Get Rich Quickly

Our culture has produced a people who are driven to get rich quickly. We are willing to forfeit the future in order to have our burst in the sun now. Millions of people play lotteries around the country or gamble in the countless number of casinos to hit the big one. Whatever happened to making money the old fashioned way, “earn it.”

In 1989 John Bennett established the Foundation for New Era Philanthropy. Purported to be a non-profit foundation, he offered donors the opportunity to double their money within six to nine months. In 1994 he allowed nonprofit organizations to participate. This too-good-to-be-true offer brought waves of money from various institutions as well as philanthropists to support what turned out to be a pyramid scheme. In September 1997, Bennett was sentenced to prison for defrauding charities and others of $354 million.

The list of abuses in this area would be astounding. Everyone it seems wants to get something for nothing. Well like the old say, “if it is too good to be true, it probably is.”

The Scripture talks about a man, Abraham, who also had the opportunity to gain more wealth quickly. The king of Sodom, Bera, offered Abraham all the “wealth” of the city in exchange for the people. Abraham considered the source and declined. He knew that the wealth of the city was obtained in ways that would not honor God. So, the opportunity to become even more wealthy was not worth the price of being indebted to the king of Sodom. Sodom was so wicked that it would shortly be destroyed by fire and brimstone. Abraham instead wanted to continue to depend upon God to provide for his needs; he didn’t need Sodom’s money.

The desire to get rich can bring many pains and heartaches. The apostle Paul wrote to Timothy, “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows” (1 Tim. 6:10). This appetite for more and more can drive you into associations with people who can cause you irreparable spiritual harm.

You may find yourself attracted to the allure of quick riches. You may even find yourself in relationships, that are damaging your spiritual life and your testimony. My advice to you is get out quickly. It may mean taking a financial loss, but when you make your relationship with the Lord your most important priority, He will take care of all your other needs (Matt. 6:33).

God’s wealth is obtained His way in His time.

Genesis 14:22-23 But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have lifted my hand to the Lord, God Most High, the Possessor of heaven and earth, that I will take nothing, from a thread to a sandal strap, and that I will not take anything that is yours, lest you should say, “I have made Abram rich.”

Need a hand

I read a story about a farmer and his son who were working together in the field. The father instructed the boy to go around and pick up all the large stones he could find and throw them into a ditch nearby so they would not interfere with plowing. The son work diligently for many hours but was not quite able to complete the assignment.  Finally he called out, “Dad, there’s one rock here I can’t move even though I’ve tried my hardest.” “No, Son,” replied the father, “you haven’t tried your hardest until you’ve called for me to help you. I can give you the strength you need.” The father came alongside the boy and added his strength. Together, they moved the stubborn rock with ease.

The Scripture tells us about an assignment God had given to a man named Abraham.  What God called upon Abraham to do was something that was impossible for him, if tried under his own power. God commanded him to “walk before Me and be blameless.” The word blameless (Heb. tamym) carries the sense of being complete, whole or mature. It implies a level of integrity that is rarely found among men. In the natural, this would have been impossible for Abraham, except for one condition: the One who called him to live this way was God.

Interestingly enough, those who follow Christ find the same admonition in the New Testament.  Many people have tried to live this Christian life in their own power, and they all have failed. Some have come to believe that it’s impossible to achieve such maturity in a sinful world. And, apart from the God’s help, it is. But God said, “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me?” (Jer. 32:27).

What we need to understand is that God will empower us to accomplish what He has called us to do.  We must put ourselves in His hands and allow the power of His Spirit to work through us. Only He is able to present us faultless before the throne. In His power our life can be complete and our walk can be blameless.

There is no rock in our life too big to be moved when we cooperate with what God is trying to do in and through us.

Genesis 17:1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless.”

Get rid of fear

Everywhere you look there is evidence of fear. We fear what we do not know. We fear what we know. Even the people we think are the most brave, if they’re honest, will admit to moments of intense fear.

It is reported that during World War II, a military governor met with Gen. George Patton in Sicily. After he praised Patton for his courage and bravery, the general replied, “Sir, I am not a brave man—the truth is, I am a craven coward. I have never been within the sound of gunshot or in sight of battle in my whole life that I wasn’t so scared that I had sweat in the palms of my hands.” Patton’s honesty is refreshing.

The Scripture presents a special man named Abraham. He was just as human any of usI. Even though he had 318 trained soldiers in his personal army and had just won a major victory over four mighty kings (Gen. 14:13-17), he still experienced times of apprehension and dread. That’s why God said, “Do not be afraid.” God reminded him that: “I am your shield [to protect you from evil], your exceedingly great reward [to meet all your needs].”

We can categorize our fears into two broad categories. We fear that something will harm us or that we will suffer need in some way. God’s Word tells us that He is sufficient for both of these concerns. The psalmist speaks of God’s protection from evil when he says, “A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; but it shall not come near you” (Ps. 91:7). And in another psalm we are assured of God’s provision: “The young lions lack and suffer hunger; but those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing” (34:10).

Are there fears that trouble you today? Ask God to remove those from you. The God of Abraham is sufficient both to protect you and to provide for all your needs.  If we stay close to His love, fear will depart.

God’s perfect love casts out all fear.

Step by step

The Chinese philosopher Lao-Tse once said, “A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.” I am the kind of person who wants to hurry through the journey to get to the destination.  Are you that way?  When we drive somewhere, I want to find the quickest way there.  Please don’t ask me to stop and at a rest area.  We can stop for that when we get to a gas station.  Why not kill two birds with one stone?  While we all tend to focus on the destination, the time it will take to complete our journey or the items we need to accomplish it, the trip itself cannot begin until we’re willing to take the first step.

In Scripture we see how Abraham was willing to take that first step. Though he had a stopover in Haran, he ultimately did reach is destination. Some have faulted him for stopping short of Canaan. We don’t know for sure why he didn’t go on. Perhaps his father, Terah, was not physically able to continue. We do know that Terah died in Haran. It is also possible that Abraham got temporarily sidetracked. Circumstances may have caused him momentarily to forget that God’s call was to Canaan, not Haran. But we should never forget that at least Abraham took the first step toward his ultimate destination.

What vision has God placed upon your heart?  It might be the soul of your lost neighbor or perhaps God has burdened your heart to teach a Sunday school class.  He might be asking you to receive more training in the Bible or launch out in a nursing home ministry. Whatever it is, you may not be able to see yourself reaching that goal. The answer is found in taking that first step. Even though the way ahead may not seem clear at the moment, there is one thing for certain, if you don’t begin you’ll never finish.

Trust God to guide you and to provide whatever you need along the way. Expect God to step in with His power and direction at the right moment. As you take the first step, He will make sure all the other steps fall in place.

Remember, the hardest step is always the first step.

Genesis 11:31 And Terah took his son Abram and his grandson Lot, the son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, his son Abram’s wife, and they went out with them from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to the land of Canaan; and they came to Haran and dwelt there.