s will. (And yes, part of this means working hard to provide for our families! -1 Timothy 5:8
Comments 1-5 of 10
Kym
04/08/2017 10:32 AM
I seriously think I was brought to your blog by God. Our lives have been turned upside down lately and after reading what you said, I can see it was done to REALLY teach me a lesson.
Thank You!
Mina
03/10/2017 03:40 AM
Wow! Great to find a post with such a clear messgae!
Kristyn K
02/07/2017 09:04 AM
This is all so incredibly true and it brings me so much more peace having started living my life remembering and acknowledging these things!:) Thank you for sharing!
Hannah
01/19/2017 08:08 PM
Thanks Ben. A great reminder of what a blessing eternal life is and a reminder to be thankful for all the things on earth God blesses us with. And to pray for the salvation of the spiritually poor!
Penni Truitt
01/19/2017 04:04 PM
I have probably said before, but I really enjoy reading your blogs. Keep it up.