Our Gifts

True wealth

Esther 1:4: “And he showed the riches of his glorious kingdom and the honor of his excellent majesty many days, a hundred and eighty days. “

This was during the time of king Ahasveros of the Persian kingdom. He ruled 127 provinces, spanning from India up to Ethiopia.  The strong city of his throne was Susan. The king decided, in the third year of his reign, to have a banquet for all his highly placed officials and officers. For a period of 180 days, during this banquet, he displayed the beauty and lustre and magnitude of his riches and kingdom to all. Following this a great festival was held that lasted for seven days.

Although this story may be regarded as less significant, it is in fact of great significance to those of us who dearly love and honour God. It warns us against what may happen when our possessions and riches become all important to us. How we are transformed to a point where nothing else matters to us. We become trapped in a spiral where we just desire more and more, eventually arriving at a place where we are prepared to do anything to get even more. We lose sight of all the true riches in our lives like our children, our marriage and our relationship with God. We need to ponder the question, “what gives us, as children of God true happiness?” Which principals are important to God, and which are important to man?  God requires us to honour Him with all we have, and this includes all our possessions too.

Do we always strive to have more? Do we have the tendency and desire to improve all the time, always a bigger house, always a more luxurious car? Even the drive within yourself and your heart to earn more and more money, to have a higher position, to be more important,  is in fact against the principles of God’s Kingdom. These things are important to man and is part and parcel of the sinful world we live in.

This might not make sense but when you really think about it, you never gain happiness from your possessions, no matter how much you have. God knew that our lives would be destroyed by these wants. That is why it forms part of the Ten Commandments. Exodus 20:17:  “You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his man servant, nor his maid servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor's.” God knows the heart and mind and knows that these things lead to man’s destruction.  He warns that when you are not satisfied with what you have, you will end up wanting for someone else’s passions of even their spouse. Do you see where your desires will lead you?

Let’s have a look at Jesus’ actions when, after 40 days in the desert, Satan tempted Him. Keep in mind what condition Jesus was finding Himself in after 40 days under the blazing sun. He was tired, hungry and thirsty after being without food or water for 40 days. If you think about it, He would have appreciated a silver platter of food.  No, He remained obedient to God and did not give in to temptation. I want to focus on one specific temptation relating to the subject we are discussing.

Matthew 4:8-10: ” Again, the Devil took Him up into a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory."

And he said to Him, All these things I will give You, if You will fall down and worship me.

Then Jesus said to him, Go, Satan! For it is written, "You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve."

Jesus did not want to be rich, to be king or to own all the kingdoms in the world. He chose to be true to God and to serve, honor and love Him. God knows, in His heart that all these things bring only unhappiness. He also says in His Word; Mat 6:33:  “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you.”  We all know that Solomon was one of the richest kings ever. No king after him ever owned so much.  Very early in the history of Solomon God appeared to him and asked what he desired. 

Let’s look at His answer in scripture.

1 Kings 3: 9:  “And give to Your servant an understanding heart, to judge Your people, to discern between good and bad. For who is able to judge this, Your great people?.” Solomon requested wisdom as king, not riches, but an understanding heart was more important to him. As a result of his being humble and only asking for wisdom God granted him all the other things he did not ask for as well.

1Kings 3:11:  “And God said to him, Because you have asked this thing, and have not asked for yourself long life, and have not asked riches for yourself, nor have asked the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to judge justly.”

1Kings 3:12: “ behold, I have done according to your words. I have given you a wise and an understanding heart, so that there was none like you before you, and after you none shall arise like you.”

1Kings 3:13: “And I also have given you that which you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that there shall not be any among the kings like you all your days.”

1Kings 3:14:  “And if you will walk in My ways, to keep My statutes and My commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days.“

In 1 Timothy 6:9 God also warns us; “But they who will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts which plunge men into destruction and perdition.”

”This chasing after money and riches in actual fact leads us into temptation and damnation. Eventually nothing will satisfy us. When we start falling into this trap we should remind ourselves of 1 Timothy 6:10:  “For the love of money is a root of all evils, of which some having lusted after, they were seduced from the faith and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”  Yes, it may seem harsh, but it is reality.

So how do we train ourselves not to chase after these false riches, but after the true wealth in God?  God provided an answer in the form of: 

1Timothy 6:6-8: “But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and it is clear that we can carry nothing out.

But having food and clothing, we will be content.”

Being content with what you have is God’s answer. So how do you do that? How do you quench these constant desires that burn in your heart? It is only possible through God. He is the only one that can reveal to you that He is everything. He is the one you should be longing for. In Him you should get your fill when the hunger creeps up on you in the desert. He is the one who will fill you with a fountain of living water. He is the one who can heal you. He is the one that truly loves you. He is the one who can open your eyes to the worldly wants and lusts that are trying to devour you. He can give you insight and wisdom, to enable you to recognise and fight against these desires. Do you realize how desperately you need Him?  Maybe it is time that you, once again go down on your knees before your Creator, Father and Lord, to declare your dependence on Him.

Try making a list, comparing things of the world giving you happiness to things of God giving you happiness. Ponder over it; were you really happy when you had lots of money, even more than you needed? When you had a high ranking job, taking up so much of your time that you longed for some spare time to be in the arms of your wife, or to run around the garden with your children? Chasing after a ball with them shouting and laughing at your heels?

If you go and study your list you will surely find the scale leaning toward God, and the earthly pleasures on the other side, actually becoming insignificant. God says in His Word in 1 Corinthians 1:4-5:  “I thank my God always on your behalf for the grace of God given you in Jesus Christ, that in everything you are enriched by Him, in all speech and in all knowledge”.  If you have a hunger to grow in faith and the knowledge of God’s Word every day, you already possess an important part of His Kingdom. Then you have found true wealth in Him.

By: Marieke Zeevaart