Scripture to Read: 1 Timothy 6:9
It seems like everywhere we turn, there is a new way to “get rich quick.” Seeking to get rich in this life is not anything new. It may seem new to us, but getting rich in this life is something mankind has struggled with since the Garden of Eden. For even in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:8-9), where God’s incredible gifts met Adam and Eve’s every need and where they got to walk with God (Genesis 3:8), did not seem like it was enough when Eve was tempted with the fruit of “the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” We, as humans, live in an earthly shell that desires the junk of this world. We actually struggle with the temptation of wanting more riches. We think that riches and stuff will satisfy our longings. But we all know from experience that even when we end up getting the things we thought we wanted so badly, after we have that stuff for a while, it does not satisfy us any longer. God’s warning in 1 Timothy 6:9 is for everyone who struggles with the temptation to get rich in this life. God tells us that when we fall into that temptation of wanting the riches of this life, it only leads to a trap that ends in destruction and ruin. It is not wrong to have stuff, but God does not want us seeking the stuff of this world to find our contentment, peace, satisfaction, etc., because the stuff of this life can never meet our deepest needs.
Challenge & Application
1. What did God teach you about seeking the riches of this world?
2. How are you guarding your heart from the temptation of thinking you need more stuff from this world?
Don’t forget to pray using the A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) method!