The Rich Man

“The rich man’s wealth is his strong city.” (Proverbs 10:15a).
There are times when it appears that wicked men get all the breaks, receive all the blessings and rarely experience much trouble. Meanwhile, it seems righteous men struggle to provide the bare necessities for their families and are beset with problems from every direction. Unfortunately, the prosperity message that is being preached today only exacerbates the problem. Believers are making the same mistakes that the disciples made 2,000 years ago. They are equating financial prosperity with favor from God. They are not one in the same. Jesus told his disciples regarding the rich young ruler: “That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved? But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19: 23-26). The rich man can be saved, but it is difficult because he has made money his god. The rich man is able to satisfy his desires to his hearts content, but his wealth is not a sign of God’s favor. The disciples equated riches with holiness just as today’s prosperity preachers do. A man enters heaven by one way: through the blood of Jesus. Perhaps we should thank God for our troubles and financial struggles: they may have been the very difficulties that drew us to Him.