Zechariah 1;17 ‘Cry yet, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; My cities through prosperity shall yet be spread abroad;.’
DAILY READING – Luke 8:1-25; Genesis 12; Psalm 6
In the 1960’s, the 4th richest man in the world was Howard Hughes. He was a billionaire who seemed to have it all. One of his habits was a penchant for living in luxury hotels. On some occasions, just because he did not want to check out of his hotel room, he would buy up the entire hotel and continue his stay. One night in 1966, he arrived in Las Vegas and his aides checked him into a penthouse in the dessert inn hotel. However after staying a while, he decided he didn’t want to check out of the hotel and so he bought the entire hotel, and then converted the entire 8th floor into his offices and the 9th floor became his home.
Another of his habits was late night movies. A chronic insomniac, he watched movies on television all night long. But when Hughes first arrived in Las Vegas he discovered he couldn’t indulge in this whim, because Las Vegas had no all-night TV stations at that time. So he bought KLAS Channel 8 television station, in 1967 for $3.6 million and got them to begin operating all night long so that he could indulge his habit of watching late night movies.
Howard lavishly fed his indulgences. Anything he wanted he simply bought it up, because he was rich enough to pay for it. Yet, despite all the money he spent to find happiness, he still died a recluse and a very lonely man. One of his very close aides told the Las Vegas Newspaper in 2004, that though outwardly Howard was financially wealthy, in truth, ‘he was the poorest man in the world, because he was so unhappy.”
We need to understand the purpose of money, because once purpose is not known abuse is inevitable. Lack of purpose is what leads people to waste money on frivolous things that do not amount to much in the grand scheme of life. For a believer, the purpose of money is a means to accomplish God’s mission on earth.
Zechariah 1;17 says ‘Cry yet, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; My cities through prosperity shall yet be spread abroad;.’
Prosperity or provision is needed to accomplish the vision God places in the hearts of His servants. And sowing to God’s Kingdom should be our priority rather than fleshy indulgence. Salvation of men is meant to be a burning issue in our hearts. Where your treasure is there will your heart be also. When your heart is set on God, your treasure will be spent on God’s purpose. .And you can’t be truly sold out to God and not stand out on earth. When your heart is rightly positioned on God, it will direct your giving. David gave abundantly to the building of God’s temple, because his heart was set on God. And if truly our priority is God’s kingdom, then we should sow towards the saving of the souls Jesus died for.
As Christians, we are to set our hearts on what truly matters, and not on the frivolous things of the earth. Matthew 6:19–21 says, “Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not beak through nor steal: for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also”.
Possessions on earth are not for accumulating, but for distributing in ways that Christ is honored. There is nothing wrong with people possessing riches. The wrong comes when riches possess people. We must therefore strive to live for God and not for gold.
God wants us to have the joyful pursuit of Him and His kingdom as our treasure. A life of spending frivolously and indulging your fleshly desires will not make you happy. Rather a life lived with a passion to advance God’s kingdom through giving, will have you fulfilled and full of joy. The giving life is the winning life. The giving grace enlarges the covenant coast of a man. Indeed nothing turns financial captivity like sacrifice. According to Psalm 126, they that sow in tears, reap in joy. When it is a tearful seed, it will bring you a cheerful harvest. Truly, there are no crown wearers in Heaven that were not cross bearers on earth. let us therefore learn to sow to the spirit and not to the flesh. Sow to your heavenly account. Give to the work of God through ministries and outreaches, and you will be forever blessed.
PRAYER: Lord, Please help me to set my priorities right, by seeking first the promotion of Your kingdom. Please enable me to seek the laying up of Heavenly treasures above indulgence in earthly pleasures in Jesus Name.
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There is something that God has placed within you that the world is eagerly awaiting to see.