Ecclesiastes 2:26 For God giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy; but to the sinner he giveth travail , to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good before God. This also is vanity and vexation of spirit.
Now isn’t that the awesome truth Friends! God does give wisdom, knowledge and joy to those who obey His rules, who do good in His sight. And I have three people to vouch for that. ‘But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.’ (Job 32:8) That’s Eli’hu, the youngest of those commiserating with Job over his sudden, fall from grace. And Solomon adds: ‘For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly.’ (Prov.2:6-7) And Sol know God’s generosity better than anyone else. James says: ‘If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith; nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea, driven with the wind and tossed.’ (Jam.1:5-6) Yes Friends, the Lord will gladly open our minds, enlighten us, if we come to Him in faith and obedience. But woe to those who stray; who follow the enemy, place their trust in man! ‘But to the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good before God.’ Oh people, that should warm the cockles of our hearts and keep us on God’s path! It’s the ungodly who will bear the brunt of the work, the task of gathering and collecting, of amassing worldly possessions, but sadly won’t be able to enjoy it much, for the Lord will turn around and give it to those who are upright in His sight. ‘Though he heap up silver as the dust, and prepare raiment as the clay; He may prepare it, but the just shall put it on, and the innocent shall divide the silver.’ (Job 27:16-17) ‘He that by usury and unjust gain increaseth his substance, he shall gather it for him that will pity the poor.’ (Prov.28:8) Now Friends, please don’t go overboard with that. Don’t think that once you become a believer, and start acting righteously, that the Lord will automatically shower you with the sinner’s possessions, cause He won’t. As in every area of life, we’ve got to pay dues before we get rewards. We’ve got to sow good seeds in fertile soil, then carefully tend the plants that sprout and nourish them so that they may bear wholesome fruit. Remember, we only reap what we sow. No doubt, along the way, the Lord will bless us with material rewards, sometimes even more than we expect or deserve, but that should not be the purpose in our hearts. The rich won’t lose their riches simply cause they’re rich, but because their purpose was wrong. They had their hearts set on amassing worldly fortunes, rather than advancing God’s work. Neither does it exclude Christians with righteous hearts from becoming wealthy, for God’s people need money and worldly goods to do His work. Now, with the Word in the U.S slanted too much to the feel good, we’re entitled, we’re empowered side, they’re blaming some of the Mortgage crisis on believers who felt that it was God acting on their behalf to give them mortgages they could not afford, and not the bad lending practices of the banks. Who knows? There might be a grain of truth to it, for people have become so gullible, always wanting something for nothing, and the purveyors of the Word so crooked, that they will consciously send inaccurate messages to boost their fame and fortune. Oh Friends, please, let’s not fall for that. We worship a wonderful God, and if we follow His dictates, then, in His own time, He’ll bless us generously. Amassing a worldly fortune, just to live high on the hog is not a worthwhile enterprise in God’s eyes. That’s why Sol declared: ‘This also is vanity and vexation of spirit.’ It’s futile, like grasping at the wind. Remember Friends we’re not following the Lord because of the rewards He’s promised, though they’re awesome, but because of the loving lifestyle He promotes. The rewards are secondary. It’s all about our hearts; the true purpose of that mighty organ. That’s what the Lord considers. Let’s set them right nuh. Much LOVE!…with a right heart…the Lord can cause untold wonders…to unfold in our lives…
Now isn’t that the awesome truth Friends! God does give wisdom, knowledge and joy to those who obey His rules, who do good in His sight. And I have three people to vouch for that. ‘But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.’ (Job 32:8) That’s Eli’hu, the youngest of those commiserating with Job over his sudden, fall from grace. And Solomon adds: ‘For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly.’ (Prov.2:6-7) And Sol know God’s generosity better than anyone else. James says: ‘If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith; nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea, driven with the wind and tossed.’ (Jam.1:5-6) Yes Friends, the Lord will gladly open our minds, enlighten us, if we come to Him in faith and obedience. But woe to those who stray; who follow the enemy, place their trust in man! ‘But to the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good before God.’ Oh people, that should warm the cockles of our hearts and keep us on God’s path! It’s the ungodly who will bear the brunt of the work, the task of gathering and collecting, of amassing worldly possessions, but sadly won’t be able to enjoy it much, for the Lord will turn around and give it to those who are upright in His sight. ‘Though he heap up silver as the dust, and prepare raiment as the clay; He may prepare it, but the just shall put it on, and the innocent shall divide the silver.’ (Job 27:16-17) ‘He that by usury and unjust gain increaseth his substance, he shall gather it for him that will pity the poor.’ (Prov.28:8) Now Friends, please don’t go overboard with that. Don’t think that once you become a believer, and start acting righteously, that the Lord will automatically shower you with the sinner’s possessions, cause He won’t. As in every area of life, we’ve got to pay dues before we get rewards. We’ve got to sow good seeds in fertile soil, then carefully tend the plants that sprout and nourish them so that they may bear wholesome fruit. Remember, we only reap what we sow. No doubt, along the way, the Lord will bless us with material rewards, sometimes even more than we expect or deserve, but that should not be the purpose in our hearts. The rich won’t lose their riches simply cause they’re rich, but because their purpose was wrong. They had their hearts set on amassing worldly fortunes, rather than advancing God’s work. Neither does it exclude Christians with righteous hearts from becoming wealthy, for God’s people need money and worldly goods to do His work. Now, with the Word in the U.S slanted too much to the feel good, we’re entitled, we’re empowered side, they’re blaming some of the Mortgage crisis on believers who felt that it was God acting on their behalf to give them mortgages they could not afford, and not the bad lending practices of the banks. Who knows? There might be a grain of truth to it, for people have become so gullible, always wanting something for nothing, and the purveyors of the Word so crooked, that they will consciously send inaccurate messages to boost their fame and fortune. Oh Friends, please, let’s not fall for that. We worship a wonderful God, and if we follow His dictates, then, in His own time, He’ll bless us generously. Amassing a worldly fortune, just to live high on the hog is not a worthwhile enterprise in God’s eyes. That’s why Sol declared: ‘This also is vanity and vexation of spirit.’ It’s futile, like grasping at the wind. Remember Friends we’re not following the Lord because of the rewards He’s promised, though they’re awesome, but because of the loving lifestyle He promotes. The rewards are secondary. It’s all about our hearts; the true purpose of that mighty organ. That’s what the Lord considers. Let’s set them right nuh. Much LOVE!…with a right heart…the Lord can cause untold wonders…to unfold in our lives…
SCRIP-BITS 