04 21 08 How Comfortable?

“Why should I be afraid when trouble comes?
Why should I fear when sinners are all around me?
They are the kind of people who want to take advantage of me.
They trust in their wealth.
They brag about how rich they are.”
(Psalm 49:5-6 NIrV)

I look around me and see so many comfortable people as I shop at the grocery store, check our mail the post office box, or fill up at the gas station. With so much turmoil in the finance markets, I wonder how comfortable we really are. How many weeks or days can we survive without a paycheck? How many months can we keep our homes and cars if the business can no longer make the payroll budget? How much food can we buy when we must choose between food, gas, or home utilities? How hard will it be if every week we have to trust in God to provide everything we need?

Should we be afraid? Should we fear? Absolutely not! There is no need to fear the rich or to fear not being rich! In fact, to know Abba, our Heavenly Father, is to be an heir to all the riches ever known!

Jesus looked around. He said to his disciples,
"How hard it is for rich people to enter God's kingdom!"
(Mark 10:23 NIrV)

Once one has riches, it becomes easier and more comfortable to trust in those riches. I can work a few more hours a week…put off a vacation…maybe even a second job…any excuse to get more or get better. “I” can do it if I just work a little harder…longer…just for a short while. Getting used to having things is dangerous ground. One can easily begin to trust in those things and how we obtained them, instead of trusting in the source of all things: GOD!

It is so much more beneficial to trust in the source of every good gift than to trust in our means of obtaining things. When we become satisfied with the things we have and the things we desire, we desire God and His riches less and less. How hard it is to convince a person who has everything that they need a Savior; that without Christ they have nothing!

Just look around our neighborhoods: luxurious homes, shiny sports cars and SUV’s, well-dressed men and women, well-manicured lawns, highly educated children. Nothing lacking…? It seems that way on the surface doesn’t it?

Nothing in this world can compare to the riches we’ll experience in glory, especially the richness of the fellowship with the Father. So if we find ourselves blessed to have the luxuries of life, bless God! If we don’t have many of the finer things, bless Him as well. For we know that after all is said and done, if we know Him, we’ll have all we’ll ever dream of just being with Him! Oh, HOW COMFORTABLE we will be there!