September 25, 2022 - INSCRIPTIONS FROM THE HEART
By Doug Bennyson
I have never dealt with finances much. Growing up I was shepherded at home till I moved out to Canada. I did not get to spend a dime because everything was provided to me by my family. Dad paid for everything! Even after I got my first job in India, I did not spend any of that money because my Dad and mum took care of everything. But when I moved out and came to Canada, I started realizing the value of it. I had to be very strategic in the way I used my finances as a student as I decided not to ask anyone for help. My parents sent me the money for my university expenses.
When I got my first job in Canada is the day I decided I will not ask my parents for help anymore. God has been faithful throughout my journey since then. Taking care of me all along and not leaving me at a position where I had to ask for money.
The time I started looking into my money is when I got married. I started wanting more money. There are times in our life we desire more money than what we generally have. As much as we desire to want money the Bible warns us about having a strong desire for money.
Proverbs 23:4&5 reads the following way, "Do not weary yourself to gain wealth; Stop dwelling on it. When you set your eyes on it, it is gone. For wealth certainly makes itself wings. Like an eagle that flies toward the heavens."
Solomon writes here stating how quickly money can vanish, ultimately disappointing us as we placed our trust on it. The word used here is "weary". Solomon writes and says do not ponder on it to the point of feeling tired pursuing it. Being content with what we have is something that the word of God encourages us with in-order to live a fulfilled life.
Hebrews 13:5 goes on to say, “Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, "I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU,"
It's interesting how the writer of Hebrews links the word “character” to the “love of Money”. Intensely desiring money can cripple us from experiencing God. The Bible does not tell us to be poor, but it tells us not to have a love of money. The passage encourages us to free our minds from the mind set of overly desiring for money because doing so we depend less on God. Only God knows how much we need to live a joyful and peaceful life. Ask the Lord and be content with what He gives us.
The writer of Hebrews caps it off by saying, when we understand that our source is God we can boldly proclaim as in Hebrews 13:6 "so that we confidently say,
“The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What will man do to me?”